Social Work BA

Summary

The Social Work degree follows an exciting programme that draws on a number of disciplines that inform social work practice. It includes the study of social work values, knowledge, law, theories, methods and skills. Service users, carers and practitioners work alongside academics to create a dynamic learning environment both within the department and during 170 days of supervised practice.

The information on this page is intended to provide a broad overview of the way in which the current Social Work programme at Birmingham functions. The programme is currently undergoing changes; these changes will be confirmed in the next few months. We can confirm that the revised programme will include the following aspects:

 Year 1 
 In line with Social Work Reform Board requirements students will undertake a Social Work Skills, Values and Approaches module, as well as five other modules including Research for Evidence Based Learning and Social Welfare and Inequalities. All students will spend 5 days shadowing social work professionals as required by the Reform Board and undertake a Readiness for Practice assessed interview.

Years 2 & 3
 We are currently reviewing the curriculum content to ensure that it meets the Reform Board and HPC requirements. It will include Advanced Skills, Theory, Methods and Practice and Law for Professional Practice modules in Year 2, and a Dissertation in Year 3.

Further information will be available on this page when the changes to the programme have been confirmed. Please visit this page for updates, or contact the department (contact details in the drop-down box below).

Key facts

UCAS code: L501

Duration: 3 years

Start date: September 2013 (Check to see if this course is receiving applications for September 2012)

Places available: 52

Applications in 2011: 592

Professional accreditation:

This programme leads to the Professional Qualification in Social Work approved by the General Social Care Council

Entry requirements

Number of A levels required: 3

Typical offer: ABB

Required subjects and grades: Critical Thinking is accepted.

General Studies: not accepted

We will also consider one of the following:

  • A2B (Access to Birmingham) plus the equivalent of two grades below standard offer, e.g. BBC instead of ABB. Access to Birmingham (A2B) Scheme leaflet - further information for students (pdf; opens in new window).
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma: 32–34 points
  • An Access Diploma in a related area (social science-based) with a minimum of 60 credits, with 45 at Level 3 of which at least 15 are to be achieved with Distinction and 15 to be achieved with Merit
  • An equivalent further education qualification, eg A BTEC National Diploma in a related subject (social science-based) with distinction – i.e. DDM
  • A combination of the above – ie, a six-unit BTEC Award plus two A levels or twelve-unit BTEC Certificate plus one A level (including one related subject)
  • CACHE Diploma with a grade B overall (from the practical and theoretical components)
  • Other new UK qualifications will also be considered – eg, Cambridge Pre-U, Advanced Diplomas, AQA Baccalaureate, Open University 60-credit module

Please note, whilst we recognise the value and relevance of National Vocational Qualifications and professional qualifications, we are not able to consider them in place of academic qualifications.

Plus:

  • GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C or above
  • Access credits equivalent to GCSE Mathematics and English (usually 12 credits at Level 2 or 3)

Plus:

A minimum of six weeks (approximately 30 days) to three months related practice-based experience. Personal experience may count towards your practice-based experience but it is important that you are able to evidence some practice-based experience alongside this. This must show a sustained commitment, evidenced by a practice based reference (as appropriate).  

Additional information:

  1. Applicants must show, in the appropriate section of the application form, that they meet or intend to meet all of the academic criteria.
  2. Their ability to meet the academic criteria should be confirmed in their academic reference.
  3. In addition to this, applicants must provide details, within their personal statement, of their related personal or social care experience and the influence this has had on their commitment to and understanding of social work. A subsequent practice reference will be required if an offer is made.
  4. Their personal statement should also provide evidence of their ability to write in a clear, coherent and accessible style.
  5. Shortlisted applicants may be required to read a short academic text and complete a written exam on their understanding general issues related to social work.
  6. Applicants completing this test may then be invited back for an interview. In some instances some applicants will attend the interview before the written exam.
  7. Selected applicants will be required to complete a satisfactory health declaration,a Criminal Records Bureau check and Declaration of Suitability for Social Work form (pdf; opens in new window), before registration on the programme.
  8. Where an applicant has disclosed a criminal offence they will be asked to provide further details of this offence in a letter to the department.
  9. A satisfactory social care practice reference will also be required.
  10. All students will be required to sign the Fitness to Practise Code of Conduct (pdf; opens in new window) on entry.

