Social work degree courses
To become a social worker you will need to study a three-year undergraduate degree or a two-year postgraduate degree in social work that is approved by Social Work England. You will also need to pass background checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Within Yorkshire and the Humber we’re lucky to have a wealth of courses within our universities and colleges where you can undertake your social work degree and training.
Entry requirements
For more information on routes into children’s social work and entry requirements for courses, go to The path to a career in children’s social work.
Step Up to Social Work
Step Up to Social Work is an intensive full-time, fully funded, training programme that could see you start a career as a social worker in just 14 months. Challenging yet hugely rewarding, it’s your fast track to making a real difference in people’s lives.
Find out more. Note: The next Step Up To Social Work cohort will be accepting applications in February 2019. We will add further information as it becomes available.
Placements
As part of your social work training, you will have the opportunity to do a placement. They are an essential part of gaining a practical insight into what a social worker does. Placements will enable you to put the skills you’ve learnt into practice in the real world.
Social worker placements are supported by local authorities, as well as provided directly by your university or college. They can vary in length depending on the Higher Educational Institute, but guidelines suggest that they cover 200 days in practice.
Read more about the Skills Day event held by The University of Huddersfield with partner agencies representing Calderdale MBC Adult and Children’s Services and Kirklees MBC Children’s Services.
Universities and colleges in our region
Bradford College social work courses
Bradford College social work courses
- We provide excellent student to staff ratio: the course is designed to accept a cohort of 37 candidates and this makes the learning experience an individual one.
- Over the 3 years weekly seminar sessions are delivered in groups of 10, allowing for personal progress to be facilitated and developed.
- We provide high student contact hours for pastoral care and operate an ‘open door’ tutorial system, which our students consistently tell us they find both helpful and informative.
- Our learners are very diverse individuals, in particular more mature students study with us and this variety in life perspectives enriches the learning atmosphere.
- We have a designated full time placement coordinator who has excellent links with a wide range of placement providers, including 3 Local authorities / statutory services and numerous Independent / voluntary sector services. We have specialist links with extended schools and have developed partnerships using our Teacher education provision to secure social work placements in schools.
- The placement experience begins in the 2nd year (70 days) and in the 3rd year (100 days), following a pattern of 3 – 4 days per week in practice. The placement is identified by the coordinator who works with the student to match their learning needs.
- Our retention and success of students through the course is very good, specifically our partners / examiners state that learners are prepared thoroughly for readiness to practice and the working environment.
- We have excellent engagement with people who use services throughout the course and this experience contributes to the assessment of students and the quality assurance of the standard of the course.
- The destination of learners at Graduation has been excellent and the majority have gained employment in the statutory setting.
- Working with Welcome Foster Care to deliver behaviour management guidance to carers and to conduct assessments.
- Panel and Trustee member of Barnardos Futures Leeds and the Brunswick Centre in Huddersfield.
- Conducting research into the service user involvement in the social work curriculum
Contact info
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Beckett University
- BA (Hons) Social Work
- BSc (Hons) Social Care, Justice and Recovery
- PG Cert Mental Health
- MA Social Work
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Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
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University of Bradford
University of Bradford
- BA (Hons) Social Work and MA Social Work both of which provide a social work qualifications recognised by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- BA Working with Children, Young People and Families
- MA (part-time) Mental Health Practice
- MA Mental Health Studies
- To the provision of services which bring positive change in the lives of individuals and communities, and especially those facing trauma, disadvantage and oppression;
- To the ongoing development and active promotion of policies and practice which provide positive benefits for vulnerable people;
- To working alongside others and in partnership with vulnerable people to create a more socially just society which endeavours to meet the needs of all communities and groups, and
- To working alongside others and in partnership with vulnerable people to challenge agencies and institutions whose policies and practices have negative consequences for vulnerable people.
