Course Summary

This degree is the qualifying award for professional social work practice. It is designed around the Department of Health and the General Social Care Council (GSCC) curriculum for social work, and incorporates the professional qualifying award that allows graduates to enter employment as qualified social workers.

It combines practical experience and academic study to prepare you for practice in the rapidly changing and challenging field of social work. You will study a mix of theoretical and skillsbased units with a focus on application to practice.

Please note: Social Work education and regulation is under review with changes to curriculum and professional body requirements expected between 2012 and 2013. The qualifying social work courses at Bedfordshire will all be reviewed during this time and changes made to ensure that the courses delivered here remain at the forefront of knowledge, skills and practice development.

In addition to the expected transition of regulatory functions from the GSCC to the Health (and Care) Professions Council and the College of Social Work in 2012, we anticipate that, by 2013 substantial changes will be made to the academic and practice curriculum in line with the Social Work Reform Board recommendations (2010) and the Munro Review (2011).

Why choose this course?

Key features

• Dedicated practice learning staff who work on finding and developing practice learning opportunities
• Practice placements for students based at both campuses through the innovative Centre for the Development of Social Care Practice located at our Luton campus
• Each student has a tutor who is a qualified social worker
• Teaching and learning is informed by research activity by members

of the department in key areas including: drug and alcohol abuse, unaccompanied asylum seeking children, human trafficking, personalisation, developing practitioner resilience, gangs and domestic violence

• This course is developed in conjunction with a range of statutory and voluntary partner agencies to reflect the changing needs of social work as a profession

Areas of study include:

• Social work processes
• Human growth and development
• Diversity and difference
• Professional practice in a range of social work and related agencies
• Law for social work practice
• Inter-professional working
• Reflective practice
• Organising care
• Understanding the experience of people who use services

BSSLW-S

Assessment

The Programme is assessed using a range of methods including formally assessed papers, assignments, case studies, group and individual presentations, research based work and evidence drawn from Practice Learning in the work place.

These methods are designed to test students in all the areas necessary for competent practice as qualified Social 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 academicand practice competence. Practice Learning will be assessed over three periods of work-based learning in a variety of social work and related settings.

Course Learning Outcomes

The programme has been designed to engage explicitly with the QAA Benchmark Statements for Social Work (2008), together with the practice requirements of the National Occupational Standards, the GSCC Codes of Practice, and the Department of Health prescribed curriculum for Social Work. 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 a range of practice learning settings. Both knowledge and practice skills will be tested throughout the programme and students will be required to relate their learning clearly to the practice context throughout the course.

By the end of the course you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:

Knowledge

You will be able to acquire, critically evaluate, apply and integrate knowledge in order to:

1. Prepare for, and work with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to assess their needs and circumstances and understand the key theories of social work underpinning interventions in these situations. (NOS Key Role 1).

Cognitive skills

You will be able to acquire, critically evaluate, apply and integrate the cognitive skills required to:

2. Plan, carry out, review and evaluate social work practice, with individuals, families, carers, groups, communities and other professionals, demonstrating an understanding of the diversity of British society and the skills actively to engage with this diversity. (NOS).

Key Role

Subject specialist skills

You will be able to acquire, critically evaluate, apply and integrate the subject specific skills required to:

3. Support individuals to represent their needs, views and circumstances, demonstrating an understanding of human development, mental health and disability.

4. Manage risk to families, carers, groups, communities, self and colleagues and demonstrate an understanding of the causes of social and individual disadvantage.

5. Manage and be accountable, with supervision and support, for your own social work practice within your organisation, demonstrating an understanding and awareness of personal and professional development and the need for accountability.

6. Demonstrate professional competence in social work practice. (NOS Key Roles 3-6).

Transferable skills

You will be able to critically evaluate, apply and integrate the transferable skills required to:

1. Communicate effectively with a range of service users and professionals and in formal and informal settings, adjusting that communication to meet the needs of the situation.

2. Use information technology to acquire, communicate and record information to achieve the required outcomes in both academic work and practice learning.

3. Utilise a range of research and evaluation skills in order to source relevant academic and practice material and be able to access, evaluate and apply legislation, policy and practice guidance.

4. Demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in all aspects of academic and practice learning.

External Benchmarking

QAA Benchmark statement for Social Work (2008).

DH Requirements for Social Work Degree programmes.

GSCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers.

Skills for Care National Occupational Standards for Social Work.

Educational Aims

The Programmes aim is:

To provide an effective learning experience to enable students to achieve a nationally recognised professional qualification in Social Work within the framework of an academically rigorous degree programme.

