Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences. PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION BA Applied Social Work. Valid from September

Transcription

1 Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION BA Applied Social Work Valid from September

2 CONTENTS SECTION ONE: GENERAL INFORMATION... 1 SECTION TWO: OVERVIEW AND PROGRAMME AIMS... 3 SECTION THREE: PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES... 4 SECTION FOUR: PROGRAMME STRUCTURE... 5 SECTION FIVE: PROGRAMME DELIVERY... 7 SECTION SIX: ADMISSIONS SECTION SEVEN: STUDENT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE SECTION EIGHT: POST PROGRAMME OPPORTUNITIES SECTION NINE: EMPLOYER LINKS APPENDIX A: CURRICULUM MAP... 13

3 SECTION ONE: GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Programme Title Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Applied Social Work Degree 1.2 Award title and interim awards. Interim Awards Certificate of Higher Education in Social Care Studies [This does not entitle you to apply for or practice as a social worker ] Diploma of Higher Education in Social Care Studies [This does not entitle you to apply for or practice as a social worker ] Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care Studies This award will NOT entitle you to register as a Social Worker with the GSCC or practice as a Social Worker. Final Award Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Work Successful completion of this award will entitle you to apply to register as a Social Worker with the GSCC. 1.3 Mode of Study You may study on this degree full-time, part-time or if you are employed you maybe able to enroll as a work based learner. 1.4 Programme start date and period of validation The Programme will commence in September 2012 and will be valid for an indefinite period 1.5 Awarding Institution University of Derby 1.6 Faculty managing the programme Faculty of Education, Health, and Sciences. 1.7 External Subject Benchmarks. The Programme conforms to the University s Equal Opportunities Policy and Widening Participation Strategy in respect of entry requirements and admissions policy. Recruitment and selection processes are designed to diminish traditional barriers, both formal and informal, which deny access to education. Student Services provide support and advice to applicants with a disability. Recruitment and Selection Procedures have been designed to ensure congruence with the QAA Code of Practice: Recruitment and Admissions. 1

4 The General Social Care Council (GSCC) sets requirements for admission to social work training and registration with the Council. The BA (Hons) Applied Social Work offers the legally protected title of Social Worker and, as such, needs to adhere to strict professional admissions criteria. The Department of Health Requirements for Social Work Training specify that you must be interviewed. The programme s recruitment and selection process states that this will normally involve a group and individual interview. The Programme relates to a broad range of Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) benchmarks, Social Work (2008) and Social Policy and Administration (2007) and is informed by the Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers (GSCC, External Accreditation The General Social Care Council (GSCC) is the Professional Statutory Regulatory Body that annually monitors the programme. The programme is then awarded a specific coloured traffic light according to the outcome of the review. The University of Derby have for the last three years since the system was introduced been awarded a green light which is the highest level of clearance and reflected no changes were needed on the programme and it was operating in an appropriate manner. 1.9 JACS Code L Programme specification last updated March

5 SECTION TWO: OVERVIEW AND PROGRAMME AIMS 2.1 Overview The Social Work programme at the University of Derby is unique in many ways. It offers each student the opportunity to put their learning into practice by providing placement opportunities across a variety of experiences in the UK and other European countries. The majority of the staff team are qualified and registered Social Workers and between them have many years of experience in practice. The Social Work degree offers students the opportunity to learn and develop skills alongside other professionals both within the University and on placement. Each student is allocated a personal tutor to assist and support them through the three years on the programme whilst in the University and out on placement. Derby works very closely with regional Universities and partner agencies to ensure you reach your full potential. People who use social care and health services and carers are involved throughout the programme in all areas including developing and designing the programme, the admissions process, teaching on modules, and assessment. The programme works with the Faculty of Education Health and Science Service User and Carer Forum to ensure a range of different people who use services and carers are involved. 2.2 Programme Aims To provide you with the opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and values required for effective, competent, ethical practice. Enable you to develop skills in critical analysis and intellectual enquiry, with the demonstrable capacity to transfer these capabilities to and from academic learning and their specialist occupational areas. Provide opportunity for you to demonstrate the acquisition of a range of key and transferable skills in Higher Education, which are supportive of your personal, educational and career progression. Enable you to develop and promote anti-oppressive theory and practice in relation to all areas of structural, cultural and personal forms of oppression (social class, age, disability, gender, ethnic differences, and sexual orientation) Develop your ability to critically appraise and transfer knowledge, skills and values in practice. Facilitate your ability to understand and manage the complex dilemmas and tensions inherent in the social work task. Enable you to familiarise yourself with the contested nature of knowledge, including a firm grounding in research evidence and techniques. Enable you to relate theory to practice, and practice to theory. Provide teaching and learning opportunities that value the experience of the adult learner and personal and professional development in holistic ways. Enable you to develop strategies for being both responsive to and proactive in the change process. 3

