Course Summary

The Certificate comprises three stage-one undergraduate units taken on a part-time basis over a single academic year.

Topics include: sociological perspectives on policy development in British society; social processes and institutions underpinning social work practice; various models within social work settings; and concepts of inequality, discrimination and oppression.

Why choose this course?

Key features

• Designed for those working in, or volunteering with, social welfare organisations
• Study alongside social work undergraduates
• Provides transferable credit for students who progress to the Social Work degree
• An opportunity to sample social work without the full-time degree commitment, but with the benefit of gaining a credible qualification

Areas of study include:

• Introduction to social sciences, including how a social perspective can assist in

working with people

• Working together: theories, methods and skills for intervention
• Diversity and difference, addressing structural inequality and oppression

UCSOS-PSW

Assessment

The Certificate programme is assessed using a range of methods appropriate to the task throughout the course; these will include formal written assignments and reports, role plays, presentations and live observation, using a range of communication tools including IT and audio/ visual media.

These methods are designed to test students in all the areas necessary for competent practice as social care workers as well as the academic disciplines underpinning such practice. Through the use of a variety of assessment methods students will be able to demonstrate a wide range of key skills for both academic and practice competence.

Each unit is separately assessed; students are however expected to be able to integrate learning from all the units into their assessments. Because of the applied nature of the subjects area students are expected to relate their learning to practice issues and reflect on the implications for practice of different theoretical perspectives.

Course Learning Outcomes

This short programme has been designed to engage explicitly with the QAA Benchmark Statements for Social Work, together with the knowledge requirements of the National Occupational Standards. Throughout the course students will be provided with learning opportunities that will enable them to develop a knowledge base drawn from the applied Social Sciences and will learn to apply and evaluate this in relation to their practice setting.

1.1. By the end of the course you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate familiarity with some key social science concepts underpinning social care practice.

2. Articulate some key theoretical approaches underpinning social welfare intervention.

3. Understand service users engagement with social welfare agencies using some key theoretical perspectives.

4. Demonstrate an understanding of the skills required for anti-discriminatory practice.

5. Show an awareness of your own values and attitudes in relation to social care practice.

External Benchmarking

QAA Benchmark statement for Social Work (2008)

Educational Aims

The Programmes aim is:

To provide an effective learning experience to enable students to achieve an academic award which builds on and recognises their practice experiences in social care work and to develop the academic skills required for further study.

Objectives

• To provide a social welfare based introduction to academic learning at a higher education level and to provide opportunities for further educational and professional development


• To provide a distinctive blend of applied theory, knowledge and skills


• To introduce students to key concepts, such as human need, social justice, social difference and diversity, equality and equal opportunities


• To enhance the personal and intellectual development of students and support an integrated programme for the acquisition of personal transferable skills


• To provide students with the interpersonal and practice skills required to apply theory and knowledge appropriately and sensitively according to context


• To promote equal opportunities and to challenge all forms of oppression and discrimination affecting minority groups in our society


• To prepare students to be able to assess their own learning and professional development needs throughout their careers


• To ensure that practice is knowledge-informed and evidence based

Student support

All students on the University Certificate programme will be supported by the Programme Leader in the capacity of personal tutor. This will involve personal and group tutorials, academic support and monitoring of academic and professional development. Every unit is supported by the Universitys virtual learning environment (VLE) BREO, in addition to which the University Certificate has its own BREO site for information exchange, discussion groups, course information, etc. In addition, all students have access to the Universitys Study Support (Professional and Academic Development PAD) for and Corporate Academic Advisory Services for specialist advice and assistance.

Team working

The principles and practice of effective team working are crucial in social care work and the curriculum is designed to allow students to develop their understanding of the theories of group and team working, and put these into practice in the classroom through both collaborative learning and group assessments.

Career Management Skills

Students completing this short programme will work alongside other students studying for the professional qualification in Social Work, and may indeed be taking the Certificate course as a route toward a professional qualification themselves. Certificate students will be supported to make an application to the Social Work programme if this is their intention.

The Certificate programmes focus on relating students current practice experience to Social Work theories and methods of intervention, as well as the practice skills required of a beginning professional will be of use to all students in their social care career.

Career/Further study opportunities

This recognised qualification offers a route into professional social work roles

such as community and family support worker. It also leads to qualified social work practice after undertaking further study in social work.

Career:

Social Care and social welfare work, e.g. community support worker, family support worker.

Qualified Social Work practice (with further study)

Further study:

Students undertaking the University Certificate may wish to apply, during their studies, for a place on the qualifying Social Work programme. The BSc in Social Work, whether by the University based or Trainee in Employment route, tends to be heavily subscribed. Certificate students will be encouraged and supported to consider from the commencement of their studies whether they wish to apply for a place and all those who meet selection requirements will be offered an interview. Candidates will be encouraged to apply as early as possible to secure a place for the next academic year if they are successful.

Students completing the University Certificate may also be able to use the academic credits gained to access other, non-professional, academic degree programmes with advance standing (e.g. BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies or BA (Hons) Health and Social Care.)

