Social & Policy Sciences
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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Social Work & Applied Social Studies
Programmes
BSc Social Work & Applied Social Studies (3-year with placements) L501
Key facts
- There are up to 40 places available for the Social Work and Applied Social Studies
programme - We had 330 applications for these places for 2007
- Social Work is taught in a 5* research department that has also been deemed
‘excellent’ in its teaching - The Social Work and Applied Social Studies degree has been first or second in the
Guardian and Financial Times ratings for the past three years
Typical offers
A levels: BBC
BTEC National Diploma: DDM
Access: 60 credits (45 at level 3 and 15 at level 2)
Entry requirements: GCSE Mathematics and English Language at Grade C or above or an equivalent qualification.
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check required.
Satisfactory declaration of health.
Why study Social Work and Applied Social Sciences at Bath?
- The University of Bath is accredited by the General Social Care Council (GSCC) to provide professional social work training through the three-year Social Work and Applied Social Studies honours degree programme
- The Social Work and Applied Social Studies degree at Bath has consistently come in the top two ranking in the Guardian and Financial Times tables of the best social work degrees in the country
- Students may be eligible for a bursary from their Care Council
- Across the three years you will build your understanding of sociology, social policy, psychology and research methods as well as social work theory and research and relate this learning to the skills required for social work practice. • Much of the skills-based learning takes place in small groups or by means of role play or use of video
- Students are allocated a personal tutor for the duration of the programme, so learning also takes place in the context of individual and group tutorials
- Service users, carers and social work practitioners also contribute to University based teaching. In addition, students undertake 200 days of assessed practice across the three years
- To be awarded the Degree, students must successfully complete the University based learning and must also perform satisfactorily on their assessed placements.
The placement year
You undertake a total of 200 days assessed practice, as required by the GSCC. Some days, in Year 1, are spent on community profile projects. The two block placements (one in Year 2 and the other in Year 3) are normally within a 50 mile radius and arranged by the Placements Officer in consultation with the student and their personal tutor.
The range of placements varies from rural communities to inner city areas. You might be with a statutory agency such as a local authority, a Health Trust or Housing Department for one block placement and then with a large national charity or a small-scale local voluntary organisation for the other. Your placement might be in a residential or day care setting, a fieldwork team, a community-based neighbourhood project, or a user-led organisation.
During each placement you receive supervision from a practice teacher who assesses your competence and contributes to the reports submitted at the end of each placement. Placements are assessed by means of a portfolio of work compiled by you.
Career opportunities
www.bath.ac.uk/careers/destinations/intro.html
As a professionally qualified social worker you might work in a wide range of health or social care settings. Increasingly employment opportunities arise in multidisciplinary settings where social workers work alongside health care professionals such as occupational therapists or community nurses.
Further information about careers in social work and about the full range of qualifying, postqualifying
and advanced awards (including postgraduate studies) can be obtained from:
Social Work and Care Careers, PO Box 2313, BS2 2ZR
tel: 0845 604 6404
www.socialworkandcare.co.uk/socialwork
www.gscc.org.uk
Structure of the Social Work and Applied Social Studies programme
Year 1
Semester One Social Policy and the Welfare State 1
Psychology 1
Sociology of Modern Industrial Societies
Core Skills for Social Scientists
Community ProfilingSemester Two
Social Policy & Social Problems
The sociology of inequalities
Psychology 2
Group Work & Team Work in practice
Developing Professional CompetenceYear 2
Semester One
Discrimination and Empowerment in Social Work
Social Work Placement 1Semester Two
Race and Racism
Child Care Research, Policy & Practice
Legislation for Social Work Practice 1
Theories and Methods
Policy and Practice in Mental HealthYear 3
Semester One
Legislation for Social Work Practice 2
Organisation and Management of Social Care Services
Professional Law
Principles of Practice
Social Work with Adults
Children and FamiliesSemester Two
Case Analysis Dissertation
Social Work Placement 2