| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
We have over 50 years' experience in training people to become social workers in the super-diverse and cosmopolitan city of Birmingham. If you already have a degree and want to become a professional social worker, successful completion of this generic course will enable you work with children and adults in a variety of areas and to apply for registration with the regulator, Social Work England, to obtain the protected title of social worker.
Once you are registered, you will be immediately ready and able to engage in social work with any vulnerable citizen group in any setting. This includes working with children and families, adults, disabled people, older people and/or people with mental health problems in the local authority, health, or private, independent or voluntary sectors.
This course is
open
toInternational
students.What's covered in this course?
You will experience student-centred academic learning on campus and practice-based learning in a service delivery setting, in the community.
Academic learning will include a carefully blended mix of face to face lectures, workshops and seminars, complemented by online resources. In addition to practitioners and academics from other relevant disciplines, teachers include experienced social work academics, practitioners, who are currently in practice and service users and carers who are experts by experience. They will assist you to obtain the knowledge, skills, values and professional capabilities you need for successful social work practice in today’s world. This includes legal, theoretical and research knowledge, the core skills of reflection, assessment, communication, resilience, report writing and leadership, and the values of being empowering, person-centred, strengths-based, results and outcomes focused.
Half of the programme involves gaining invaluable direct practice experience through placements, provided by our practice partners and overseen by our dedicated practice tutors. You will experience two placements one in year 1 and the second in year 2. Whilst on placement you will be supported by a qualified practice educator who will always be a registered social worker.
Our practice partners include Local Authorities and established private, independent and voluntary sector agencies. There are a number of innovative projects that allow you to experience social work in the growing area of educational settings.
Our experienced academic staff have worked in a variety of social work teams and settings including child and adult safeguarding, foster-care, physical and learning difficulties, sensory impairment, and mental health and hospital social work.
You will be taught at our modern City South Campus and have access to Mary Seacole library, Academic Development Department, careers support, disability services, accommodation services, financial advice, student counselling services, students union, study spaces, laptops, skills rooms, and a variety of shops and cafes.
Accredited By
This course is accredited by:
This course is an exciting and welcome addition to our existing suite of highly regarded pre and post-qualifying Social Work programmes.
David Childs, Head of Department
Why Choose Us?
cosmopolitan city of Birmingham
.We have over 50 years' of experience
in working with social work students, social workers and delivering social work education. This includes a deep commitment to pursuing excellence, and advancing human rights, social justice, equality and anti-discriminatory practice.access to a named personal tutor
who can offer academic and pastoral support throughout the programme.We offer a student-centered environment
, and remain sensitive to your differing circumstances, aspirations, abilities, background and areas of special interest.You will experience high quality practice placements,
inter-professional learning and opportunities to engage in international exchange.We are employability driven
. You will have opportunities to practice at mock employment interviews and have attended a number of workshops with employers who are looking to recruit social workers. This means you will have the skills, understandings and personal attributes that make you more likely to gain employment and be successful in your chosen social work pathwayStudying with us during the Covid-19 pandemic
The University has put in place
measures in response to Covid-19
to allow us to safely deliver our courses. Should the impact of the pandemic continue in future years, any additional or alternative arrangements put in place by the University will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of thestudent contract
.Program Outline
Year One
Year Two
Year One
Level 7:
The MSc Social Work course is run over two years.
In order to progress from Year 1 to Year 2, students must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits) and the two professional practice modules Core Skills for Practice, and First Placement.
Core Skills for Practice 0 credits
In line with the philosophy and aims of the Social Work programme, and central to the delivery of high quality social work is the ability to understand and develop competence in using and applying a range of professional skills in direct practice with service users, carers and other professionals.
This module is a ‘professional requirement’ and must be passed before you are considered ready and eligible to safely undertake your First Placement working directly with vulnerable people. Service users, carers and qualified practitioners work alongside academic tutors as part of an interactive and practical approach to delivery and assessment.
Law and Social Policy 20 credits
Numerous court cases have emphasised the need for a sound knowledge of, and ability to critically reflect on, the relationship between social work practice and the law, and there have been calls for increased legal literacy amongst social workers. Legal and policy knowledge is inherent in the domains of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), most notably domain four (Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing) and domain five (Knowledge). Social workers are required to work within the legal and ethical boundaries of their profession and to demonstrate an understanding of legislation relating to social work practice across various settings.
Ethics, Values and Anti-Discriminatory Practice 20 credits
Central to the delivery of high quality professional social work will be your ability to understand the link between identity, inequality and injustice and to critically apply core values, ethics and anti-discriminatory principles and approaches during practice.
This module supports the programme aims of pursuing excellence, being practice-led, employable and having a local, national and global outlook.
Theories and Methods for Social Work Practice 20 credits
In order to prepare you for the complex and constantly evolving nature of modern social work practice this module enables you to develop knowledge and understanding of theory and methods of intervention. This module supports the programme aims of pursuing excellence, being practice-led, employable and having a local, national and global outlook.