6 SECTION THREE: PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES The programme Learning Outcomes are designed to meet the QAA Social Work qualification benchmarks (2008) and to achieve the appropriate levels 4, 5, & 6 within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) Bachelor s degrees with Honours H Honours 6 Foundation Degrees, ordinary (Bachelor s) degrees, Diplomas of Higher Education, Higher National Diplomas and Certificates I Intermediate 5 Certificates of Higher Education C Certificate 4 On graduating with an honours degree in Applied Social Work, students will be able to demonstrate the following: Knowledge and Understanding A specialist critical understanding of the knowledge, skills, and values of social work practice and how these have developed; an ability to evaluate and interpret these and understand the appropriateness of different approaches to resolving differing situations within practice. An ability to understand concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied including the application of knowledge, skills, and values in an employment context. Intellectual Skills The ability to use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information, to propose solutions to problems arising from that analysis and apply underlying concepts in a practice context. The ability to present, critically evaluate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data in order to develop lines of argument and make sound and safe judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts relating to social work. Practical / Subject Specific Skills An ability to take personal responsibility for decision making in complex and unpredictable contexts and propose solutions to solutions to problems arising in their field of study and in a work context. Transferable Skills The qualities, transferrable skills and the learning ability needed for employment, to undertake appropriate further training of a professional and engage in lifelong learning. The ability to communicate information, ideas, arguments, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences and deploy key techniques of the discipline effectively. (See Curriculum Map Appendix A) 4

7 SECTION FOUR: PROGRAMME STRUCTURE 4.1 Structure and Curriculum for 2013/14 All modules are 20 credits unless otherwise stated. There are no optional modules for this programme Semester One Semester One Semester Two Through Module Social Work Law and Policy Applied Sociology Attitudes and Values Level 4 Preparation for Practice Learning (40 credits) Communication Skills All modules are core. 120 credits required for a Certificate of H E Semester One Semester Two Semester Two Through Module Assessing Risk, Need and Vulnerability Research Methods for Practice Human Growth and Development 2 Practice Learning 2 Level 5 Applied Sociology Mental Health All modules are core 240 credits required for a Diploma of HE Semester One Semester Two Through Module Adult Services Practice Learning 3 Independent Study (40 credits) Level 6 Legal Perspectives of Social Work All modules are core Social Work with Children and Young People 300 credits for Ordinary BA Degree 360 credits for BA Honours Degree 5

8 4.2 Personal Development Planning The recording of your achievements and your reflection upon them are central to your development as a reflective practitioner. The University has a policy of encouraging students to engage in Professional Development Planning (PDP) and the Programme supports this in its assessments. The recording, evaluation and tutorial discussion of achievements form part of your assessments and culminate in your professional reference when you apply to employment. You will be assigned a Personal Tutor who will support you through the PDP process by offering you one-to-one and group tutorial support. Opportunities for PDP are included in the programme in the following ways: The application of learning materials to current practice within the field of Social Work and Social Care. The use of critical, practice-based reflection within all modules. You will be required to make explicit links to how learning has helped to develop knowledge, values and skills in all of the modules. Completing 200 days practice learning and writing three reports to meet the National Occupational Standards will enhance your PDP. 6

9 SECTION FIVE: PROGRAMME DELIVERY 5.1 Learning and Teaching Methods Throughout the Programme, learning is based upon your personal and professional experience. Reflecting on your own and others experience, discussion, reading and observation give you the raw materials with which to analyse and improve your work. Interprofessional modules are incorporated in the programme to reflect requirements in practice. The following are some of the means by which the Programme helps you to learn: lectures small and large group discussions student presentations debates tutorials observation visit written summary and commentary self-assessments formal written assignments and research In addition to the core tutor team, a range of specialist visiting speakers contribute to the teaching. Furthermore, while on placement Practice Educators work with you and support your practice learning. In addition to the learning that takes place in the formally timetabled sessions your student group is a valuable resource for your development. Informal discussions with your peers will aide your learning. The teaching and learning strategies develop over the three years of the Programme as you become a more independent learner and as the curriculum focus an academic level change. There are strategies that are common to all three Levels of the Programme but the broad themes of curriculum, academic level and learning strategies may be typified as follows. At Level Four (Year 1) the emphasis is upon gaining a sound understanding and knowledge of the many facets of social work practice and the ability to work effectively with others. Strategies are employed which encourage you to reflect upon your pre-course experiences, upon your transition to gaining your Degree in Applied Social Work and upon the skills, knowledge and understanding required by a Social Work Practitioner. A greater emphasis is accordingly placed upon small group work, individual and group presentations, study support mechanisms and greater tutor direction of study. The observation visit is focussed on the skills and understanding which are central to observation and practice which is a requirement prior to your first placement. At Level Five (Year 2) you explore working with people who use services and, in particular, creating change. You are encouraged to adopt an inquiry-based approach to practice and extend your vision of social work to incorporate more complex factors such as risk and vulnerability. The curriculum calls for closer critical attention to sociological themes and specialist areas such as mental health. Strategies are employed which encourage you to gain confidence in handling theoretical concepts and in critical applications of theory. A greater emphasis is placed on reflection, wider reading, student-directed seminars/presentations and applying theory to practice. Shared learning encourages an interprofessional approach. 7

