Overview
Social work is a practical and ethical profession that makes a difference in people’s lives. Our Social Work Degree Apprenticeship has been developed in partnership with Norfolk County Council to educate and support individuals with relevant experience to become first-rate social work professionals.
Social work involves assisting and working with people of all ages, races, disabilities, class, economic statuses, sexuality, gender, faith, and belief (including working with relatives and carers), in a wide range of settings, for example mental health, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, child and adult safeguarding.
Social Work Apprentices will play a vital role in helping individuals and their families achieve their goals. Completion of the programme will prepare Apprentices for a successful career in this rewarding field and enable successful graduates to apply to become registered as a Social Worker with Social Work England.
The Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship offers the opportunity for apprentices to become Social Workers by studying on a fully funded social work degree while receiving a salary. This requires applicants to have approved funding and support from a relevant employer throughout the duration of the programme.
Course Details
Our Degree Apprenticeship programme builds on the strengths of our highly regarded Social Work MA and BA programmes and our strong partnership working with Norfolk County Council and other partners.
All aspects of our programme will be mapped against the Social Work (Integrated Degree) Apprenticeship standards and the British Association of Social Work’s Professional Capabilities Framework. Our programme will also be accredited by Social Work England (awaiting approval).
The 3-year apprenticeship programme will support Apprentices to develop their knowledge, skills and values through a combination of university-based learning and work based learning within the local authority, including time in both Adult Social Services and Children’s Services. Apprentices will be supported throughout the programme by an academic advisor and workplace mentors.
Apprentices will spend year 1 in their substantive team, in year 2 and 3 they will have placements totalling 170 days. The course is split into 9 compulsory modules.
Module titles are as follows:
Year 1
Becoming a Social Work Apprentice
This module will introduce you to aspects of the historical, legal, political and social contexts within which social workers practice. It will help form the foundation for the programme. This is the first of three modules drawing on work-based learning that draws on the apprentice’s experiences in the workplace.
Social Sciences and Social Work
The module introduces apprentices to key theories and concepts in social sciences that underpin social work practice. Apprentices will be encouraged to comprehend, evaluate, and compare the major perspectives in psychology, sociology and social theory and begin to use these for understanding the situations that social workers come across in their work with children, families and adults.
Law Diversity and Social Work Practice
This module introduces apprentices to the legal knowledge needed by social workers. Apprentices will be encouraged to think about how issues of personal and political power arise in social work practice and through legislation. The module will introduce apprentices to specialist social work practice with children and families, adults, mental health, and disability.
Year 2
Psychosocial Development Across the Lifespan
This module introduces psychosocial developmental theory and research. The module also provides apprentices with the opportunity to develop observational skills, as well as apply theories, through undertaking a young child observation to highlight the significance of early life. Apprentices will have opportunities to develop their understanding of human growth and behaviour across the lifespan and will learn how to use these models to understand real life situations.
Becoming a Professional Social Worker. Level 1 Placement.
Apprentices will be introduced to basic social work skills and will be expected to develop them under close supervision while in an assessed placement situation. Apprentices will be expected to demonstrate an ability to relate to, and empathise with, people with lived experience; to observe, collect information, and form an assessment and intervention plan appropriate to the placement level, in partnership with the service user; and to record and evaluate their work.
Law, Social Policy and Social Work Practice
This module builds on the apprentices' legal knowledge gained in year one and introduces social policy concepts, to enable them to make sense of social work practice in its wider policy and legal context in order to use law confidently in practice. There will be focus on themes of human rights, individual freedom and choice, public welfare, social workers’ powers and duties, the grounds for state intervention in family life are negotiated in practice.
Year 3
Developing Specialist Practice Knowledge
This module is an opportunity for apprentices to advance their specialist knowledge of working with Children and Families, Older People, Mental Health and Disability. It includes 30 Skills Development days.
Becoming a Professional Social Worker 2. Level 2 Placement
Apprentices build upon their understanding of professional social work and their Level 1 placement experiences and begin to develop their competence by dealing with more complex situations.
Dissertation Module
The dissertation is an extended piece of writing which enables apprentices to explore in depth an issue of concern to social workers. There is a free choice of topic, subject to the approval of the Module Leader and Co-Tutor.
Further Information/Application Process
Applicants will need
- at least two years direct experience of working with children and families or adults with care and support needs.
- level 3 qualifications that are equivalent to 96 UCAS points (e.g. 3 A Levels at grade C or equivalent including BTEC, NVQ, Access to HE), or higher.
- GCSEs in English or English Language and Mathematics at grade C/4 or above, or an approved equivalent such as functional skills level 2.
Applications to the programme can only be made by securing employment as a Social Worker (Degree) Apprentice with Norfolk County Council. Applications cannot be made directly to the university.
Applications will open in February 2024. Please register your interest and we will contact you.
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