Objectives

• To provide a broad base of academic and practice learning at a higher education level and to provide opportunities for further educational and professional development


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


• To enable students to acquire the core knowledge, skills and values inherent in Social Work as identified in the Department of Health prescribed curriculum (DH 2002) and the Quality Assurance Agencys Benchmark Statement for Social Work (QAA 2008)


• To provide practice learning opportunities for students to develop, and demonstrate competence in, social work practice to meet the requirements of National Occupational Standards (TOPSS 2002)


• 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 demonstrate a commitment to evaluation and monitoring to ensure quality assurance and that training remains effective and relevant to practice


• To demonstrate an on-going commitment to work in collaboration with local employers, practitioners, service users and carers at all levels of the Programme


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

Student support

All students on the BSc. (Hons) Social Work programme will be allocated a personal tutor in their first week of study who, in normal circumstances, will support the individual student throughout the duration of their study. This will involve personal and group tutorials, placement meetings, 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 each year group of students has its own Breo site for information exchange, discussion groups, course information, etc. this resource has proved particularly valuable during practice learning periods when students are located away from the university in practice learning settings.

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 professional Social 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. Practice assessment criteria also require students to evidence their understanding of and competence in team work in each period of assessed practice.

Career Management Skills

As a professional qualifying programme the Social Work degree prepares students to enter the field of Social Work as Registered Practitioners. Through Practice Learning and some key academic Units students are supported to consider their career options and explore the realities of professional practice. Placement experiences across three different Practice Learning settings allow students to experience working in the diverse range of settings in which modern social work practice takes place. It is a Department of Health / GSCC requirement that students experience working within the statutory and legal framework as well as gaining experience in the Private Voluntary and / or Independent sector. Units focusing on the organisational and interdisciplinary nature of professional practice, together with employer led workshops on career planning, job seeking and preparation for interview all aim to support students and increase their career choice and management skills.

Career/Further study opportunities

Graduates will be able to enter the GSCC professional Register and pursue rewarding careers in social work across a range of statutory, voluntary, private sector and independent organisations providing services for vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals, children, families, groups and communities.

Career:

Graduates will be able to enter the GSCC professional Register as Social Workers and work in a wide range of Statutory, private, voluntary and independent organisations providing services to vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals, children, families, groups and communities.

Further study:

Post-qualifying (PQ) level study is available to qualified Social Workers in a range of settings, allowing graduates to engage in continuous professional development and demonstrate their fitness for continuing registration. The University of Bedfordshire offers PQ programme at Graduate and Post- Graduate level with more programmes being developed with local employers to meet the needs of the workplace.

Entry

Additional:

Applicants will need two A levels or equivalent (e.g. AVCE, BTEC Certificate, NVQ Level 3 or a recognised Access course). The Department of Health requirements for the Social Work degree require applicants to have achieved Key Skills Level 2 or above in English and Maths. This means GCSE grade C or above, or an equivalent qualification which includes an assessment of these skills (e.g. Access course). Mature candidates without these formal qualifications may still apply and will be asked to demonstrate,

before entering the programme, their suitability for academic study.

Applicants will also be required, through the selection process, to demonstrate substantial relevant experience and an aptitude to work with people in need, i.e. the appropriate personal qualities, values and skills to be a social worker. All applicants selected for interview will be required to undertake a written task for which advance notice and a reading list will be provided. All applicants will be required to declare any previous offences (including cautions and formal warnings) and, if selected, successful applicants will be required to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check to ensure their suitability for working with vulnerable groups. In addition applicants will need to complete a health check questionnaire and give permission for contact with their GP, where necessary, to confirm their suitability for Social Work training.

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

Academic units will normally be delivered in two hour blocks through lectures, discussions, and the use of group work on case studies and scenarios. Learning will be supported through use of appropriate visual aids, videos and through simulation exercises. Integration of all the Department of Health and National Occupational Standards requirements will be encouraged through ongoing seminar work once students are on placement and through live case workshops. Learning will also be enhanced by the use of BREO (virtual learning environment), tutor support, peer support and practice learning. Practice Learning Units take place in a variety of settings and students will be supported on a by a suitably qualified and experienced Practice Educator and/ or supervisor in the placement setting.

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, E-Learning, 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

General Social Care Council

Students with disabilities

The Social Work 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 for practice learning (i.e. aids or adaptations) will need to notify the placement co-ordinator of these needs at the earliest opportunity so that appropriate arrangements may be made with practice learning providers to ensure equality of opportunity. Placement agencies will be selected and supported to ensure that they can make reasonable adjustments in the practice learning setting in order to ensure that students are enabled to make full use of the learning opportunities available and to demonstrate the required level of competence in practice.

