Social Work - MSc

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.

Central to the delivery of high quality professional social work will be your ability to understand and critically consider the link between inequality, injustice, and discrimination in our society. In addition, social work demands the understanding of social work values, ethics and anti-discriminatory principles and approaches during practice whilst being able to reflect on self. This academic module is delivered as preparation prior to professional practice and involves the need to learn about and reflect on discrimination, oppression, ADP and the relevance of your own personal value base and identity.

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.

In preparation for the complex and constantly evolving nature of social work practice, this module enables you to develop knowledge and understanding of theories and methods of both human development and social work intervention. It provides the grounding in current theory and has at its core the application to and implication for practice. You will be required to apply and appraise a diverse range of theories, whilst considering wider anti discriminatory and anti-oppressive elements and aligned values of the theories, critically considering alternative global perspectives.

This module develops students’ skills to become research-minded practitioners. It 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 and Social Work MSc programmes to satisfy their individual learning needs, whilst contributing to their area of study.

The Practice Placement One module is a professional requirement that builds on the Social Work Skills for Practice module. The successful completion of the Practice Placement One module is a pre-requisite to commencing your Practice Placement Two in year two.

The Practice Placement One is a zero-credit module that commences with a five-day preparation period provided by the University. This preparation period includes teaching on professionalism, supervision, and reflective practice.