Starting your Social Work course with us soon? We’re looking forward to welcoming you to Birmingham City University.
Social Work is a rewarding, challenging and people-centred subject. During your studies, you’ll begin developing the knowledge, values and practical skills needed to support individuals, families and communities, while preparing for professional practice.
If you’d like to feel more confident before you arrive, here are some useful things you can do to get ready for your course.
Start reading around the subject
You don’t need to know everything before you arrive, but it helps to build your understanding of the issues social workers deal with.
You could explore topics such as:
- Safeguarding children and adults
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Poverty and inequality
- Housing and homelessness
- Domestic abuse
- Disability and inclusion
- Adult social care
- Children and families
Try to think about how these issues affect real people and what kind of support they may need.
Understand social work values
Social Work is built around values such as respect, equality, social justice, human rights and anti-discriminatory practice.
Before you start, think about:
- Why you want to become a social worker
- What values matter to you
- How you respond to difficult situations
- How you listen to people with different experiences from your own
This will help you get used to reflective thinking, which is a key part of studying Social Work.
Get familiar with the profession
It’s useful to understand that Social Work is a regulated profession. You may want to look at Social Work England and find out more about professional standards, confidentiality, safeguarding and professional behaviour.
You could also follow organisations such as:
- Social Work England
- British Association of Social Workers
- Community Care
- The King’s Fund
- Mind
- NSPCC
- Age UK
Keep up with current issues
Social Work is closely linked to what is happening in society. Reading or watching the news can help you understand the wider context of the course.
Look out for stories about health and social care, mental health, housing, poverty, children’s services, ageing, disability rights and public services.
Social Work Courses
Find out more about our courses
Prepare for placements
Placements are an important part of Social Work training. They help you apply what you learn in real settings and develop your professional confidence.
Before you start, it’s worth thinking about:
- How you communicate with different people
- How you manage your time
- How you respond to feedback
- How you maintain professional boundaries
- How you look after your wellbeing
Practical things to do before you arrive
Make sure you:
- Check your emails for enrolment, induction and course updates
- Complete any requested checks or forms on time
- Plan your travel to campus
- Get organised with notebooks, folders or digital tools
- Think about when and where you study best