Social Work MA

The module provides you with an introduction to a range of theories and evidence about human growth and development. You will be enabled to understand the ways in which human growth and development is affected by a range of factors across the life course and how these factors may impact on the development of resilience and well-being. You are encouraged to develop a critical awareness of the various theoretical perspectives alongside an ability to apply this knowledge to social work practice.

The module follows a life course perspective, tracking human growth and development from the cradle to the grave and draws on theoretical material from a range of different disciplines.

This module prepares you with an introduction to relevant legislation, policies and guidance for social work practice with a variety of service users. The programme recognises the centrality of the law and its interaction with policy and research in promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and adults, and the necessity for practitioners to be confident when representing agencies and working with service users in legislative contexts.

To enable a better understanding and application of law to practice, the module includes a general consideration of the English legal system and considers areas around court structure, civil vs. criminal procedures; differing burdens of proof; duties vs. powers; delegated legislation and so on. It focuses on specific legislative frameworks for working with children, including youth justice, older people and people with mental health problems.

This module invites you to critically explore concepts of mental distress with a focus on social perspectives.

The dominant medically orientated paradigm of mental 'illness', diagnosis, detention and pharmaceutical 'treatment' will be critically explored, with consideration given to contrasting frameworks of meaning and input from 'experts by experience'. An historical overview of societal responses to mental distress; current debates and wider bio-psycho-social contexts will be explored, with an emphasis on power dynamics and the social work role.

This module prepares you for social work practice. It concentrates on the skills necessary to engage with service users and offers an overview of the social work process of assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation (APIE).

This provides you with a basic theoretical framework for social work practice in which the nature of social work theory is examined in relation to assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation. The module also considers the influence of values on social work practice. 

This course will equip you with the necessary research awareness to critically analyse published research which is of relevance to your professional practice. It will provide you with sufficient understanding of research methods, including research ethics, to prepare you to undertake your MA Social Work dissertation - whether this takes the form of an original empirical study or a systematic literature review.

This module comprises 80 days of assessed practice learning. It will focus on your ability to satisfy the requirements of the Professional Capabilities Framework at the interim stage of judgement.

The placement will be assessed on a pass/fail basis and must be passed in order to progress on the programme. The written assignment must be passed in order to progress on the programme; students who fail the written assignment may be required to resubmit without having to complete a further placement.

The module encourages you to critically engage with fundamental questions at the heart of social science research and their impact on social work practice. How, for example, do we seek to 'know' the world?

Research has a new prominence within social work and social care and this module:

• points to the importance of 'evidenced-based' research for the social work profession
• develops a critical understanding of the range of research informing social work practice, including practitioner research
• stresses why social work practice needs to be grounded in social research which is critical of 'official' accounts of social welfare
• aids student participants in the 'process' of formulating research plans
• introduces you to the electronic resources which are available at the Hallward Library
• focuses on the research methods, particularly qualitative methods, which will be central to the writing of the dissertation
• explores issues related to the ethics of social research
• highlights how the presentation of research findings is a major component of research activity

This module covers the key practice issues in social work with adults, including safeguarding, mental capacity and working within the Care Act. It considers the needs of different service user groups, including people with learning disabilities and older people. Teaching is delivered by academic staff, current social workers and service users.

This module looks at key elements of social work with children and families, including children in need, child protection and the ‘Care System’. It also explores the skills needed to work effectively with children and young people. Teaching is delivered by academic staff, practitioners and people with lived experience of social work.

This module comprises 90 days of practice learning. It will focus on your ability to satisfy the requirements of the Professional Capabilities Framework at the final stage of your qualification.

To pass this module both the 90-day placement and the practice analysis assignment must be passed. If the 90-day placement is not passed the entire 90-day placement has to be repeated and the assignment has to be submitted as a first sit. If the assignment is failed this can be resubmitted without the placement being repeated.