What is the role of a social worker? How does theory underpin practice? How does social work operate in a multi professional environment? Does Social Work challenge inequality? How do we get the right balance between care and control?
Social Work is a professional activity that is intended to advance the social conditions of communities and individuals within them. It is about respecting and valuing diversity and cuts across many settings including child and family, disability, drugs and alcohol misuse. The support offered by Social Workers includes interpersonal intervention and providing behavioural and social assessments.
Throughout the BA (Hons) Social Work course you will develop a theoretical understanding of the key areas. These areas include; the role of the social worker, communication skills, legislation and policy and challenging discrimination. You will put this theory into practice through assessed Practice Learning Opportunities (PLO) within the statutory and voluntary sectors. The PLO is designed to develop your knowledge, skills and practice ability over the 3 years to prepare you for your future career.
The social work programme has established excellent partnerships with Monmouth, Newport and Blaenau Gwent Local Authority Social Services Departments.
On successful completion of this course, you will gain the professional social work qualification and be eligible to register with the Care Council for Wales (or the Health and Care Professions Council for England), enabling you to practice as social worker in the UK.
Year 1
• Service Users, Carers and Communities
• The Legislative and Policy Context of Social Work
• Human Growth and Communication Skills
• Understanding Society
• Role of the Social Work Practitioner (including the block 20-day Practice Learning Opportunity)
• Technologies for the Professional Environment (mandatory module for those without ECDL or equivalent)
Year 2
• Evidence based Practice with Children and Families
• Evidence based Practice with Adults
• Challenging Discrimination and Anti-Oppressive Practice
• Research Methods
• Developing Effective Social Work Practice; (including the block 80-day Practice Learning Opportunity)
Year 3
• Inter-Professional Practice
• Dissertation
• Becoming a Critically Reflective Practitioner (including the block 100-day Practice Learning Opportunity)
A 
programme specification for this course is available.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a variety of methods including written assignments, reflective journals, debate, simulations, portfolios, presentations, direct observations and reflections on practice.
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Gideon CalderA co-founder of SERG in 2006, Gideon Calder’s main interests lie in the application of political, moral and social theory to contemporary issues ranging from democracy and equality, to disability, social inclusion and the environment. Bernard DaceyIn 2008 Bernard joined the University as the Director of a new partnership and integrated practice centre with a primary function on developing practice based links with the University in the areas of social work, youth work and counselling
John DeeringJohn Deering was a social worker and probation officer before entering higher education, initially to teach trainee probation officers. |
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Charlotte Waite
Lesley Williams
Michelle Culwick
Vida Greaux
Emma Duffy
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Centre for Critical Social Studies (CCSS)
Linking research groups across the University, the Centre for Critical Social Studies provides a focus for philosophical/theoretical debates, and empirical research applied to government and institutional policy, and to state/voluntary sector professions and organisations.
Social Ethics Research Group (SERG)
The Newport Social Ethics Research Centre combines research and teaching in a range of fields in the social domain, with special emphasis on political, social and ethical theory – and on the points of intersection between these areas. |
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| Mandatory Items |
Costs |
| Registrations / memberships / awards / DBS checks |
Enhanced DBS Check - £44 (Costs are subject to change and may increase. Relevant up-to-date instructions will be sent out as part of the admissions process). |
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The Newport social work programme has established excellent partnerships with Local Authority Social Services Departments. These are Monmouth, Newport and Blaenau-Gwent, and as a result, all students are guaranteed at least one statutory Practice Learning Opportunity, supervised by a qualified social work Practice Assessor. In addition, Practice Learning Opportunities are an excellent way of familiarising yourself with opportunities, local services and teams in preparation for making career decisions. The degree programme includes 200 days of practice; 20 days in year 1, 80 days in year 2 and 100 days in year three.
Where next?
On successful completion of this course, you will gain the professional social work qualification and be eligible to register with the Care Council for Wales (or the Health and Care Professions Council for England), enabling you to practice as a social worker in the UK.
Social workers may work in a variety of statutory and private, independent and voluntary settings. There are also opportunities in academia and research.
After this course you will also be academically prepared to progress to further study into several areas here at Newport, such as the MA Criminal and Social Justice and the MA Working for Children and Young People.
There is a high employment rate on completing the course, with newly qualified social workers gaining employment in statutory services such as mental health, child protection and LAC teams, adult protection and older persons teams, as well as specialist drug misuse services, domestic violence services, advocacy services and other private and independent sector employers.