10 At Level Six (Year 3) you are an increasingly independent learner, the contact time with tutors is less and there is a correspondingly greater requirement for you to demonstrate selfdirected learning and research; examples of this are the Independent Study and the emphasis put upon your responsibility to research to evaluate practice. The curriculum focus is upon evaluating and developing the service. You are required to critically evaluate increasingly complex interrelationships between theory, policy and all levels of practice. The strategies employed are seminars, presentations, student-directed research and practice based learning All students are required to comply with research governance and ethics principles whilst undertaking their programme of study. This is of particular importance when conducting research involving other people e.g. for module assessments or Independent Studies. Information on these principles can be found on the University website at Methods of Assessment In order to achieve the learning outcomes for each module you will undertake assessments which reflect the sorts of competences you need as a Social Worker. Assessment takes place through practice based earning, written assignments, exams, group and individual presentations, review of research, Vivas and case studies. Assessment varies according to what is being assessed. For example, you may be asked to do all or any of the following: Assess your own strengths and weakness at the start of the Programme; Evaluate your learning over the year; Sit an exam Complete a reflective diary Analyse your professional practice in the practice based learning setting; Make a presentation to your student group and evaluate the process Write an assignment Undertake an independent study Assessments have been designed to support and assess your academic and professional development and meet the module learning outcomes. Being an excellent Social Work Practitioner means not only working with people but also being able to express yourself in writing in a range of ways. For this reason there is an emphasis on assessment in developing your ability to write reports, organisational documents and essays based on evidence, analysis and argument. On this basis assessments develop your confidence in your ability to: use evidence in argument and practice; analyse and reflect; research material selectively from a range of sources; structure a persuasive, well-supported argument; distinguish between fact, opinion, research and theory; integrate theory and practice; adopt a problem-solving approach to problems; use discussion in tutorials, module sessions and placement supervision to develop your thinking; demonstrate reliability and attention to detail; use academic conventions of referencing sources; use a range of written styles and formats for different purposes; use specific criteria to demonstrate achievement of a task. 8

11 These are transferable skills which are useful in practice and in your academic work. There is also a requirement that you undertake a formative assessment before the midpoint of each module. These formative assessments do not result in a recorded grade and do not contribute towards the final degree classification. However, they do provide you with some insight into how well you are understanding the content of the module and your ability to transfer your learning to practice based situations. This programme operates within the University s Regulatory Framework and conforms to its regulations on assessment with the exception of not allowing condonements between elements within a module. 9

12 SECTION SIX: ADMISSIONS 6.1 Entry requirements The University s standard entry requirements can be found at: In addition to the University entry requirements the GSCC sets requirements for admission to social work training and registration with the Council. The BA (Hons) Applied Social Work offers the legally protected title of Social Worker and, as such, needs to adhere to strict professional admissions criteria. The Department of Health Requirements for Social Work Training specify that you must be interviewed. The programme s recruitment and selection process states that this will normally involve a group and individual interview. For further information please see the web-link below: SECTION SEVEN: STUDENT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE A robust tutorial system is in place to support you throughout your studies. A personal tutor will be allocated to you to provide personal and academic support. Module leaders will provide academic support pertaining to their modules and this will be achieved by face-toface or electronic dialogue. There are many ways to access support via the follow means: Programme Leader- Overall responsibility for the programme Year Tutors- Responsibility to respective levels 4, 5, & 6 (Years 1, 2, & 3) Personal Tutors- Responsible to individual students Module Leaders- Responsibility for individual students enrolled on the module with an academic focus. Practice Educators- Responsible for supporting individual students and assessing their practice whilst students are on placement. The Faculty also has a system of Student Liaison Officers, who are able to offer support in addressing issues that arise during the course of your studies. Further information is available at: If you prefer to access advice from a different perspective, you could also access the University Chaplaincy service, whose staff are able to offer support for faith related and non-faith related concerns. Further information is available at: Independent advice and support is also available via the The Source, in the Student Union. Your Student Handbook and Diary is a good source of advice and information about the support services available to you. You should receive a copy of this when you enrol, but you can pick one up from the Student Support Centre if you do not have one. 10