Entry

You should normally be 18 at the start of the course and possess a minimum of two A level passes (or equivalent qualification such as an Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education - AVCE). Those over the age of 21 may be admitted with alternative qualifications such as an Access Certificate or on the basis of their prior learning and experience. Students must have experience of paid or voluntary work in social care / social welfare services.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire

Teaching Strategy

The Certificate consists of three units which form part of the BSc. (Hons) Social Work curriculum and use interactive teaching and learning approaches which are well adapted to their traditional audience of students with practice experience in the social welfare field. For successful completion of the Certificate students must pass all units which provide 60 undergraduate credits at Level 1. Units will generally be delivered in two-hour blocks through lectures, discussions, use of group work on case studies and scenarios. Student learning will be further supported as appropriate by use of appropriate visual aids, videos and through simulation exercises. Learning will also be enhanced by the use of BREO (virtual learning environment), tutorial guidance and peer support.

The Programme is committed to the principles of Adult Learning encouraging experiential learning and expects students to take responsibility for their own learning through participation, reading, use of the media, visits etc.

Students are also expected to undertake self-directed study in the form of reading, research and application to practice.

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

Not applicable

Students with disabilities

The programme actively encourages and supports students with disabilities and aims to ensure that all assessment strategies are adapted as necessary to ensure that any disabled student registered on the programme is not disadvantaged, and is enabled to attain the learning outcomes, develop identified skills and achieve the professional requirements.

Students with specific needs (e.g. dyslexia, visual or hearing impairment, mobility issues) that may require additional resources (i.e. aids or adaptations) will need to notify the programme lead of these needs at the earliest opportunity so that appropriate arrangements may be made.

Unit assessments are designed to allow all students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and competence, reasonable adjustments may be made where necessary to ensure that students with disabilities are enabled to meet the academic requirements of the course.

Skills Development

As a programme within the Social Work portfolio the Certificate programme focuses on skills for practice and academic knowledge in equal measure. Skills are identified for each Unit and related to the University Cre8 requirements for employability. Such skills are also increasingly recognised by employers, and may generally be aligned with skills incorporated into the QAA subject benchmark statements and the National Occupational Standards for Social Work. The skills lie in the following broad areas: communication; information literacy; research and evaluation; creativity and critical thinking.

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

Have opportunities to develop your communication skills through units such as Working Together, Theories, Method and Skills for Intervention and Working with Difference and Diversity. In addition all students will be expected to contribute to group discussions, presentation and seminars in which you will be required to communicate information to a diverse range of audiences including service users.

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

Be given support in developing your IT skills through Learning Resources. Students may be required to use IT skills in presentations, in research assignments (use of databases and electronic resources) and through the use of Breo (engaging with web based materials). The QAA Subject Benchmark for Social Work (QAA 2008) also identifies information literacy as a key skill. Unit assessments therefore include the requirement that students demonstrate their IT skills through a variety of methods and strategies

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

Be introduced to the skills required for academic research in all of your units of study. In addition, the Faculty Librarian and the Professional and Academic Development Unit are available to students to help support their developing skills in academic research and evaluation.

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

Be encouraged and supported to seek creative ways of approaching `people problems, using the skills of reflective practice and critical thinking in academic work and relating these to practice. A self-evaluative assignment proforma has been devised to enable students to reflect on and evaluate their learning from each unit assignment. Social care work is a profession which promotes problem solving in human relationships as one of its key components. Students will therefore have opportunities in academic learning to develop and enhance their creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills through the use of case studies, role play and simulation.

Improving learning and performance

The University Certificate is both a credible award in itself and also a potential route towards the qualifying degree in Social Work. The programme is therefore designed to offer students the opportunity to gain academic credits that are directly transferable and creating a flexible route into qualifying Social Work education. The focus is therefore on helping students to develop their learning and performance with a view to both increasing their confidence, competence and understanding in their social care practice and preparing them for further learning and development should they chose to pursue professional Social Work training.

Progress files

Although students on this short programme are not required to maintain a Personal Progress File, they will be encouraged to do so, if they intend to apply for the Social Work programme. The Progress file will contain evidence of the students personal and professional learning and will contribute to a developmental record of the students achievements and transferable skills which would assist their transition on to the professional qualifying programme, should they be successful in gaining a place.

Professional standards

By virtue of its integration with the qualifying Social Work programme, students on the University Certificate programme will be introduced to the GSCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers (GSCC 2003), with which they should already be familiar as Social Care Workers. As such, in additional to their agreement to abide by the Universitys Student Code of Conduct, students on this programme agree to abide by the GSCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers (GSCC 2003). This means that they must uphold the standards set out in the Code of Practice. Matters of attendance, punctuality, approach to learning, engagement with others and other evidence of conduct and good character (GSCC 2003) are monitored throughout the programme.

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

University Certificate students will study alongside students studying for the professional qualification in Social Work and all of the teaching content will reflect the need to develop and maintain both professional and academic standards. Through relating academic learning to their professional and practice experience, students will be enabled to develop a deeper understanding of professional ethics, codes of practice and the needs and requirements of people in receipt of social care services. As part of their learning students will engage in role plays and simulated practice scenarios which will be formatively assessed by service user and carer representatives, alongside practitioners and academic/ practice learning staff.