Social Work: Apprenticeship

This module is a basic introduction to working in a regulated profession. It covers rights and responsibilities under codes of practice.  It presents you with core ideas in social work and begins your journey of reflection and learning. This particular module seeks to build your professional base.

This module will enable the you to research a range of practice frameworks that provide the method for interventions; what they are; how they impact on services and their effectiveness from published evidence. Such frameworks might include - Signs of Safety, Restorative Practice, systemic practice, child centred, strengths based, family-led or culturally responsive, etc. In supporting practice frameworks students will investigate available tools, models, templates that social workers might use for the purpose of communication, assessment, conflict resolution, building resilience, etc.

This module develops your understanding and application of sociology, ethics and psychology to social work.  The task of social work is managing moral dilemma and as such you will investigate both your own ethical and moral development and ground that within your reading. There is no easy prescription to social work. Using best evidence to inform one’s judgement on ethical decision-making is at the heart of effective social work. Social work is informed by a number of core disciplines to provide an underpinning knowledge base. However critical thinking and moral judgment are the two most important constructs social workers rely upon to practice both the art and science of social work.

You will be introduced to a range of skills needed in working with service users and carers, in order to develop confidence and competence in communicating with others, to gain experience of presentation skills, understand the importance of professional boundaries, promote choice and involve others in the decision making. You will be asked to undertake reflective exercises, peer and user feedback will be used throughout the module, alongside practical workshops to allow you to practise your skills. Building and sustaining relationships is the heart of good and effective social work. Building and developing key skills to communicate effectively to a range of diverse people is critical to effective social work practice.

The module will draw upon your knowledge and experience and develop an understanding of the ethical framework in which the law and social policy is formulated in England and how it operates. You will understand how to apply ethical decision making as the basis for sound professional judgement. You will explore the concept of sound professional judgement using the 4 model framework applied by Jonathan Dickens (2013) (e.g. duty, society, virtue and care).

You will have an opportunity to consolidate your knowledge values and skills in working directly with service users and their carers. In this module there will be an emphasis on building relationships, developing communication skills and working with other professionals, and as such places much emphasis on service user contributions.

You will have the opportunity to put into practice core teaching from level 4 (year 1) and further develop your understanding of key and fundamental aspects of social work, including keys skills in social work.

Critical thinking and reflective skills are essential to effective decision making and this module will take the form of critical reflective learning in small groups. You will share and investigate critical incidents from your practice experience in a safe learning environment supported by service users who are experienced in this type of student engagement and facilitated by lecturers. You will be invited to think about your practice and make links with relevant theories, skills and experience. To do this successfully you need to engage in evidence-informed practice, evaluate practice systematically and participate in audit procedures.

You will also be encouraged to make links with ethics, values and to think anti-oppressively. It will be a requirement that you keep a learning log which can be drawn upon in the summative assignment and used as evidence in your practice placement assessment. You will also be expected to use the University closed discussion board system throughout the module.

This module will provide you with a basic understanding of social work law and its relationship with practice across adults and children’s legislation and policy frameworks. It will provide an opportunity to develop your critical skills and knowledge in analysing applied law in social work practice.  Acquiring legal literacy to perform safe and legal social work tasks is a core part of social work practice.  This module provides an understanding of the ethical basis of practice within a Human Rights framework to legitimise social work decision making.  Indicative legislation taught covers the following legislation: Children Act 1989, Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Care Act 2014, Human rights Act 1998 and Equalities Act 1998

This module will address safeguarding in both adult and child contexts; enabling you to recognise, and respond to signs of harm and abuse. It will support you in your analysis of assessment of risk. Assessment and risk represent deceptively simple concepts, however good assessment is the cornerstone of social work practice and therefore will be explored in-depth. Assessments can have a significant impact on the lives of children, young people, families and communities; therefore assessment frameworks and the ways in which ways assessments are conducted and how information is used and analysed will be considered.  Effective assessment is a transparent area of practice where the social worker is clearly accountable for his/her actions. Stringent recording and communication are essential cornerstones of good practice. You will continue to learn about the importance of research and by encouraging research literacy you will develop skills required to be critically informed and your work be supported through evidence based practice.

This module will provide you with the opportunity to enhance your skill and knowledge in critically applying law in social work practice. Acquiring legal literacy to perform safe and legal social work tasks is a core part of social work practice.  In this module social work apprentices are expected to demonstrate their evaluative skills in applying social work legislation to their work-based learning.  You will be expected to not only know the powers and limits of the legal framework but provide defensible evaluation against legal and ethical challenge.

This module presents a range of key concepts in social work such as self-determination and strengths based working and how these impact on different service user groups, key issues and areas of concern such as: domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, poverty and homelessness and mental health.  Being able to evaluate and critically analyse contemporary issues in society is fundamental to the core task of social work.

This module will provide you with an opportunity to learn as you practice in your final year.  During your work-based learning you will undertake a 100 day practice focus decided by your manager in discussion with you.  This experience wil involve tasks of more complexity and of a statutory nature. The assessment is dictated by the standards and can only be complete once you have achieved 300 credits.  The assessment is carried out by a suitably qualified person who is not part of the teaching team.  They may be from another part of the university or outside and external to the university.  Once completed this will ensure you are ready and safe to practice to the minimum standard of eligibility to register as a social worker.