13 There is a Student Wellbeing Service in each site of the University campus, they deal with: General advice and guidance Assignment receipt and collection Programme and module changes Receipt of claims for extenuating circumstances Enrolment support out of the main enrolment periods Access to Learning Fund (ALF) Applications Assessment and issue of student car parking permits In addition to the support already identified help with study skills is available through several sources at the University of Derby: on-line resources Leaflets in the Library Study Advisor Scheme Module Tutors The Library at the University which provides a wide range of resources including; texts, journals, newspapers, study skills material, videos and DVD S. Further information is available at: Help with IT skills is available on-line and in the Libraries. The Career Development Centre is able to offer advice: in planning your future career as part of your Personal Development Planning; with writing a C.V. or employment application with skills development; or with finding suitable work whilst you study. Further information is available at: Health care services are available for students within the university and externally. SECTION EIGHT: POST PROGRAMME OPPORTUNITIES Successful completion of the BA (Hons) Applied Social Work degree will make you eligible to apply for Social Work posts and to register with the Public Statutory Regulatory Body. Furthermore, the award will enable you to potentially pursue other professions. You may also wish to continue to develop you academic portfolio by engaging on a master s degree or one of the Post Qualifying (PQ) pathways that are now emerging within universities nationwide. Here at Derby we currently offer a Higher Specialist Award related to practice education. Your personal tutor will be happy to advise you on the post-programme opportunities. You may find that that your final placement setting may offer information on future vacancies available. 11

14 SECTION NINE: EMPLOYER LINKS The Programme works in close partnership with a range of employers including; Local Authorities across the Midlands as well as other statutory, voluntary, independent and charitable organisations that provide Social Care and Health services. Employers play a large part in the Programme and contribute to all aspects of programme design, delivery and assessment. They form part of our Programme Committee and our Programme Management Committee. They act as visiting speakers and panel members at interviews and assessments. They provide a range of practice learning opportunities as well as acting as practice educators for the students. Their input is extremely valuable in relation to the development and operation of the programme. Employers needs and views are seen as being an essential element in the design and delivery of the Programme and the content of the modules reflects this. Due to the excellent relationships with Agencies the programme has been able to secure practice placements that meet PSRB requirements for all of its students to date. 12

15 Appendix A: Curriculum Map Programme Learning Outcomes 1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the knowledge, skills, and values of social work practice and how these have developed; an ability to evaluate and interpret these and understand the appropriateness of different approaches to resolving differing situations within practice. 2. Demonstrate an ability to understand concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied including the application of knowledge, skills, and values in an employment context. 3. Demonstrate the ability to use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information, to propose solutions to problems arising from that analysis and apply underlying concepts in a practice context. 4. Demonstrate the ability to present, critically evaluate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data in order to develop lines of argument and make sound and safe judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts relating to social work. 5. Be able to fulfil the National Occupational Standards key roles for social work, whilst understanding the ethical basis for social work and it s under pinning values. 6. Demonstrate an ability to take personal responsibility for decision making in complex and unpredictable contexts and propose solutions to problems arising in their field of study and in a work context. 7. Identify the qualities, transferable skills and the learning ability needed for employment, to undertake appropriate further training of a professional and engage in lifelong learning. 8. Demonstrate the ability to communicate information, ideas, arguments, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences and deploy key techniques of the discipline effectively. 13

16 Level 4 Core Modules: Programme Learning Outcomes Core Modules Social Work Law & Policy Attitudes & Values Communication Skills Preparation for SW Practice IPL- A basis for interprofessional practice Practice Learning 1 1 x x x X x x 2 x x x X x x 3 x x x X x x 4 x x 5 x 6 x x x X x x 7 x x x x x x 8 x x x x x x Level 5 Core Modules: Programme Learning Outcomes Option Modules Assessing Risk, Need & Vulnerability Applied Sociology Mental Health Human Growth & Development Research Methods for Practice Practice Learning 2 1 X x X x x x 2 X x X x x x 3 x x X x x x 4 x x 5 x 6 x x X x x x 7 x x x x x x 8 x x x x x x Level 6 Core Modules: Programme Learning Outcomes Core Modules Legal Perspectives Adults Children Independent Study Practice Learning 3 1 x x x X x 2 x x x X x 3 x x x X x 4 x x X x 5 x 6 x x x X x 7 x x x X x 8 x x x x x 14