Research Methods of Enquiry 20 credits
This module specifically addresses the broader programme aims related to “pursuing excellence” and “practice-led, knowledge applied” through a flexible provision that encourages students to develop their research ideas, enabling those on various Health MSc programmes to satisfy their individual learning needs, whilst contributing to their area of study.
First Placement 0 credits
In line with the philosophy and aims of the Social Work programme, the First Placement module will focus upon practice learning. Social work is a practice led profession and this is reflected in practice learning being integral to the social work programme. The First Placement module will support you to link your developing knowledge, skills and values to practice through the provision of a 70 day practice placement that will provide opportunities for you to work directly with service users, carers, colleagues and other professionals. This module also contributes to the programme philosophy and aims by enhancing your interdisciplinary, for example by developing your ability to work with and learn from other professionals; and employability, for example by giving you opportunities to develop your professionalism and practice excellence in a service delivery setting, and be work ready.
Year Two
In order to complete this course, a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits) during the second year, and the professional practice module Last Placement:
Safeguarding Law and Practice 20 credits
The module contributes to the overall programme philosophy of producing critically reflective and knowledgeable social work graduates, who are prepared for the reality of contemporary modern social work practice. The module has been designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge of safeguarding practices and legal insight needed to become effective social work practitioners in the complex world of modern social work practice to safeguard and protect vulnerable service users as specified by the Standards of Proficiency, Professional Capability Framework, and Key Indicator Statements. It contributes to the programme aims of pursuing excellence in safeguarding practice, applying legal knowledge to practice, developing your ability to understand the roles of and work in partnership with other agencies and professionals, enhancing your employability and ensuring that your global outlook includes being aware of and learning from international research.
Dissertation 60 credits
This triple module forms the final bridge between the award of a Postgraduate Diploma and a Health MSc related to a named award. It provides the student with the opportunity to complete a piece of work around a chosen topic in order to demonstrate competence in the planning, execution, analysis and evaluation of a Research Project, a Systematic Review or Project Management. The focus is on facilitating the student's independent, critical study in their academic discipline or area of professional practice. It will also serve those who wish to embark on Doctoral studies in the future.
Enhancing Transformative Capabilities in Professional Practice 20 credits
This module contributes to the programme philosophy and aims by embracing diversity, values, emotional intelligence and continuing personal and professional development. Your goal in undertaking this module will be to further enhance one or more of the following capabilities that can transform your current professional practice, the organisation and community you work in and the lives of the citizens you serve - leadership, innovation, resilience and/or taking a strengths/asset based approach. It will provide you with opportunities to pursue excellence, be practice-led, apply current and developing knowledge, learn with and from other disciplines, develop your local, national and global outlooks and further enhance your employability and professional practice.
Last Placement 0 credits
In line with the philosophy and aims of the Social Work programme the Last Placement module will focus upon practice learning. This practice-led, knowledge applied module contributes to the programme philosophy and aims by further enhancing your interdisciplinarity for example, your ability to work with and learn from other professionals; and employability for example, giving you opportunities to develop your professionalism and practice excellence in a service delivery setting, and be work ready. The Last Placement module is a professional requirement that builds on the level 5 First Placement module.
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Core Skills for Practice, First Placement and Last Placement are professionally required modules that have 0 credit value. These modules must be successfully completed in order to achieve either the MSc Social Work or the PG Dip Social Work awards, leading to eligibility to apply to register with the regulator.
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1 will begin with an invaluable induction week that provides opportunities for you to meet other students in your cohort and the teaching team, and to become familiar with your campus and essential information about your course, especially support services.
Essential information will include your teaching timetable, course guide, assessment schedule and assessment regulations. Information will be provided on what to do should you become ill or have personal difficulties.
Teaching in year 1 will focus on the foundations of law and policy, values, ethics and anti-discriminatory practice, core skills, theories for social work practice and understanding how to research.
You will develop a deep understanding of emotional intelligence, social justice and anti-discriminatory practice, practice the skills of communication and assessment with vulnerable people, shadow a qualified social worker and attend a well-being retreat. There will be opportunities to engage in international exchange and to gain invaluable practice experience during your first 70 day practice placement.
Year 2
Teaching in year 2 will focus on safeguarding law and policy, effective inter-professional practice, and further enhancing professional capabilities that will assist you to make a real difference in society e.g. leadership, resilience, innovation and/or strengths-based approaches to professional practice.
You will build on the introduction to research in year 1 by working on your chosen dissertation topic. You will be supported by a supervisor during your dissertation.
You will gain further invaluable practice experience during your second practice placement of 100 working days. This placement will involve statutory tasks involving legal interventions. During your journey through practice you will be supported by a qualified practice educator.
By the end of year 2 you will be highly professional and work ready, and a creative enterprising problem solver. You will have opportunities to practice at mock employment interviews and have attended a number of workshops with employers who are looking to recruit social workers.
Social Work England
This course is approved by Social Work England.