What you will study
You will gain the core knowledge, skills and values required for social work practice. On this programme you will learn about effective approaches to work with children and their families and adults at risk (including older adults, and mental health social work practice). You will study legal, policy and ethical frameworks for social work practice; human development; social work methods of assessment and intervention.
A specialist practice interest module provides you with the opportunity to undertake an in depth study in a chosen area of special interest and can be taken in a national or international setting.
Modules (stage one)
Core modules
Readiness for Direct Practice
30 credits
This module runs throughout the first year and focuses on readiness for direct practice. It is an interactive module which includes skills workshops and a high level of involvement from service users, carers and practice educators from partner agencies. Students learn about the role and tasks of social workers and develop professional skills in verbal and written communication. They have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on written work and on their communication skills. Service users and carers provide simulated interviews in the Practice Learning Suite.
Assessment and Intervention
30 credits
The focus of this module is to enable students to develop theoretical foundational knowledge of social work assessment and intervention methods, informed by psychological and sociological theories, and research. This module will further enable students to develop core skills to analyse and explain situations, draw hypotheses about potential outcomes, and select intervention methods to achieve desired outcomes. The module will enable students to develop skills in communication and knowledge in building, maintaining and sustaining relationships as well as critical reflection and analysis in order to evaluate interventions' effectiveness. Learning will involve applying concepts from theory and research in lectures, interactive workshops, and role plays in the skills lab, investigatory experiences and through formative and summative assignments.
Human Development and the Social Environment
30 credits
This module will enable students to gain an understanding of human development that is underpinned by the value of difference and diversity. A life course perspective will inform the content of the module, incorporating key theoretical frameworks and research findings. There will be a critical focus on the interaction of social, political, cultural, economic and environmental influences on people's lives. Ideas of normative development, including key milestones in childhood and adolescence, will therefore be underpinned by a critical understanding of structural inequalities, which may affect individual development and perpetuate the difficulties experienced by particular groups and communities. Relevance to social work will be highlighted through case studies, targeted reading, and facilitated discussions. Experiential and reflective learning will be promoted through a structured child observation task and reflective seminars.
Applied Social Work Practice
30 credits
This module aims to enable students to build on their core skills and deepen their knowledge of diverse practice contexts by developing a critical understanding of the factors that impact on provision of social work services. In this module, students will develop an understanding of key contemporary issues in social work and gain awareness of how these developments underpin the provision of social work services, and the implications when applying social work theory. Learning will involve applying concepts from theory and research in lectures, interactive workshops, investigatory experiences and through formative and summative assignments.
Legal, Ethical and Policy Frameworks for Social Work Practice
30 credits
It provides an introduction to law, ethics and policy for social work. These three framework areas are central to an understanding of the role played by social workers involved in making judgements and decisions that affect the lives of people using social work services. The module will introduce students to the three frameworks, highlight links between these frameworks and provide opportunities to apply them to problems and situations encountered in practice.
Modules (stage two)
Progression to Stage Two modules requires 120 credits at Level 7 including a pass in level 4 module and satisfactory DBS and Occupational Health clearance. Students exiting the programme at this point who have successfully completed 120 credits at level 7 are eligible for the award of Post Graduate (PG) Certificate in Applied Social Care Studies.
Core modules
First Placement
30 credits
This module is a practice placement of seventy days, undertaken in an agency within the statutory or voluntary sector. Students will be provided with relevant learning opportunities and supported and supervised by practice learning staff. By the end of their placement, students will be expected to evidence their practice against the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) at the standard required for students at the end of their first placement.
Modules (stage three)
Progression to Stage Three modules requires 150 credits at Level 7 including passes in Level 4 and 5 modules and satisfactory DBS and Occupational Health clearance. Students exiting the programme at this point who have successfully completed 150 credits at level 7 are eligible for the award of Post Graduate Diploma (PG Dip) Applied Social Care Studies.
Core modules
Specialist Practice Interest
30 credits
This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an in depth study in a chosen area of special interest that has relevance to social work. Students are encouraged to undertake an in-depth organisational study focusing on the provision of services. Potential areas of study are specialist therapeutic interventions, rights, justice, promoting the wellbeing of service users, service user engagement; social work in allied health settings, social work and supra national organisations, management and quality assurance of services. These studies can be taken in a national or international context which will enable students to draw comparisons between different modes of service delivery and evaluate these.
Second Placement
30 credits
The module is a practice placement of one hundred days, undertaken in an agency which offers statutory interventions. Students will be provided with relevant learning opportunities and supported and supervised by practice learning staff. By the end of their placement, students will be expected to evidence their practice against the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) at the standard required for students at qualifying level.
Independent Study: A Capstone Project
30 credits
This capstone project aims to enable students to select research and analyse an area of inquiry that has relevance for social work. Students are expected to, through scholarly endeavour; contribute to existing research and social work knowledge concerning the topic selected. Following selection of the topic, students should read widely and build up a relevant literature review of research and publication in the area. This literature review should then be linked to relevant implications for the social work profession. Through attendance at taught sessions, students will be able to classify research according to its epistemological position and methodological approach, and therefore identify the advantages and disadvantages of a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods in the social sciences by critically analysing research featured in a range of social work literature. On successful completion of the module, students' projects that meet Kingston University guidelines for electronic publication will be published in a Year book.
