The BSc Social Work degree at Cardiff Met is based on the National Occupational Standards for social work practice (2011) and is delivered in partnership with local social work agencies and service user groups. It combines and integrates professional training in social work with academic study to degree level.
Social Work involves a flexible approach to meeting the needs of individuals, groups or communities. This degree in social work is concerned with developing a range of competencies to meet the National Occupational Standard for Social Work. Student learning is informed by legislation, theory and research-informed evidence in relation to social work knowledge, skills and values and is related to experience gained through social work practice learning opportunities. This social work degree also includes an understanding of the legislative provision of services and the importance of understanding social work within a Welsh, UK and International context.
The Code of Professional Practice for Social Care (2017) and equality and human rights issues will be integral to learning and practice, which you will be expected to comply with.
Course Content
Year One: 'Introduction and Foundation'
At this stage you will be assessed on your potential for further development. Before undertaking direct practice with service users in a practice learning setting, you must undertake 20 days of assessed practice learning through which you must demonstrate that you have the interpersonal skills and values required to be suitable and safe to work with people with social care needs and their carers. The first year of study will also focus on core values and skills as well as broader social, cultural and institutional processes that frame the role and task of social work.
Years Two & Three: 'Applying knowledge, skills and values in social work practice and the development and confirmation of competence in social work practice'
You will spend 180 days in assessed practice learning settings (80 days year 2 and 100 days year 3).
This will involve a minimum of two practice settings. This will provide you with a range of learning opportunities to demonstrate competence in relation to National Occupational Standards for Social Work (2011) and the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care (2017). By the end of these two longer periods of practice based learning you will be applying social work knowledge, skills and values including research findings in your practice and will need to demonstrate the development of critical, analytical and reflective practice.
There will be a focus on disadvantage, oppression and deprivation; leading to an emphasis on social work intervention and the contexts within which social work is practised.
In year two there will be a focus upon the application of social work knowledge, skills and values including research findings in their practice and academically assessed work, with an emphasis upon students demonstrating their development of critical, analytical and reflective practice.
Year three subsequently offers the opportunity for students to build on the knowledge, skills and values attained in year two, with students demonstrating professional judgement, intervention and critical reflection across both their practise and within academically assessed work.
Learning & Teaching
All students that enrol on the BSc (Hons) Social Work are assigned a personal tutor that will provide both group and individual tutorial support. All staff on the social work degree have extensive experience of employment within social work, and draw on this to enhance students learning experience of the subject. Students are taught through a range of teaching and learning methods, including experiential and problem based group work, interactive lectures and seminars along with the integration of media to support a wider understanding of the experiences of people with social care needs and their carers. Students are further supported in their learning through the use of the Virtual Learning Environment 'Moodle'.
Students are placed within Local Authority 'Host agency' groups for the duration of their studies, and subsequently have the opportunity to build and sustain professional working relationships with peers and professionals within their host Local Authority. A substantial part of the course is spent in practice settings within agencies in South Wales; therefore the ability to undertake travelling to and within practice agencies will be advantageous.
Whilst on the social work degree students are also required to demonstrate that they are able to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) methods and techniques to support their learning and practice.
Assessment
Assessment of individual areas of study will include a combination of different approaches: through practice learning, simulation/case study exercises, essays and assignments, reports, poster presentations, group and individual presentations and examinations.
In addition, students are required to produce portfolios that are linked to their practice-based learning, which includes observations of practice and reflective accounts based on the observations.
Students on the social work degree receive electronic feedback and feedforward to all academically assessed work and are encouraged through the enhanced personal tutorial process to review feedback and build both academic and practice based social work skills.
Employability & Careers
On completion of the BSc (Hons) Social Work degree and all associated academic and practice based learning opportunities, graduates will be able to register as qualified Social Work practitioners and access a wide range of employment opportunities within social work in the statutory, independent and third sectors. Graduates can take up employment with people with social care needs and their carers who use a range of social work and social care services which address complex social issues and needs.
Graduates will also be required to pursue Continued Professional Education and Learning within their Social Work career, and may choose to pursue a postgraduate qualification, for example in teaching in further/higher education or a Masters or Doctorate in Social Work. There are also other graduate opportunities outside Social work.
Entry Requirements & How to Apply
Typical Offers
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Tariff points: 96
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Contextual offer: See our
contextual offers page.
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GCSE: Preferably five GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above to include English Language / Welsh First Language.
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English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in all elements, or equivalent.
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A level subjects: Minimum three A levels to include grades CCC. No specific subjects required. Welsh Baccalaureate – Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate considered as a third subject.
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BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: MMM
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T Level: Pass (C+).
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Access to Higher Education Diploma: No specific subjects required.
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International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: No specific subjects required.
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Irish Leaving Certificate: 2 x H2. No specific subjects required. Higher level subjects only considered with a minimum grade H4.
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Scottish Advanced Highers: Grade DD. No specific subjects required. Scottish Highers are also considered, either on their own or in combination with Advanced Highers.
- A relevant
NVQ Level 3 or 4 in a social work/social care related subject area.
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Other requirements: Successful
interview and
DBS. Evidence of work experience within a social care setting. Please refer to the Experience tab below for more detail.
Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact
Admissions or refer to the
UCAS Course Search.
Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found
here.
How to Apply
Further information on how to apply can be found
here.
Interview and Experience Requirements
Interviews will take place on Llandaff campus over the course of your allocated day and as such you will be required to attend the entire day. Interview days begin at 9.30am and are expected to finish by 4.30pm.
Individual Interview:
Your individual interview will last around 15-20 minutes and will be undertaken on campus, by academic members of staff from both Cardiff Metropolitan University and Bridgend College, alongside social work practitioners and individuals that use social work and social care services, that are involved with the Programme. Applicants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the information on the Social Care Wales website relating to the Social Care Wales’ Code of Professional Practice for Social Care (2017), and social care legislation in Wales.
Experience Requirements:
Applicants are required to have some work experience in a social care setting. There is no time limit for when this work experience was completed, however more recent experience would strengthen your application.
The programme will also consider, in exceptional circumstances, those applicants that have personal experience as an individual with social care needs or as a carer. For example, applications from individuals that have been a primary carer, on a substantial and regular basis of a relative, friend, or neighbour or a child/young person looked after by the Local Authority – that is, a care experienced person. In such circumstances, applications can also be strengthened with additional volunteering/paid social care experience.
Experience can be gained in a wide range of paid or volunteering roles in social care:
- With children and families in social care settings such as Flying Start, Local Authority teams, Action for Children, Barnardo’s, and residential homes.
- With adults in social care settings such as Local Authority Adult Teams, supported accommodation, residential/ nursing homes, charities working with people with disabilities; domestic violence charities, homelessness services and substance misuse organisations.
- In counselling settings or working one-to-one within youth and community work settings.
- In education settings where this role relates to direct work with children with additional needs or working in mainstream education and/or nurseries/crèches.
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