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University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
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University of Hull
University of Hull
University of Hull Social Work Degrees
Hull ranks among the top providers of social work education in the UK – we came second in England for course satisfaction with this subject in The Guardian University Guide 2015. Our choice of optional modules is among the broadest in the country including a number that reflect local issues of national significance, such as substance misuse, child protection and working with asylum seekers and refugees. Placements in inner-city, rural and coastal settings offer you diverse and valuable team-working skills. You can also participate in our International Social Work Student Conference, which offers marketable skills sought by employers and the opportunity to undertake placements in Kenya, Peru, France, Sweden and Germany. Social Work is taught by an experienced team of academic and practice staff, supported by other members of the University and by practitioners and managers from local agencies. The city of Hull is a microcosm reflecting the issues facing social workers on a national level and the work you will undertake at the University offers valuable insights into subjects such as education, health, housing, social security and social care, youth work and disability. Courses offered: BA Hons Social Work, MA Social WorkCourse summary
The BA in Social Work at the University of Hull is a three year full-time programme. Students spend Year 1 in the University studying modules, and in Years 2 and 3 they alternate University-based study with community-based placements. Year 1 modules are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and values essential to all areas of social work practice. They include Human Development across the Life-Course; Social Work and Society; Social Work and the Law; Theoretical Foundations of Practice; and Practice Skills Development. Modules in Years 2 and 3 focus upon specific areas of statutory social work practice, including Mental Health, Children and Families, Safeguarding Adults, Child Protection and Court Work. In Year 3 students will have optional modules available to them in Youth Justice, Substance Misuse, Asylum Seekers and Refugees, and Loss and Bereavement. Please click here for details. There is also a two-year MA in Social Work.Key Course Features
The University of Hull is ranked among the top fifteen providers of social work education in the UK according to The Complete University Guide, and satisfaction rates among our students are over 90% according to surveys by the National Union of Students. The team of social work academics is supported in delivering the curriculum by a large pool of practice educators, as well as a group of 40 service users and carers who participate in all our activities around teaching, assessment and research to evaluate practice. We have our own practice education unit called the Family Assessment and Support Unit (FASU) staffed by people who have specialised in dealing with young people with disabilities and their parents, children at risk of neglect and abuse, young people in the care system and families affected by domestic violence. FASU specialises in offering therapeutic services to children and parents, including individual, dyadic and whole family work. We organise a Careers Fair every Easter so that students can meet employers in the statutory and independent sectors from Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and beyond. Social work at Hull is linked to social work programmes in Austria and Sweden, and we convene annual international conferences for students.Work Experience and Placements
We have partnerships with four local authorities ( Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire) providing inner-city, rural and coastal settings for students on placement. The University's in-house social work agency, the Family Assessment and Support Unit (FASU), aims to provide social workers in training with the opportunity to develop professional skills through placements, while helping children and families in Hull and the surrounding area who are experiencing difficulties. At FASU, students will case manage a small number of interventions with children and families, under the close supervision of a registered social worker/practice educator. In many cases, students will be able to gain experience of the complete life cycle of a case, from initial referral to assessment, planning, intervention, review and case closure. FASU was awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for innovation in practice learning.Key events
International Social Work Student Conference The annual conference is held in partnership with the University of Applied Sciences Vienna in Austria, Mid-Sweden University, Östersund (Sweden) and CARITAS College of Social Work, Olomouc (Czech Republic). The gathering brings together social work students from across Europe to share knowledge and ideas and promote partnerships. Students explore modern social work models, theories and practice in the UK, Austria, Sweden and the Czech Republic and examine the differences in key areas of social work such as child protection, work with migrants and substance abuse.Collaborative Working
The Centre for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE) works in partnership with disabled people, their carers and providers of services in Hull and East Yorkshire. CARE staff have undertaken evaluation research in relation to safeguarding people in residential care, the impacts of the personalisation agenda in community care and the value of creative music and art therapies for disabled people and those with dementia. CARE offers consultancy services to local organisations, and has been doing research about ‘Abuse in Care’ in social and health care organisations across England and Scotland. CARE staff produce practice guides and research briefings to assist practitioners, managers and students. Students in the Family Assessment and Support Unit (FASU) are encouraged to undertake small-scale evaluation research projects in relation to the services that the agency provides to children and their carers. FASU students have undertaken interviews with young people in the care system as part of broader research into the educational experiences and attainments of looked after children in Hull. Students receive additional training and supervision when conducting evaluation research. There is a wide array of research interests among staff. Among child care staff, there is a particular interest in researching children’s experiences using ethnographic and empowering methodologies. For example, one member of staff undertook doctoral research into a pioneering Family and Friends Care team in a local authority, focussing upon the experiences of the carers’ own birth children. Among adult care staff, there is a particular interest in understanding the processes of dying and bereavement, and one member of staff has been seconded to the end-of-life care programme at the Department of Health.Contact info
University of Leeds
University of Leeds
Social Work at the University of Leeds
Based at the 2017 University of the Year and Teaching Excellence Framework Gold winner, the Social work team at Leeds is one of the most highly respected departments in the UK, developing innovative practitioners and respected professionals at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Leeds is in the top 100 Universities in the world and our research is rated as ‘Internationally excellent’ in the latest REF rankings.BA Social work