International students:

International Baccalaureate Diploma: 32–34 points

Standard English language requirements apply 
Learn more about international entry requirements

Contact details

Social Work Admissions Officer
 Kate Ward
Tel: +44(0)121 414 6467
Email: k.a.ward@bham.ac.uk

Social Work Administrator
 Katie Mellor
Tel: +44(0)121 415 8486
Email: k.mellor@bham.ac.uk

Admissions Tutor
 Dawn River
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 2936
Email: d.h.river@bham.ac.uk  

How to apply

Apply through UCAS at www.ucas.com  
Learn more about applying

Or contact:

Kate Ward, Social Work Admissions Officer
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 6467
Email: k.a.ward@bham.ac.uk

Katie Mellor, Social Work Administrator
Tel: +44(0)121 415 8486
Email: k.mellor@bham.ac.uk

Fees and funding

Standard fees apply 

NHS Bursaries:
 It has been confirmed that the NHS Social Work Bursary will still be available to 'home' students starting in the 2012/13 academic year for the BA Qualifying Social Work programme. These bursaries are not available to students from Northern or Southern Ireland, Scotland or Wales or those students classified as 'overseas'. Please go to www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students for further information.

Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships
 Learn more about our scholarships and awards

Programme overview

About the department

The Social Work programme sits within the Institute of Applied Social Studies (IASS). IASS provides a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate social policy and social work programmes, including accredited post-qualifying awards in social work. The Institute has three research centres and staff within IASS have a strong national and international research profile. Information about the centres and about the research interests of staff can be found on the IASS website: www.iass.bham.ac.uk

IASS social work staff have also played an active part in the University’s HEFCE-funded Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Health (CEIMH). Information about the CEIMH can be found at www.ceimh.bham.ac.uk

First year

In the first year there is a generic foundation of values, knowledge and skills within the wider organisation and policy context in which social work is practised. Towards the end of this year there is an assessment of your suitability to practise through videoed role-plays and e-learning scenarios. The modules you study include Social Work Contexts and Applied Social Sciences.

Second year

Students engage in 70 days of supervised practice and study topics more specifically relevant to social work practice. The teaching is delivered within the following strands of learning:

  • RICH (respect, integrity, critical thinking and helpful practice)
  • Social Justice and Inclusion
  • Research Minded Practice

Third year

The final year involves study in core specialist areas, plus selected options and a further 100 day practice placement. This equips students well for the changing and challenging nature of a career in social work. There is also the opportunity to engage in a research project on a topic chosen by the student. 

Teaching and assessment

We use a wide variety of participative learning methods and blended learning techniques, including the latest e-learning packages. Assessment is through assignments, presentations and portfolios with some exams and live practice scenarios.

Career opportunities

There is a clear progression from the social work programme to professional practice. A significant number of our graduate students find work in the agency or authority where they have been placed and many others are successful in gaining employment within the region - many in a statutory setting, others in voluntary organisations or the private sector. Where our graduate social work students have sought employment outside of the region or overseas they have been in the advantageous position of having a qualification from a university which is well recognised, both in the UK and abroad. At the University of Birmingham there are opportunities for continuing professional and academic development through other programmes in the Institute of Applied Social Studies.

For students who have their own allocated Social Worker in Birmingham it is unlikely that the University would be able to place them within the same local authority. Should this situation arise the University would look to find an appropriate practice placement within an alternative local authority or within the voluntary sector.

Related links 

Social Work at Birmingham website: www.socialwork.bham.ac.uk
General Social Care Council website: www.gscc.org.uk

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Why study Social Work BA at Birmingham?

The University of Birmingham has been providing social work education since 1908 and recently celebrated 100 years of social work education (pdf; 1.87KB; opens in new window).  As the oldest running social work education programme in the country, we are proud of our history and we are committed to continuing our work to raise professional social work standards and promote good practice.

The Institute has developed a reputation for delivering high quality teaching and learning which enables students to become critically reflective, research informed practitioners.

Service user and carer involvement

Service users, carers and practitioners work alongside academics to create a dynamic environment, both within the department and during supervised practice.  The department values highly the contribution service user and carer colleagues make, and feedback from students confirms just how important the user perspective is in helping them to develop greater insight into the role social work can play in people's lives.

Involving service users and carers in all aspects of admissions and the development and delivery of our social work qualifying programmes is a priority for us.  We believe it offers students the opportunity to have a thorough grounding in service users' and carers' experiences and expectations from the very start of their social work training.

A journal article on 'Involving Service Users and Carers in Admissions for Courses in Social Work and Clinical Psychology: cross-disciplinary comparisons of practices at the University of Birmingham' was published in the British Journal of Social Work (Matka, E, River, D, Littlechild, R and Powell, T, 2009).

Practice placements

social work tutorial

Students will undertake 170 days of professional practice learning (70 in Year 2 and 100 in Year 3).  Due to its location and strong links with partner placement agencies, the University of Birmingham is able to provide a wide range of practice opportunities within statutory, voluntary and independent social care settings.  The social work department is also fortunate to have a range of exciting new small student units and innovative practice projects and we regularly receive excellent feedback from students about these.  The learning gained from these placements support and build on the learning taking place at the university.

