BASocial Work (Year Abroad)

Study location	United Kingdom, Birmingham
Type	Bachelor courses, full-time
Nominal duration	4 years
Study language	English
Awards	BA
Course code	L501

Entry qualification	High school / secondary education (or higher) GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C or above (or certificated equivalent) The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original.

Language requirements	English IELTS: 7.0 overall (with no less than 6.5 in any band) CAE: 185 overall (with no less than 176 in any band)

Other requirements

At least 1 reference(s) must be provided. A motivation letter must be added to your application. A minimum of 3 months or 60 days related practice-based experience. Personal experience may count towards your practice-based experience but it is important that you are able to evidence some practice-based experience alongside this. This must show a sustained commitment, evidenced by a practice based reference (as appropriate). Shortlisted applicants may be required to read a short academic text and complete a written test on their understanding general issues related to social work. Applicants completing this test may then be invited to undertake an interview. Selected applicants will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and Declaration of Suitability for Social Work form, before registration on the programme. Where an applicant has disclosed a criminal offence they will be asked to provide further details of this offence in a letter to the department.

More information	birmingham.ac.uk/..ork-year-abroad-ba.aspx

Overview

Interested? To learn more about this study programme, entry requirements and application process, please contact one of our consultants in a country nearest to you.

Programme structure

Year 1

In the first year you will study five modules introducing you to the social and organisational content of social work. This introduction to social work will provide you with the opportunity to develop your skills to prepare you for working with service users and carers:

Psychology
Research for Evidence Based Learning
Social Welfare and Social Inequalities
Social Work Contexts
Social Work Skills, Values and Approaches
The social work regulatory body, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the College of Social Work require that before students go out into their practice placements, they have the basic skills needed to work with a variety of people and to communicate with service users with understanding and respect. As part of the assessment of your ‘readiness for practice learning’, you will carry out an assessed role play interview with a service user or carer and also spend time in a local social care organisation.

Year 2

You will complete 70 days professional practice learning, in addition to five academic modules designed to help you develop and apply the knowledge, values and skills required in social work practice. These include:

Enhancing Skills for Social Work Practice
Law for Professional Practice
Placement and Case Analysis
Research for Evidence Informed Practice
Social Identity, Citizenship and Social Work Practice (as part of this module students have the opportunity to take part in our International Exchange Programme)

We also run an International Exchange Project in second year, where students have the opportunity to go abroad to work with the social work department and social work students from a University in another country.

The University of Birmingham has joined one of the government’s Teaching Partnerships. This is the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership and involves the University of Birmingham working collaboratively with 9 Local Authorities: Birmingham as the lead authority, Coventry, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Stoke, Telford, Walsall and Wolverhampton. The overall aim of the Partnership is to enhance practice leadership across the region via a ‘University at Work’ model.

The Teaching Partnership will strengthen the existing relationships between service users, carers, practitioners and academics at the University of Birmingham. The relationship between the University and these 9 Local Authorities will be enhanced in many ways including in terms of placement opportunities.

We will continue to work in collaboration to shape evidence based curriculum that aims to raise the standards of social work education and ensure that it is fit for purpose for local employers.

At present the majority of our Practice Learning Placements are provided by Birmingham City Council. We also have some placements in a range of voluntary and private sector organisations. We also have a few placements with some neighbouring local authorities. However at present we cannot guarantee any placements outside of Birmingham itself and so students who live outside of Birmingham will be required to travel. It is anticipated however that over time, due to the West Midlands Teaching Partnership, placements may become available across a wider range of local authorities within the Teaching partnership.

The placements on offer are challenging and also very rewarding. Some of the areas of social work covered on placement are:

Family support and prevention
Domestic violence/Women’s Aid
Refugee and asylum
Special educational needs
Fostering
Child protection
Disabilities
Substance misuse
Mental Health
Older adults
Students need to be aware that placements in particular areas of interest are not guaranteed. However all placements are quality assured, meet required HCPC and College of Social Work standards and provide a wide range of learning which is transferable to any setting.

Year 3

Your third year will be spent abroad at a university in the EU or elsewhere in the world. After completing your year abroad, you will return for your fourth and final year to the same BA degree programme.
There are a wide range of countries and universities from which you can choose.

As well as a range of European universities, you may also choose from a range of current institutional partners worldwide. These include countries in which a variety of languages are spoken, including universities at which courses are taught in English. In recent years, students in the department have taken their year abroad in Australia, Canada, Denmark and the United States, among others.

Final year

In your final year you will complete a further 100-day professional practice placement. As part of this you will also complete a risk analysis.

Year 3 modules include:

Advanced Practice: Individuals, Families and Communities
Dissertation A
Placement and Case Analysis 2
Dissertation B

Career opportunities

This programme offers professional training, which on successful completion will give you eligibility to apply to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a professional Social Worker.