Social Work BA(Hons) Undergraduate - Courses - University of Central Lancashire

Key Info Course Content Additional Info How to Apply

Course Title:

Social Work

Leading to a professional qualification in social work, the course has been developed in close co-operation with social work agencies in the voluntary, independent and statutory sectors. It incorporates 200 days placement experience and 200 days structured academic learning including input from service users. A work based (part-time) route taking a minimum of four years, is available for employees who are supported by our partner agencies. The course is accredited by the General Social Care Council and developed in line with National Occupational Standards and QAA benchmarking statements.

Key Facts

Award Type:

BA(Hons)

Ancillary:

Pre-registration

Level:

Undergraduate

Study mode:

Full Time and Part Time

Delivery Method:

Standard

Course Length:

Full time:
Three years

Part time: Four years (Employment based route)

No.of modules:

UCAS Code:

L500

School:

School of Social Work

Campus:

Preston,

Partner Colleges:

Burnley College, Kendal College,

Year of Entry:

2012

Start Month:

September

Entry Requirements

Specific entry requirements for this course for 2012 entry are:

A ‘levels or equivalent @ 240 UCAS points

A levels with a minimum of two c grades e.g. CCC = 240 points and is OK, CCEE=240 and is OK but not DDDD.
BTEC National Diplomas or Certificate
CACHE level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education
OCR level 3 National Diplomas
Access to HE Diploma at Merit
Foundation year entry Care Community and Citizenship at UCLan pass at 50%
NVQ 3 is the equivalent of 1 A level (one of the ones at C) and would therefore need to be supplemented by a further 160 UCAS points
NVQ 4 pass
Scottish Certificate of Education Higher Grade
Irish Leaving Certificate Higher Grade
International Baccalaureate

Level 2 qualifications

At least key skills level 2 in Maths and English (equivalent to GSCE or O Level grade C or CSE grade 1)

Please note that applicants who fail to make clear how they meet, or plan to meet the entrance requirements in the year of application, will not be shortlisted to attend the applicant day.

Non-academic requirements

At Short listing

In addition to clearly demonstrating how they will meet the academic requirements of the course, applicants must demonstrate significant experience relevant to Social Work and should indicate a clear motivation for applying for the course on their UCAS statement. Significant experience refers to experience which develops relevant values and skills and applicants’ understanding of social work roles.

Applicants must provide one satisfactory reference on their UCAS form which supports the above statement.

At Applicant days

Applicants must pass a written test
Applicants must pass an interview

Declarations of Suitability

Candidates who are successful in their written test and interview must complete a Declaration of Suitability form in which they will make declarations in respect to Criminal Convictions, Conduct, Health and Overseas Residency.

Where declarations are made the School Suitability Panel will consider those declarations in respect to its terms of reference. The panel may require that the candidate submits further information or evidence. The Panel may withdraw any offers of places on the course in line with its terms of reference.

CRB Checks

This course may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults, also known as regulated activity. Where this is the case, students will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) which is administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). Following successful registration individuals will be issued with an ISA Registration Number which will stay with that person for the rest of their career. If you are not already registered, UCLan will take you through the process.

Course Content

The BA(Hons) Social Work course will consist of 1200 hours structured academic learning and 200 days of learning in practice settings. Key aspects of the programme include:

Development of relevant learning skills
Preparation for social work practice
Developmental approaches to understanding how theory informs social work practice
A commitment to evidence-based practice
The development of inter-personal skills
Exploration of collaborative working
Consideration of all aspects of the assessment, planning, intervention and review of service delivery
Knowledge of the law, policy, human growth and development, mental health and disability
A genuine partnership with service users and carers.

The modules, plus practice learning opportunities, enable students to meet the academic and practice outcomes as specified by external regulators. All modules are compulsory and there are no electives.

Course at a Glance

Full-time Study

Year 1

Social Work Law and Policy
Human Growth and Development
Sociology, Social Problems and Social Work
Learning Skills for Social Work
Interpersonal Skills
Collaborative Working in Health and Social Care 1
Preparation for Practice

Year 2

Psycho-Social Studies
Users and Carers: Experts by Experience
Social Research
Issues for Social Work
Social Work Processes and Intervention
Collaborative Working in Health and Social Care 2

Year 3

Working with Adults
Working with Children, Families and Young People
Comparative Social Care in Europe
Research in Practice
Collaborative Working in Health and Social Care 3

Assessment:

Academic assessments include essays, presentations, practice portfolio and a and a practice based critical literature review in year 3 or 4 (6,000 words minimum). Verification of student practice will be undertaken by accredited assessors who meet GSCC requirements.

