Social Work

UCAS code: L500

Here's what University of Portsmouth says about its Social Work course.

Overview Social workers change lives for the better and help protect some of society’s most vulnerable people.

On this BSc (Hons) Social Work degree, which is approved by Social Work England, you’ll be supported by passionate industry experts with many years of social work experience.

Once you graduate, you'll have the skills and knowledge you need to apply to register as a social worker.

• Practise your social work skills in our Centre for Simulation in Health and Care, a safe and supportive environment where we use innovative technologies to simulate real-life scenarios

• Work closely with the University of Portsmouth Social Work Inclusion Group (SWIG), to help you understand service user experiences

• Build your professional experience by spending 200 days on placement working with vulnerable people, service users and carers in the community

Approved by: This course is approved by Social Work England.

Supporting your application We welcome students from diverse backgrounds including those who have experience of social care. If you're a care leaver, or if you feel you need further information or support to apply for this course, we can offer you a virtual support session to help guide you through the admissions process.

We'll send you details of this after you apply. You'll also get as much support as you need through phone and email, and have access to ongoing personal and financial support during your course.

Careers and opportunities Social workers provide essential care and support to adults and children who need it most. They work directly with people in need, as well as their families and other carers, and offer care that includes counselling, independent life skills, and mental and/or physical health support.

This BSc (Hons) Social Work degree will train you for a rewarding and challenging career as a social worker. You'll study topics including safeguarding, law and social policy, and social work practice with children and adults, and learn through simulation, group work and skills workshops.

When you successfully complete the course, you'll be eligible to apply to be a registered social worker and to work in settings such as social care, drug and alcohol services, domestic abuse services and schools. You could also continue your studies to postgraduate level with an MSc Social Work.

What areas can you work in with a social work degree? You could work in areas such as:

• social care settings

• rehabilitation services

• criminal justice

• voluntary organisations

• advocacy agencies

• housing advice

• education settings such as schools and colleges

Graduate roles and destinations Roles our graduates have taken on include:

• social worker

• care manager

• missing children and child exploitation coordinator

• family support worker

• housing adviser

• independent domestic violence adviser

• adult wellbeing manager

• primary mental health worker

• learning disability practitioner

They've gone to work for organisations including:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

• Mind

• Hampshire County Council

• Portsmouth City Council

• Essex County Council

• Spectrum Centre for Independent Living

• Southern Advocacy Services

Year 1

Core modules in this year include:

• Equality Diversity and Inclusion (20 credits)
• Human Development and the Life Course (20 credits)
• Readiness for Learning and Practice (40 credits)
• Social Issues, Policy and the Law (20 credits)
• Social Work Theories and Models (20 credits)

There are no optional modules in this year.

Year 2

Core modules in this year include:

• BSc Social Work Practice Placement 1 (40 credits)
• Service User Inclusion and Co-Production (20 credits)
• Social Work with Adults (20 credits)
• Social Work with Children and Families (20 credits)
• Using Evidence and Research in Social Work (20 credits)

There are no optional modules in this year.

Year 3

Core modules in this year include:

• BSc Social Work Independent Study for Contemporary Social Work (40 credits)
• Professional Development and Employability (20 credits)
• Safeguarding - Adults and Children (20 credits)
• Social Work Practice Placement 2 (40 credits)

There are no optional modules in this year.

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

You’ll be assessed through tests (academic or practical/skills based), compilation of filmed and recorded artefacts, online assessment, academic written work/portfolios, presentations, dissertation/project.

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:

• Year 1 students: 25% by practical exams and 75% by coursework
• Year 2 students: 17% by practical exams and 83% by coursework
• Year 3 students: 100% by coursework