Teaching and Learning

Blended learning approach to teaching and assessment

Students learn about professional social work practice and develop their knowledge and skills through a teaching programme that promotes a variety of learning methods. We use a wide variety of participative learning methods and blended learning techniques, including the latest e-learning packages.  These methods include: lectures; group work; case studies; skills development through role play and video; joint work with service user and carer colleagues; reading and research; and other self-directed development and learning. 

You can see an online study skills module at www.skills4uni.bham.ac.uk.

Assessment is through assignments, presentations and portfolios with some exams and live practice scenarios.

Innovation in learning and teaching at Birmingham

 

Transcript of video (PDF)

The above video, Child Protection Blended Learning, demonstrates one of the innovative approaches used at the University of Birmingham to teach social work students.  It explores an enquiry-based learning approach to teaching child protection processes. Using a mixture of face-to-face teaching, technology-supported, online enquiry-based activities and role play, students explain how they were able to develop the planning, recording, assessing and communication skills required to respond to a child protection referral. The video demonstrates the commitment of social work academics at Birmingham to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in learning and teaching in social work education.

Employability

This programme leads to a BA Honours degree in Social Work with the Professional Qualification in Social Work approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC). This is the qualification required to practice as a professional social worker. 

On successful completion of the BA in Social Work, students are equipped to work in a wide range of areas. We make sure students have experience of working with two different service user groups in two different social care settings whilst on placement. In the final year of the course, students have the chance to undertake a specialist academic pathway focusing on children and families or adults, including mental health, as well as completing a dissertation in a specialist area of interest. 

The experience gained in these particular fields allows students to build specialist as well as core generic knowledge and skills. This means that transferable knowledge and skills are gained which allows students to apply for a wide variety of jobs in the voluntary, private and statutory sectors.

  

Developing social work skills for employment

Effective communication skills are vitally important and employers expect Universities to teach these to social work students in preparation for their future professional roles. The following film demonstrates how, using an enquiry-based learning design, students at Birmingham are provided with a broad range of learning and teaching approaches to develop their knowledge around their discipline as well as learning team working, problem solving and critical thinking skills in a safe environment. What this distinctive approach also demonstrates is the commitment Birmingham has to ensure that social work students are as well prepared as possible for the reality of a 21st Century work environment.

Film transcript (PDF) 

Course Structure

The following is a brief outline of the course content for the three years of study on the BA Social Work, as well as 170 days of professional practice learning (70 in Year 2 and 100 in Year 3). Additional electives offer students the opportunity to focus on a particular area of interest and exciting new projects, such as the International Exchange Project and the award-winning Survivor Arts Project, allow students to move beyond the core curriculum and explore different ways of seeing the world and more creative ways of working.

Year 1

social work students

You will have the opportunity to develop core academic skills and explore the key disciplines informing social work: Social Policy; Psychology and Human Development; Sociology; Social Welfare and Inequalities.  You will also be introduced to the social and organisational context of social work and will be given the chance to develop and practice skills in readiness for your first placement.

The Social work regulatory body requires that before our students go out onto placement that they have the basic skills needed to work with a wide variety of people and talk to service users with understanding and respect. Social work students therefore undertake Readiness for Practice Learning Interviews, role plays carried out with service users and carers. This way we ensure that students meet the basic standard before they go out into the ‘real world’.

Year 2

Students will undertake 70 days of professional practice learning. 

We work in partnership with Birmingham City Council, who provide the majority of our placements, as well as with neighbouring local authorities and a range of voluntary and private sector organisations.  The placements on offer are exciting and the work can be challenging but also rewarding.  For example, you may work in areas such as: child and adolescent mental health; domestic violence; refugees and asylum seeking; housing and welfare; HIV and AIDS; child protection; adult safeguarding disabilities; and substance misuse.

In addition to your practice placement you will participate in a practice based reflection module designed to help you apply the values, knowledge and skills acquired, to the practice setting and in your work with a specific service user group.  You will also undertake a module in Social Justice and Inclusion and will follow a strand of teaching entitled: Respect, Integrity, Critical Perspectives and Helpfulness in Social Work Practice (RICH).

Year 3

social work discussion

You will undertake a further 100 days of professional practice learning which, in line with GSCC requirements, will be with a different service user group in a different agency setting.  All students will have the opportunity during at least one of their practice placements to undertake some statutory duties.

In conjunction with this you will again have the opportunity to reflect upon your learning in preparation for and within practice during the Professional Practice Reflection module.  Following on from this, the RICH strand of teaching will concentrate on cross-cutting issues for practice around risk and protection, whole-family approaches, collaborative working, and strengths based approaches.  You may then select one elective from a range focusing on areas such as: youth justice; substance abuse; domestic violence; disabled parents and families; learning disabilities and international perspectives in social work.

The final module, concentrates on research methods and skills and prepares you to develop, conduct and write up in the form of a dissertation, an individual piece of literature based research in an area of social work you are particularly interested in.