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

Skills Development

As a professional qualifying course the BSc. (Hons) Social Work programme focuses on professional skills 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. 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 in the first year, through units such as Developing Academic and Professional Skills, Working with Difference and Diversity, Working Together and the Practice Learning Units. Skills of communicating with children and with adults with additional needs are also addressed in subsequent years. In addition, throughout the programme, 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 and these will be tested in a range of ways in different units, e.g. students will be required to use IT skills in presentations, research assignments (use of graphs and charts) and through the use of e learning and Breo (engaging with web based materials). It is a GSCC requirement for the social work degree that `to award the degree, universities should be satisfied that students have been assessed as competent to the level of the European computer driving licence or its equivalent. (GSCC 2002 p16), 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 requirements for evidenced based practice in Social Work throughout the programme and specifically at Levels 2 and 3 where evidence based practice and research methods are explicitly taught. Students will be expected to produce a research project in their final year, which will draw on their learning across all units and in particular the final practice placement. Student will need to utilise their Progress Files effectively in defining their learning and development as part of the rationale for their research. Because of the ethical issues involved in conducting research with vulnerable groups you will utilise library based research methods but the findings from your research must be reflected on and evaluated in the light of the practice context and/ or client group.

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 both in academic work and in practice learning. A self-evaluative assignment proforma has been devised to enable students to reflect on and evaluate your learning from each unit assignment. As part of your practice learning experiences students will be required to keep a reflective learning log which, along with evidence of learning through academic work, will contribute to your Professional Development and Practice Learning Portfolios. Social Work is a profession which promotes problem solving in human relationships and this is one of the key components of the Social Work process which includes the skills of assessment, intervention, evaluation and review. Students will therefore have opportunities in both academic and practice learning to develop and enhance their creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills through the use of case study scenarios, role play and live case work. At level 3 you will undertake a unit in Critical, Ethical and Reflective Practice which will draw together all the learning from the whole programme, integrating the academic and practice components as preparation for entering the world of professionally qualified practice.

Improving learning and performance

The Social Work programme offers an integrated approach to learning throughout the three years in which students personal and professional development is encouraged, monitored and assessed. The requirements for practice learning build incrementally with students moving sequentially from being able to observe and articulate their understanding of practice and the context in which it occurs at level 1, through the stage of understanding and application of practice skills and academic knowledge at Level 2 through to the application and critical evaluation of practice, and its research and theoretical underpinnings, at the point of qualification. Students are supported throughout this process by their personal tutor and the allocated Practice Educator in the each of their Practice Learning setting.

Progress files

Students are required to maintain a Personal Progress File throughout each year of the Programme and should ensure that this is available to their personal tutor and Practice Educator as required. The Progress file will contain evidence of the students personal and professional learning and will form a developmental record of the students achievements and transferable skills in both academic and practice learning.

Professional standards

As Social Workers in training students on this programme are required to to have a satisfactory CRB check and to register with the General Social Care Council on the Registered Student section of the Professional Register. As such, in additional to their agreement to abide by the Universitys Student Code of Conduct, students on this programme commit 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, not only in the Practice Learning settings but also in their daily lives and academic study. Matters of attendance, punctuality, approach to learning, engagement with others and other evidence of conduct and good character (GSCC2003) are monitored throughout the programme. The University is committed, under the terms of its GSCC approval to consider issues of fitness to practise and suitability throughout the duration of students studies as well as the specific requirement to formally assess a students readiness for practice before their first period of assessed practice learning. Students who are identified as needing additional support to reach this standard will have an individual action plan drawn up and agreed against which progress will be monitored by their personal tutor prior to confirming their first period of assessed practice learning.

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

At Level 1 students will undertake a unit which focuses on Developing Academic and Professional Skills (DAPS) of which the first 30 day period of Practice Learning is a part. The professional and academic requirements of the programme are laid out in this unit and students are introduced to and helped to develop the skills needed in order to progress throughout the programme. As part of the assessment of this Unit, students produce a workbook of evidence to demonstrate their `readiness for assessed practice in accordance with the GSCC requirements (set out above). In this workbook students need to demonstrate their understanding of the importance of good communications skills, their beginning understanding of service user perspectives and requirements and their understanding of the GSCC Code of Practice, especially in relation to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice, professional boundaries and role. As part of this 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.