Social Work BSc (Hons)

About the course

In recent years there have been far reaching changes in social work education and training. At the University of Hertfordshire, we have met the challenge of these changes with the BSc Honours degree in Social Work. The programme has been developed in collaboration with our stakeholders, Hertfordshire County Council, Brent Social Services and NCH. We also take account of the views of students and service users in the development of the programme. The degree also has strong links with a number of voluntary agencies and organisations.

A distinctive feature of the programme is an emphasis on the development of knowledge and skills through reflective practice.

The practice analysis undertaken on each placement enables you to develop competence in applying theory, methods and values to your practice. There are excellent student support strategies in place to help you with your progress in these areas.

Subjects covered during your studies will include: law; partnership working; assessment, planning, intervention and review; human growth and development; values and diversity; social science; social policy; communication skills; mental health; disability, families and children; European social work.

Social work is a regulated profession. As a social work student you will be expected to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the social work profession's regulator, and adhere to the standards set out in the Code of Practice for Social Workers. As well as regulating individual social workers and students, we also regulate the performance of social work courses, the reports of which are published on our website, so you can check to see how each university is performing. For more information visit the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)  website.

Why choose this course?

Social workers help people to live more successfully within their local communities by helping them find solutions to their problems. Sometimes this includes confronting and managing behaviours that put themselves and others at risk.

To succeed, social workers must work not only with clients but their families and friends as well as working closely with other organisations including the police, National Health Service, and schools.

After completion of the BSc Social Work you will be qualified to work in a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies which employ social workers..

Study routes

• Full Time, 3 Years

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

After successful completion of your studies, you will be qualified to work in the wide range of statutory and private and voluntary agencies which employ social workers.

Teaching methods

You will be taught by lecturers who constantly develop their own knowledge through research, publications, and other scholarly activities, and crucially by experienced service users and carers.

The programme is taught through face to face classroom based learning and practice-based learning where students have the support of a practice assessor. This is complemented by e-learning (StudyNet) and small group tutorial support. Students on the programme undertake 100 days practice placements in accredited placement areas in the second and third year of the programme.

Social work is a regulated profession. As a social work student you will be expected to register with the General Social Care Council (CSCC), the social work profession's regulator, and adhere to the standards set out in the code of Practice for Social Workers.

Work Placement

A distinct feature of the programme is an emphasis on the development of knowledge and skills through reflective practice.

The analysis of practice undertaken on each placement enables you to develop competence in applying theory, methods and values to your practice. There are excellent student support strategies in place to help you with your progress in these areas.

Professional Accreditations

You are eligible for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a professional social worker.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• An Introduction to Inter-professional Education

  The module is designed to give students the opportunity to work in multi-professional groups in order to improve understanding of a range of professional roles and encourage co-operative learning and working. The rationale for and benefits of inter-professional working within health and social care are explored. Learning will be through multi-professional group seminars and tutorials that require students to access and gather appropriate data from a range of sources and apply this to a series of practice-based, simulated scenarios and exercises.

• Human Growth & Development for Social Workers

  Throughout the module, the significance of different research methods employed by psychologists will be underlined and discussed. The empirical nature of psychology will be stressed and students will be expected to understand the difference between theory and evidence.

• Introduction to Social Sciences

  The module offers students the opportunity to become familiar with accessing sources of social scientific data held in databases, statistical returns and on websites. A wide range of social and demographic trends will be explored e.g.: population growth, decline and migration; the ageing population, children and youth; marriage, cohabitation, divorce and single households; abortion, childbirth and family size; the assessment of social need; housing and homelessness; city, urban, suburban and rural living; mortality, morbidity and disability; the delivery of health services; education league tables, truancy and exclusion; religious faiths and secularisation; the delivery of formal and informal welfare services; wealth and poverty; the world of work, paid employment, unemployment, redundancy, re-employment and retirement. Students will be able to review the most appropriate ways of accessing, analysing and evaluating the data available. Consequently they will be able to assess the role this data plays in informing the debates that contextualise British and European social work, e.g.: the assessment of need and care; the future and delivery of welfare services; diversity; family living and childrearing; exclusion; inequality; anti-discriminatory practice; and local, national and international profiling

• Legal Context 1

  The course will consider such areas as the social worker in the legal system, the court structure, human rights, data protection, the youth justice system, police powers and procedures, the social worker in the police station, sentencing

• Portfolio of Evidence of Learning & Achievement

  The aims of this module are to enable students to demonstrate their integration of learning and achievement from across the range of learning opportunities within the academic year, including the Preparation for Practice module. Regular tutorials and seminars will support students in the production of a portfolio of evidence concerning their achievements in integrating their learning from all taught modules in Stage 1 as this relates to the requirements of the modules. The seminars will provide the forum in which students will give a brief presentation to their seminar group on their development and learning which will form one element of their portfolio that will comprise the assessment within this module.

• Preparation for Practice for Social Workers

  This module enables students to gain both an understanding and relevance of communication skills for practice. The students will gain an understanding of the National Occupational Standards for Social Work. The students will have the opportunity to observe social work practice. In addition students will develop skills in information technology to enhance their communication skills using differing mediums.

Optional

Fees & funding

Fees 2013

UK/EU Students

Full time: £8,000 for the 2013 academic year

International Students

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply