Course overview

If you enjoy working with people, thrive on the unexpected and would like to help make a difference to people's lives, then social work could be the career for you. Personal qualities such as patience, honesty, sensitivity, tolerance, persistence and sound judgement are a good foundation for social work training. At Anglia Ruskin we will work with you to help you develop the knowledge, values and skills which you will need in order to qualify as a social worker. Social work is work with people. It's that simple and that complicated. The aim of social work is to provide and manage care, support and protection in partnership with individuals, families, groups and communities to enable them to function, participate and develop in society.

Social Work is different from, but complementary to, social care in which personal care is provided to individuals in day, residential or community settings.

The aim of the BA (Hons) Social Work is to equip you with the knowledge and skills to enable you to meet the professional and academic requirements for qualification in social work.

Additional course information

When you graduate you will be able to:

• Assess the circumstances and needs of people who request, or who are referred for, personal social services
• Support the purchasing, commissioning and provision of services to meet assessed needs
• Engage in problem solving, facilitative and supportive activities with individuals, families, groups and communities
• Identify and assess the nature and degree of risk to which vulnerable children or adults may be exposed
• Establish, implement and evaluate protection plans which safeguard and support the wellbeing of adults and children
• Collaborate with other professionals to assess needs and provide services
• Exercise legal powers and duties

The Application Process

All applications to study for a full-time higher education course at universities in the UK are made through UCAS using the online application system available at: www.ucas.com

In order to successfully complete the course students must pass all of the following compulsory modules:

Module guide

Assessment

Each module is assessed and must be passed in order to progress. A variety of assessment methods are used, including assignments, presentations, learning journals, portfolios, 'patchwork texts' and poster design. Practice is assessed by a practice educator.

Special features

• The course will be delivered through full time, class based and practice based learning.
• The course features a wide variety of teaching and learning methods. Learning methods are student focused and include presentations and role plays as well as more traditional lectures and seminars. Practice learning is central as a means of acquiring knowledge as well as practical skills.
• The course is well supported by a Service User and Carer involvement project. Services Users and Carers are involved in planning, teaching, admissions and assessment throughout the course.

Find out what our students think by visiting our case studies page.

What is the time commitment?

It is difficult to give a definite answer as it will vary according to individual learning needs and styles, as well as placement and assessment requirements. However, you should plan for a five day weekly commitment for the full-time programmes plus private study and research.

Placements

All undergraduate students will undertake two assessed practice placements. These will take place under the supervision of practice educators, who are all experienced, qualified social workers, and hold a recognised award. Occasionally, where there is not a suitably qualified practice educator within the placement setting, an off-site practice educator is appointed to oversee the practice teaching, while day-to-day supervision of the placement is undertaken by an on-site supervisor. A placement day will normally be the same length as the working day of the agency concerned.

Overall responsibility for placements lies with the university's placement staff and students should not negotiate their own placements. However, if a student has knowledge of a possible placement in which they are interested, or that might be suitable for another student, they should inform us and we will make further inquiries. Students must have experience in at least two practice settings, of statutory tasks involving legal intervention, and of providing services to at least two different service user groups.

It may be necessary for students to travel further for their placement than they would wish to in order to meet professional requirements. Applicants should note that we have limited access to statutory placements outside Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Essex, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea. We are increasingly finding that most placements are not willing to accept students who do not drive or have their own transport.

Associated careers

Social workers are employed in a variety of statutory, independent and charitable agencies, and also work independently. Increasingly, they work alongside other professionals in multidisciplinary teams.

Professional Recognition and Employability

This course is currently seeking approval by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a professional qualification in social work. Completing the course will mean you are eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC as a Social Worker.
University takes employability very seriously. You will have access to a dedicated employability advisor who will help with, amongst other things, CV preparation, job applications and mock interviews.

UCAS Tariff points:	240
Additional Requirements:	Preferred subject(s): Relevant vocational experience Non-Academic Conditions: CRB Checks required, Interviews, Occupational Health clearance required GCSE(s) Required: 5 GCSEs at C or above including, English Language and, Mathematics (or equivalent level 2 qualifications)

Entry requirements listed are for September 2013 entry. Entry requirements for other intakes may differ.

Please note all tariff points must come from A levels. Points from AS levels cannot be counted towards the total tariff points required for entry to this course.

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

We welcome applications from International and EU students. Please select one of the links below for English language and country-specific entry requirement information.

• International students
• EU students
• English language requirements

Other acceptable qualifications

• Access to Higher Education Diploma which is available from colleges of further education. Please ensure that Level 2 in Numeracy and Literacy are included if you do not have GCSE Maths and English Language at grade C or above. This will cover all the entry requirements, provided the full course is successfully passed with 30 credits at level 3 graded merit.
• Advanced GNVQ with distinction grade.
• Open University Credits will also be accepted in lieu of the UCAS tariff points requirement (90 credits would be expected).
• National Literacy and numeracy tests at Level 2 or 3 will be accepted in lieu of GCSE Maths and English.

From the above information we will calculate requirements for Scottish/Irish Highers, International, European and Welsh Baccalaureate equivalents so that they are all equitable. We will also accept tariff points from other qualifications on the UCAS tariff such as the Cambridge Pre-U (subject requirements will be assumed to be the same as for A Level).

If you do not meet the entry requirements, we would recommend you contact your local further education colleges, to ascertain which suitable courses they offer.

Applying

All applications must go via UCAS. Due to the fact that the programme is always highly over subscribed we only accept applications between September and 15 January for the following intake year. Late applications will only be considered if we still have places available on the course.

When is the deadline for applications?

The official UCAS deadline is in January to be considered for a September start, although we will accept applications after this date as long as we still have vacancies.

What happens after I submit my UCAS application?

This will be sent to us electronically and assessed against our published admissions criteria. If you are short-listed, you will be asked to come to an interview with, usually, a member of our academic staff and a practising social worker. We will notify you of the result within 10 days.

I am a mature applicant, do I need formal qualifications?

Yes you are required to meet the course entry requirements. If you do not meet the requirements we strongly recommend that you contact your local further education college to see what courses are available to assist you to prepare for higher education.

Is any experience required?

Previous experience is not an absolute requirement but most of our applicants have had some paid or voluntary experience of social care. It is a good way of demonstrating your motivation for a social work career and of showing that you have the skills to work with people who have a range of needs.

What is the IELTS requirement for international applicants?

The requirement is 7.5