Learning Environment:

Teaching and learning opportunities include lectures, seminars, student-led projects, presentations, e-learning, workshops and self directed study. Social work practitioners and service users and carers contribute to programme delivery.

Careers:

Successful completion of this course provides students with a professional social work qualification and enables them to apply to the GSCC for registration as social workers.

Additional Information

What do students think about this course?

‘The qualification and final placement really helped me to prepare for my job application and interview. I was offered a job in the team where I was on placement. Brilliant.’

‘Great final placement with statutory experiences; it was very challenging but rewarding.’

‘Staff in the School are supportive, encouraging and have a background in social work.’

‘I enjoyed the course. It was difficult but worthwhile. It has helped me gain professional status. I am now studying a Post Qualifying Course at UCLan.’

‘Lectures and seminars are relevant to social work and well thought out. I particularly enjoyed input from service users and carers.’

What careers can you follow?

The Social Work degree is a professional training course which is accredited by the General Social Care Council. Graduates can enter a career in social work working with children and families, youth justice, older adults, mental health, community care, children and adults with disabilities, education welfare, and substance misuse. This may be in a variety of settings in the statutory sector or in a vast range of voluntary and independent agencies.

What work experience can I get?

The course is structured around 200 days spent in three practice placements in a variety of social work agencies. Students receive intensive preparation for their social work placements.

Students undertake a 30 day placement in year 1; an 80 day placement in year 2 and 90 days in year 3.

The School has well established links with statutory, voluntary and third-sector agencies. All students on placement will receive high levels of support from practice educators and tutors.

What are our graduates doing now?

Recent graduates have successfully gained employment in social work teams in a variety of settings. Many students were able to apply for job vacancies in the agencies in which they did their final year placement. Other students were able to gain employment in other social work settings such as parenting and family support teams, youth justice, community drug teams, community mental health teams. Some graduates returned to the School to undertake post qualifying courses for experienced practitioners and continue their academic study.
There is a high level of graduate employability for students who have successfully completed the Social Work degree. Recent examples include one graduate who completed a final year placement for a local authority child care team who has obtained a full-time post in an adoption team to prepare and assess prospective adopters, and support adoption placements.

Another graduate who completed his final year placement within a community project for homeless people now works as a social worker in a homeless voluntary agency in Manchester.

After graduating, another student is working full-time for a hospital discharge social work team in Cumbria.

Leading adoption charity After Adoption has strengthened its team with the appointment of Gareth Twose as Business Development Social Worker to help establish a network of agency partners for the charity’s Inside Outside programme. Initially joining After Adoption as a Social Worker in 2006, Gareth has worked closely with Inside Outside since its launch in August 2007 and this promotion will see him continue working to develop the programme, as well as looking to increase the number of partner agencies involved. Inside Outside was initially set up as a pilot project to provide support and advice to birth mothers in prison, but due the significant results achieved in HMP Styal and HMP Low Newton, After Adoption is keen to continue running the programme to help imprisoned birth mothers deal with the trauma of separation from their children through compulsory adoption.

My training at Uclan prepared me to face and deal with different sometimes difficult situations. The skills and knowledge I obtained from my 3 years training gave me confidence when dealing with cases no matter how complex they are and challenges they present. As a qualified Social Worker, I have worked in different Teams within the Local Authority. This presented me with an opportunity to interact and work with professionals from different disciplines. I have worked with consultants, doctors, nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists (multidisciplinary working) most importantly with service users and their families. The main objectives being to promote individuals' rights, protect the vulnerable, empower those who feel powerless and to support people to live independently in their communities. I can confirm that my training at Uclan equipped me with the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve these objectives. Of vital importance is to observe the legislation, agency policies, professional ethics and values to ensure good practice.
Paul Ndlovu

What international opportunities are available?