Our exciting social work degree gives you the opportunity to study the theories and research you’ll need to be a successful professional. You'll complete two placements and a 20 day skills development experience to develop your practical skills in social work and related settings, supported by a qualified practitioner. The University is part of the Leeds & Wakefield Social Work Teaching Partnership so the university teaching fits with the needs of local employers who also guarantee high quality placements. If you want a challenging and varied career with opportunities to work with people at times they most need it, social work may be for you. Bursaries and loans are available and career opportunities are excellentAbout the course
In your first and second years you’ll consider psychological, sociological and social policy perspectives on social work practice. You’ll learn about the legal basis of social work and will demonstrate your competence in IT. You’ll examine the impact of disability and mental health on social service users. In these two years you will complete two social work placements. In your third year you’ll study both child and family and adult social work and undertake a final year project, a 30-credit, 10,000-word dissertation and a 100 day placement. To bring the insight of lived experience, we have an active service user and carer group who participate in all aspects of the course from interviewing candidates through to teaching and mentoring, to add a broader dimension to your knowledge and skills base as a practitioner.Employability
As a social worker you can work in a range of different settings in the private, voluntary or statutory sectors. You can also work with a number of different service users; children and families, young people, people with a disability, people with mental health issues or older people. We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers and our employability is ranked at 99%. For more detail on the course, please visit http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/coursefinder/25677/BA_Social_WorkMA Social work with registration
The MA programme at Leeds offers a full-time two year, “fast track” programme to professional registration as a social worker. It’s an exciting opportunity for graduates with some experience and knowledge of social care to enter a challenging and rewarding profession that contributes to the well-being of society. The course covers work with Adults, children and families as well as social work law. Loans and support are available from the university to support your social work career. The University is part of the Leeds & Wakefield Social Work Teaching Partnership so the university teaching fits with the needs of local employers who also guarantee high quality placements. Bursaries and loans are available and career opportunities are excellent, 99% of our graduates are in work.About the course
You will study social work law, professional practice, social work with children & families and social work with adults This respected programme has strong partnership links to the statutory, private, voluntary and independent sectors, and during the 170 practice hours, you'll have excellent placement opportunities across a range of providers. In year two you will broaden your understanding of social work law and continue to develop your understanding of social work practice and complete a dissertation on a subject of your choice related to social work practice. You’ll benefit from the small student number we recruit and will enjoy a high level of support from tutors. Practice and theory have equal value on the programme, and they inform and develop each other. Students have a 20 day skills experience in year 1, plus two assessed placements of 70 and 100 days. Both placements take place within the local authorities who are part of the Teaching Partnership so students get a depth of experience in statutory workEmployability
The Social Work MA involves service users and carers in all aspects of our programme and supports an inter-professional perspective in both the theory and practice of social work. This approach adds a broader range of experience and expertise to your learning and knowledge base, and wedded with our research intensive approach, has led to a graduate employment rate of 99%. Many of our MA graduates are employed as social workers locally and are highly regarded practitioners. For more detail on the course, please visit http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/coursefinder/26034/MA_Social_WorkContact info
University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
Relevant courses offered
MA in Social Work Ranked highly in the Times and Independent Good University Guides, the MA in Social Work offered by the University of Sheffield is one of the best in the country. Aimed specifically at those who wish to become registered social workers, successful completion of the course confers eligibility for professional registration as a qualified social worker in the UK. This two-year full-time degree course also follows the professional capabilities framework set out by the College of Social Work, an organisation established by social workers to ensure the high standard is maintained within the profession. This helps you to develop the relevant practices and capabilities required to become a social worker. A particular strength of this programme is that it is taught within a department that includes a range of other social science disciplines; therefore the social work programme is able to draw upon widely informed sociological critiques of social work policy and practice. MA in Integrated Practice with Children and their Families You will have the opportunity to learn about the latest research, theories and conceptual frameworks, and consider their application to a diverse range of practical settings. This part-time course is aimed at practitioners and frontline managers who are actively involved in working with vulnerable children and their families in both statutory and voluntary settings. University of Sheffield also offer a modular route to their postgraduate CPD activity in Integrated Practice with Children and their Families. This is an alternative option to the MA programme, to provide greater flexibility and choice for study at post-qualifying level.Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities
CPD awards offered by the Department of Sociological Studies are designed to develop your skills and knowledge. They help support and enable you to deliver first class service quality to children and their families. They can also help you to meet the Health and Care Professions Council’s (HCPC) requirements for re-registration. CPD with the Department of Sociological Studies gives you:- The opportunity to enhance your specialist expertise and knowledge;
- The opportunity to undertake post-qualifying studies at your own pace and with students from a range of practice backgrounds;
- A range of transferable skills and knowledge that will be of benefit not only to you in career terms, but also to the organisation for whom you work;
- Advanced teaching, supported by experts in the field, that offers the specialised understanding of the particular issues, methods and skills necessary both to understand and undertake work with children and their families;
- The opportunity to think about and critically reflect on your current practice and ways to improve your contribution, whether as a practitioner or a front line manager, to the service you offer.