BA (Hons) Social Work (Integrated Degree Apprenticeship)

This module introduces the basic skills you’ll need for a successful future in social work. You’ll become familiar with the frameworks for assessment of social work practice, including the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Work and the Social Worker Apprenticeship Standard. You’ll be able to plan, lead and evaluate group activity, reflect and learn from feedback, and present written material in a clear manner with appropriate standards of literacy.

In this module you’ll take part in a community study where you will explore cultural, economic and social factors which impact on daily living and social justice. You’ll develop research skills and evaluate the impact of diversity upon different communication styles. You’ll reflect on work that you have completed with service users and carers, and enhance your interpersonal communication skills in preparation for your future in social work.

Explore ethical principles in social care, including the importance of personal and professional behaviour and boundaries. You’ll become aware of disadvantage and discrimination, how they relate to power and oppression, and to what extent social workers can challenge these factors to promote social justice and human rights. You’ll become familiar with the legislative frameworks of human rights and equality and understand their significance for social work practice.

In this module you’ll be introduced to areas of psychological thought, including cognitive, behavioural, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches. You’ll explore social psychology, including attitude formation, how prejudice develops, and the impact on real-world situations. By the end of the module, you’ll have studied classical social themes including the patterns in social relations, the dynamics and processes of social change, and theoretical explanations of social conflict and inequality.

You’ll be introduced to legal practice and policy frameworks for social work, including sources and processes of law making and policy development. You’ll use examples of practice situations to understand the importance of case law and develop the ability to apply a range of sources to this, including local and national policy documents. Throughout the module there will be an emphasis on developing your understanding of concepts such as equality, oppression, social justice, and inclusion.

In this module you’ll develop your understanding of a variety of different social work theories, examining different models of practice, and the skills and techniques associated with them. You’ll explore how various influences such as psychological, social, cultural, spiritual and physical can be useful in effective social work intervention. You’ll learn about the value of evaluating and reviewing hypotheses, and then apply this to a number of case scenarios.

Develop your knowledge of theoretical models of reflection and understand how these can be used to examine and develop your own practice. You’ll learn the importance of feedback from service users to ensure that different perspectives are included in the reflective process. The supervision process will be examined, and you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your own experiences of supervision.

This module builds on the understanding of the use of research in social work gained throughout your first year. You’ll examine and discuss different research methods and their relevance to social work, as well as debate and discuss the benefits and disadvantages of different approaches in research studies you’ll be presented with. The assessment explores the nature of social work research in relation to a specialist topic chosen by you, linking to an aspect of your practice in the workplace. By developing knowledge of research, you’ll acquire some of the essential attributes required by a critically informed and reflective practitioner.

This module will take a critical and analytical approach to moral philosophy. The relationship between values and ethics in social work will be explored and you’ll be encouraged to recognise and discuss the dilemmas which arise from different value positions. You'll develop an in-depth understanding of some of these approaches as they apply to particular areas of social work practice. You’ll explore current policy and legislative frameworks, which have a bearing upon ethical practice, and will examine ideas of citizenship and power, with particular attention to exclusion and inclusion.

This module will enable you to look in depth at conditions within organisations that may facilitate or inhibit service development and a learning culture. You’ll use examples of serious case reviews and other similar inquiry reports to explore how we can learn from serious incidents in social work settings. You’ll explore working collaboratively with colleagues from other professions in high-risk situation, which will be enhanced by opportunities to learn with and from students on other courses within the University. You’ll be supported to demonstrate professional leadership by undertaking a small-scale service development project within your workplace.

This module is designed to enable you to evidence the comprehensive knowledge and skills in social work practice that you have developed over the Integrated Degree Apprenticeship. The module will also enable you to demonstrate how you professionally manage situations that are challenging, evolving and complex, while critically reflecting on your practice and professional development. As part of this module, you'll also undertake a 100 day placement, which will enable you to demonstrate that you are a practitioner who reflects, thinks critically, is professionally curious, able to work with people and acts in accordance with the highest professional standards and frameworks for practice.