Course description
This course has been designed in collaboration with service users, practitioners, carers, students and academic staff. It’s aim is to allow you to integrate knowledge, theory, research and practical understanding and to use this understanding in the field of professional practice.
You will be given the opportunity to follow a social work pathway that is relevant to you such as mental health, children and families, older people and disability.
-Understand the social processes, structures and systems which oppress and protect civil and human rights
-Develop the skills and knowledge for professional social work practice
-Explore the relationship between research, evidence based practice and social work theory and methods
The course is structured around a model of education known as action learning. You will work in learning sets of 6 or 7 with the support of academic staff.
This will enable you to develop and enhance the skills appropriate for social work by, for example, working in teams, learning about time and task management, honing your presentation skills and searching for information.
In addition, a range of other teaching and learning methods will be used. These include:
-Keynote lectures
-Workshops
-Case studies
-Problem based learning
-Directed study
-Academic Tutorial support
-Practice Tutor support
Learning throughout the course will expose you to a range of perspectives on the delivery and receipt of social work. This will enable you to engage fully with the complexities inherent to contemporary social work provision.
A variety assessment methods will be used. They include assignments, projects, workbooks, portfolios and one open book exam. All modules are assessed and you must pass each one before progressing.
Over the 2 years, you will spend a total of 200 hours learning in a social care agency. These practice learning opportunities will be clearly structured, supported and assessed. Placements occur between March and September each year.
In at least 2 practice settings you will be expected to gain experience of:
-Statutory social work tasks involving legal interventions
-Providing services to at least two user groups (e.g. child care and mental health)
You will receive support from a variety of sources. A learning set facilitator and personal tutor will provide academic guidance and practice teachers will offer support on placement.
You will:
-Broaden your knowledge of social work issues in a time of great change
-Improve your critical analysis skills
-Sharpen your academic skills
-Evaluate and challenge current practice
-The support you deserve
We have a reputation for providing great support to our students, helping them to cope with the rigours of a university degree and working on placement. Despite the number of students who undertake the MA, we have a very low drop-out and high attainment rates.
We work in close partnership with a range of social work and social care agencies in both statutory and non-statutory sectors. These links are underpinned by the involvement of services users such as Citizens as Trainers (CATS) and enable us to provide planning and delivery that results in high quality teaching, learning and support
