BSc (Hons) Social Work

Social work changes lives. The BSc (Hons) Social Work degree enables you to develop the understanding and skills to support society's most vulnerable people to ensure their wellbeing. You will have the opportunity to develop both the academic grounding and practical skills you need to become a skilled social worker with the professional skills, knowledge base and placement experience that will help you stand out.

Throughout your studies, you will explore the critical issues that affect people's wellbeing and learn how to safeguard their interests and promote greater independence. You will learn about psychological and sociological theories for understanding individuals, families, groups, and communities. You will deepen your understanding of law, policy, and communities, and how the legal, social and organisational context shapes what social workers do. You will also have the opportunity to explore contemporary practice, consider how research can inform your practice, and understand best practice, including how to think critically and creatively in complex situations, and how different professions can work together to provide better services.

This course is available on a full-time basis and is taught in-person at our Yeovil campus. The course duration is 3 years, and requires a significant commitment of time and effort – students are typically timetabled for up to 3 days of on-site learning per week. Alongside this, the Social Work course requires undertaking 170 set days of placement (70 days in Year 2, and 100 in Year 3), and engaging in additional professional development activities such as shadowing social workers in Year 1.

Please note that this qualification is still subject to approval by Social Work England.

As outlined above, the BSc (Hons) Social Work degree includes 170 days of mandatory placement – 70 in Year 2, and 100 in Year 3. This experience also hones your social work skills, knowledge, and professional network, shaping you into a sought-after graduate on qualifying.

Students may be allocated placements across a range of settings, including statutory, voluntary, private, and / or independent organisations. Placements can be located within a 50 mile radius of the College, and will expect students to attend for a full working day (precise hours vary between placement settings). When on placement, students will have the support of a practice educator and a link tutor at the University Centre to support with applying your understanding of law, policy, skills, and theory in practice.

BSc (Hons) Social Work, awarded by the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, and regulated by the Office for Students.

Please note that this qualification is still subject to approval by Social Work England.

Upon completion, graduates will be eligible to apply for registration with Social Work England (subject to Social Work England accreditation of this course), to practice as social workers. Graduates will be qualified to work with adults or children, and to apply for jobs in the statutory, voluntary, independent, or private sector.

Many students will gain full-time employment with their placement organisations, although this is not guaranteed.

The course would also qualify you to progress into further study, such as a Master’s degree.

You will study a range of units that will develop your specialist knowledge and skills. Modules currently offered include:

Year One

• Law for Social Work Practice
• Readiness for Professional Social Work Practice
• Relationship Based Social Work
• Rethinking Social Justice: Social Policy and Inequalities
• Social Work and the Life Course.

Year Two

• Engaging with Young People, Children and Families
• Mental Health, Society and Social Work
• Social Work Placement 1
• Working with Adults in Social Work Practice.

Final Year

• Equality, Ethics and Values for Social Work
• Future Practice; Leadership, Organisations and Sustainability
• Research Proposal Project
• Risk, Complexity and Decision-Making
• Social Work Placement 2.

Please be aware that modules studied may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline or in response to student and stakeholder feedback. Students can always find the most up-to-date information about their modules and who is teaching them in the course handbook.

Contact time in taught sessions varies across the duration of this programme, in particular during periods where learners are on placement. However, outside of placement, a typical week has around 8 - 14 hours of contact time in taught sessions, plus additional 1-1 support available by student request. As with all HE programmes, students are required to take ownership of their learning and development and should expect to spend time studying and completing assessment tasks with independence outside of lectures. As a rough guide, between timetabled sessions and independent work, a full-time student should expect to spend around 1,200 hours studying each academic year.

Each module will include assessments that will need to be completed by set deadlines. More information on assessment methods is included in the "How will I be assessed?" section below.

Tuition Fees: Full information on tuition fees, including tuition fee lists, can be found on our Financial Support page. Please be aware that fee levels vary depending upon the year in which a student commences their studies. For more detailed information, see the YCUC HE Fees Policy, available in the Policies and Reports area of our website.

Additional Costs: Travel expenses will be incurred by students when undertaking their placements and shadowing opportunities. Whilst some students may choose to buy their own copies of certain key texts this isn't essential as relevant resources are available through the College's Learning Resources Centre.

Typical entry requirements are 112 UCAS tariff points from two A levels or equivalent, BTEC Level 3 Diplomas, or a Access to HE Diploma. UCAS points from other qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers, or Advanced Highers are generally accepted.

Grade 4 (C) in GCSE English (or equivalent) is required. Grade 4 (C) in GCSE Maths (or equivalent) is required.

We welcome applications from mature students (aged 21 and over as of 1st September in the academic year of admission) and do not necessarily require the same academic qualifications as school leaving applicants. Please email university.centre@yeovil.ac.uk to find out more.

Applicants will be invited to attend an admission interview before an offer is made and will be advised of the criteria in advance.

In addition, before starting the course, you will be required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check and a Health Check. These will be conducted in line with the regulations of UWE Bristol which are published here https://www.uwe.ac.uk/courses/applying/professional-checks-for-health-and-education!

Full-time: To apply for this course on a full-time basis, you will need to apply via UCAS (Campus name: Yeovil College University Centre; Institution code: Y25; Course code: LS-SOWL6-002/FH1. For more information on UCAS and how the application process works, see our How to Apply page.

If you have any questions, or want to know more about this course Please get in touch! You can contact us via email university.centre@yeovil.ac.uk to find out more.