MA Social Work - London - Greater London - Middlesex University - I15833

degrees for social workers in England. The course involves professional placements and study with us. You develop powers of enquiry and critical appraisal vital for careers on the frontline of social services. It is available to practising and aspiring social workers, with an employment and college-based route available.

MA Social Work

Special features:

Middlesex University is home to a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Social Work and Mental Health, an accolade awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) along with substantial new funding.

Excellent new facilities for social work studies Middlesex is repeatedly highly rated in national league tables for social work teaching. Our professional partners serve London's most diverse communities.

Programme Content:

Modules are clearly structured and prescribed to meet the Department of Health requirements for social work training. There are two 100-day placements undertaken in a variety of practice agencies and assessed against the National Occupational Standards for Social Work. The placements run concurrently with academic study.

In the second year you choose a practice-specific elective from:

-Adult needs and access to services

-Children, young people and families

-Youth justice.

Attendance:

The employment route allows you to remain working as a social worker while attending University two days a week to complete your training within two years.

On the college-based route you split your week between lectures and the placements.

Assessment:

Essays, case studies and a dissertation.

Modules

Year 3

Final Professional Practice Placement

The aim of this module is to provide opportunities for students to apply the National Occupational Standards and GSCC Codes of Practice to practice in an additional and contrasting social care setting. This is the second of two 100 day placements students will complete whilst on the programme. This module builds on the first placement module undertaken by students, with the aim of this second placement being to prepare students for practice as a qualified social worker within a social work or social care setting after completion of this module.

Initial Professional Practice Placement

The aim of this module is to provide opportunities for students to apply the National Occupational Standards and GSCC Codes of Practice to practice in a social care setting. This is the first of two 100 day placements students will complete whilst on the programme. This module builds on the first year modules undertaken by students preparing them for practice within a social work or social care setting.

Individual and Society

The aim of this module is to facilitate students understanding of individual human development within the context of their immediate and wider social environment and simultaneously to demonstrate an awareness of aspects of social policy and sociological ideas relevant to social work practice. Students will become familiar with current knowledge relating to human growth and development and to apply this knowledge to Social Work practice.

Law for Social Workers

The aim of this module is to provide students with an advanced understanding of the structure, organisation and processes of the English legal system. This includes gaining comprehensive knowledge and understanding of all four major areas of law for social work practice (children and families, mental health, community care and youth justice). Masters social work students will also gain advanced skills and knowledge in understanding how to use the law positively and effectively and in applying knowledge of the law to practice situations. They will be expected develop an ability to think critically and creatively as to be able to analyse how to use law in social work practice to effect positive change in the lives of service users and carers.

Social Research Method

The purpose of this module is to familiarise level 4 students with major approaches to social research; develop skills in designing a research proposal; enhance their skills in qualitative and quantitative methods; enhance their critical appreciation of research; and ensure students are able to apply relevant approaches and methods to their own research project or extended literature review at masters level.

Social Work Contexts and Applications

The aim of this module is for students to gain mastery of a complex and specialised area of knowledge and skills involved in the professional activity of social work. In order to do this, students will be enabled to deepen and to develop, from a critical perspective, their understanding of a range of relationship-based approaches to social work intervention, such as psychodynamic, systems, CBT, person-centred and radical approaches. The module will enable students to develop and to demonstrate mastery of the critical thinking and reflection required to achieve a high level of sophistication in relation to their social work practice. Students will be guided by the National Occupational Standards for Social Work and the Department of Health Requirements for Social Work Training (2002) by covering a range of practice contexts and applications; from working with individuals, to families, groups, teams, organisations and communities. Additionally students¿ abilities in ethical practice will be enhanced to a high standard, in line with the National Occupational Standards¿ Statement of expectations from individuals, families, carers, groups and communities who use services and those who care for them. Finally the module will require students to evidence their research-mindedness, by testing and developing their use of relevant research and literature to help understand the complexities of practice and service users¿ perspectives.

Social Work Models and Methods

The aim of this module is for students to develop an in-depth and critical understanding of the historical development of social work and different social work processes, models, methods, theories and skills. Students will be expected to develop a sophisticated awareness of the appropriateness of different social work interventions in relation to the National Occupational Standards for Social Work and the GSCC Codes of Practice. They will critically analyse and reflect upon the application of different theoretical principles and forms of intervention relevant to social work practice. In addition, students will reflect upon their own awareness and commitment to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice, learn about different ethical and principles and how these can influence their practice. They will also enhance their communications skills through relevant skills workshops. Students will develop their research-mindedness by critically analysing and reflecting upon relevant text, research/evidence based practice, and through scrutiny and reflection of their own practice. By the end of the module students will be expected to display mastery of complex and specialised knowledge and skills, and demonstrate critical reflective ability vis-à-vis the application of theory to social work practice.

Practice Specific Elective Research Dissertation : Adult Needs and Access to Services
(optional)

To promote practice-specific competence in social work with adults where the primary focus is not on parenting (i.e. the welfare of children), but the social well being of adults in their own right, centred on strategic assessment of needs and fair access to services.

Practice Specific Elective:Chi
(optional)

To enable students to develop advanced, in-depth knowledge about the theoretical frameworks underpinning social work with children and families. Students will develop core knowledge and skills through an advanced examination of a variety of different theoretical and practice perspectives underpinned by casework examples and research findings. In exploring practice contexts students will be supported in developing advanced research skills and skills in critical analysis. To facilitate these aims; teaching will focus on inter-professional and holistic approaches to working with children and families; will examine service delivery contexts including legislative frameworks; scrutinise key policy and practice issues plus explore the role of statutory and voluntary sector provision. Service user perspectives will be integrated throughout and students will be supported in critically examining the involvement of parents/carers and children.

Practice Specific Elective Research Dissertation : Youth Justice
(optional)

The module aims to consolidate generic learning in its particular application to youth justice, where the primary focus is on the needs of children and young people who offend. To facilitate this aim teaching will focus on inter-professional and holistic approaches to working with young people who offend and their families; examine service delivery contexts including legislative frameworks and the youth justice system and scrutinise key policy and practice issues and debates. Students will develop core knowledge and skills in youth justice social work practice through examining and analysing a variety of different theoretical and practice perspectives underpinned by case examples and research findings.Campus:
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