In Year 3 of the course, students study a comparative European module and attend a conference during which guest speakers from various partner European universities discuss models of welfare that operate in their own countries. This provides an interactive and informative forum to understand how social work functions in other international settings.

In addition, students can access the ERASMUS scheme, which provides students with opportunities to travel to UCLan partner universities in Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Portugal.

Students may also seek funding to undertake academic study in various countries. One student successfully obtained research funding which enabled him to spend three months, during the summer, researching the welfare of children and young people in residential care in Bulgaria.

Want to know more about this course and subject?

The BA (Hons) Social Work is a generic undergraduate programme which is accredited by the General Social Care Council. It is designed for students who want to pursue a career in Social Work. Throughout the course students are allocated a personal tutor who will provide support for the duration of the programme. Students in the School value tutor support very highly.

The programme offers an interesting range of modules. Students will gain an understanding of social work theory, legislation, social policy, human growth and development, sociological perspectives, social work skills and the complexity of the social work role. Various modules provide teaching and research based resources about key aspects of social work. Students will be able to transfer their knowledge base skills to a variety of social work settings. During the second year of the programme one module is delivered and assessed by service users and carers.

The course is taught by a large staff group of some 45 senior lecturers and professors, the vast majority of whom are qualified social workers. All lecturers have an extensive practice background and are research or knowledge transfer active.

UCLan has a strong partnership with Burnley College and Kendal College. Students have the option of studying their first year at either UCLan Preston or at these colleges. Students who successfully complete their first year at these locations will then progress to UCLan Burnley or UCLan Preston to study Years 2 and 3 of the degree.
The course is also available on a part-time for employment based students only. This is a four year programme.

Want to know more about studying at UCLan?

Find out more about the Advantage that studying at UCLan can give you in your future career.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for this course, our comprehensive How to Apply pages will guide you through the process. Here at UCLan, our aim is to encourage you to develop your potential and we offer a flexible approach to admissions, which reflects our commitment to all those who would benefit from our courses.

Prospective full-time students should apply via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) on-line at: www.ucas.com and click on 'Apply'.

Application for part-time courses is made directly to the University. Application forms can be obtained from:

Enquiry Management
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
United Kingdom
Tel: 01772 892400
Email: cenquiries@uclan.ac.uk

UCAS Code: L500
Short form of course: BA/SW
Institution code name: CLANC
Institution code: C30
Campus Site: U

University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Fees and Finance

The standard fee for this course will be: £9,000 per year

For further information including the availability of bursaries/scholarships or student financial support please view our Fees and Finance pages.

Accommodation

There is a wide range of high quality student accommodation to students, close to the UCLan Preston campus.

Study Support

UCLan offers a comprehensive range of support services to our students, ranging from study support through WISER, the student information centre, the ‘i’, and the UCLan Students’ Union, and support for international students. In addition, there are local support services within certain academic schools.

In addition, Flying Start is a great free service on offer to new students before they begin their studies to help prepare them for student life at UCLan.

Students with Disabilities/Learning Difficulties

The University is concerned to provide an educational experience of the highest quality for students with disabilities/learning difficulties. We strongly recommend you contact us before applying to find out if we can offer you the support you need. We are always pleased to hear from those enquiring about or applying to the University. Tel: 01772 892593 (telephone/text phone) for advice.

International Applications

We welcome applications from international students for full-time study and the application procedure previously described should be used. Forms and literature on studying in the United Kingdom are available from the British Council offices or British Embassies throughout the world. You can also find lots of information about living and studying in the UK on the British Council's website www.educationuk.org

Students’ union

Find out more about the UCLan Students’ Union.

More about UCLan

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About Preston

Preston is a student-friendly, lively city in the heart of North West England, close to Manchester and Liverpool, and with London just over two hours away by train. Find out more about the city.

Contact Details

Course Enquiries
University of Central Lancashire
Preston
PR1 2HE
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1772 892400
Email: cenquiries@uclan.ac.uk

Visit us

You are welcome to see the University and all it has to offer at one of our Open Days which run throughout the year. However, if you would like to visit the University independently, you are welcome to join one of our regular Campus Tours. For more information about both, ask for Advancement Services on 01772 201201 or book online at www.uclan.ac.uk/opendays/.

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