Social Work

Study options

Award

BA (Hons)

Key facts

UCAS code:
L500
Location:
Stoke-on-Trent campus
Study option:
Full-time
Duration:
3 Years
Start date:
27 September 2021
School:
School of Health and Social Care

Industry approved

Approved by Social Work England

Vocational community placements

Prepare for life as a Social Worker following graduation

Realistic simulations

Work with service users in our Community House

Social Workers support individuals and families to achieve positive change in their lives. This degree prepares you for a profession with human rights and social justice at its core.

Regulated by Social Work England, our degree course will prepare you for a career in social work in a diverse range of social welfare settings. The content of your studies will equip you for employment in both children’s and adults’ social work, in areas such as safeguarding, community and therapeutic services.

A total of 170 days of assessed practice learning, through highly rewarding vocational placements in the community, will also help ensure you are well prepared for life as a Social Worker following graduation.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BA (Hons) Social Work

Work placements

In order to support your placement experience you should possess a driver’s license, access to a vehicle with business class insurance by the time of your first placement.

However, if for medical reasons you are unable to drive this will not negatively impact on your placement experience.

Course content

Level 4 begins with a period of skills development. You will then cover issues such as Rights, Justice and Equality, Readiness for Practice and Relationship-based Social Work, followed by an Introduction to Social Work Theories, Study Skills, and Values, Ethics and Multi-dimensional Diversity.

At Level 5, your knowledge will be extended to cover key issues such as Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk, and Lifespan and Human Growth and Development. The year will also include a 70-day assessed placement.

Level 6 will let you explore Social Work Research Mindedness, Inter-professional Practice and Contemporary Themes in Social Work. There will also be a second period of assessed practice lasting 100 days.

Academic year

The course operates on a modular basis that provides flexibility and choice. Typically the majority of modules are 30 academic credits with a smaller number of 15 credit modules. Each credit taken equates to a total study time of around 10 hours. Total study time includes scheduled teaching, independent study and assessment activity.

Full-time students take modules worth 60 credits per semester. All students take a total of 120 credits per level and 360 credits for the degree as a whole. Your overall grade for the course and your degree classification are based on the marks obtained for modules taken at levels 5 and 6. The full-time course has one start point in September.

Professional body accreditation

Social Work England
Get into Social Work

Get into Social Work

Video

Hear from our students and Course Leader, Jamie Brockie on why Social Work is a life-changing career.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Entry requirements

  • Typical UCAS Offer: 112 points, plus GCSE English and Maths at Grade C or above
  • A levels: BBC
  • BTEC: DMM
  • Access awards (60 credits, with 45 at Level 3)

Students must undertake and pass a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The admissions process will also include compliance with health requirements.

The admissions process will also include consideration of any specific health requirements, however disclosure of physical or mental health issues, or specific learning needs at any point of the recruitment process will not affect whether you are offered a place on the course.

If a conditional offer of a place is made, a health check is undertaken through a student self-declaration, initial occupational health screening and if appropriate, occupational health assessment, to inform decisions regarding support and suitability for the course.

We understand that you might have experienced a challenging run up to higher education and may have not met the entry requirements as listed. If this is the case don’t worry, contact us and our team of expert advisors can guide you through the next stages of application, or help you find the perfect course for your needs.

Shannon Haughton - Social Work

Shannon Haughton - Social Work

Video

Shannon talks about the benefits of placements and working in realistic simulations with experienced service users.

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Check our entry and English language requirements for your country.

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Facilities

Community House (Stoke)

A fully furnished house used for simulated, scenario-based training. It includes audio and video facilities to record simulated exercises and allow detailed tutor and peer feedback.

Clinical Simulation Suite

These state-of-the-art labs allow a number of clinical procedures to be simulated on mannequins, enabling students to reach a level of confidence and proficiency before carrying out procedures on real patients.

Libraries

We have Libraries and Service desks at both sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. All have experienced and friendly staff who can answer your IT queries, help you to access resources, show you how to research for your assignments and even help with referencing.

Some libraries are open 24/7 at key times in the academic year and we have a 24 hour help line too.

Careers

Graduate Destinations

Many of our Social Work graduates gain employment with our placement providers. Some return to Staffordshire University to complete their Masters in Post-registration Social Work. A range of post-qualifying course options is available at both degree and postgraduate level in the areas of adults, children, young people, their families and carers.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and laboratory practicals. Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups of students. In addition, you will have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor at least three times a year. You will be taught in first-class learning spaces throughout your course. 

Assessment

Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills); written English (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy); academic writing (including how to reference); research skills; critical thinking and understanding arguments; and revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management).

Additional support

Our AccessAbility Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Feedback

You will normally receive feedback on coursework assessments within 20 working days following the date of submission. Examination feedback may take a variety of formats. However, as a minimum, generic feedback will be made available to all students who take written examinations.

Your study time will consist of class contact hours, self-directed learning, assessment and placements where appropriate. Your actual contact hours will depend on the subject area, on the option modules you select and professional body requirements. 

Year 1

17% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
83% of time in independent study
0% of time in placements

Year 2

16% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
84% of time in independent study
0% of time in placements

Year 3

21% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
79% of time in independent study
0% of time in placements

Independent learning

When not attending lectures, seminars, laboratory or other timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve utilising a range of digital resources including our virtual learning environment; reading journals, articles and books; working on individual and group projects; undertaking research in the library; preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations. Your independent learning will be supported by a range of excellent facilities. These include the library, open access computer facilities, informal learning zones, a range of laboratories and performance and studio spaces.

Year 1

29% practical exams
71% coursework
0% written exams

Year 2

10% practical exams
90% coursework
0% written exams

Year 3

20% practical exams
80% coursework
0% written exams

Fees

For the course starting on 27 September 2021 the tuition fees are:

Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £9,250 per year of study £14,000 per year of study

UK and Channel Island students: This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation. If the UK government passes appropriate legislation, the fee for subsequent years of study may increase in each academic year. But this increase will not exceed the rate of inflation as measured by RPIX**. Any change in fees will apply to both new and continuing students. The University will notify students of any change as early as possible. Further information about fee changes would be posted on the University’s website once this becomes available.

**RPIX is a measure of inflation equivalent to all the items in the Retail Price Index (RPI) excluding mortgage interest payments.

International students: Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course, as long as you complete it in the normal time-frame (i.e. no repeat years or breaks in study).

Included in the fees:
  • The School will fund uniforms, occupational health screening and DBS services
Not included in the fees:

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS ONLY

International Students, like all others, should be aware of the additional costs they will incur of travelling to their Practice Learning Placements. This is in addition to the costs associated with studying away from home of accommodation etc. International students are unlikely to be eligible for the additional financial support offered to some UK/EU students. In addition, there will be a Practice Learning Placement tariff of £1240 per year which covers the cost of the accessing the full range of learning experiences.
Accommodation and living costs

Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

If you receive funding from Student Finance you may be eligible to apply for additional benefits. Details can be obtained by visiting: www.gov.uk

Scholarships and additional funding

As an undergraduate student at Staffordshire, you may be eligible for additional financial support through one of our scholarships and bursaries. You can visit our funding page to find out more and check your eligibility.

Apply

Location Award Study option Start date
Stoke-on-Trent campus BA (Hons) Full-time 27 September 2021 Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at Staffordshire University, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of Staffordshire University enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.

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