Welcome to the University of Bath Open Day BSc (Hons) Social Work and Applied Social Studies Caroline Hickman – Teaching Fellow & Admissions Tutor Dr Louise Brown - Associate Professor Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Content of this session Social work at the University of Bath International opportunities Structure of the degree Practice learning Service User & Carer involvement Student life & student support Admissions Social work careers/employability Questions

Social Work at the University of Bath Social Work programme at the University of Bath number one in the Complete University Guide Department of Social & Policy Sciences is a leading centre for social sciences Staff are at the forefront of their discipline (as educators, researchers, theorists and policy analysts). Awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2011 for ‘Influential research into child poverty and support for vulnerable people’.

Social work at the University of Bath 42 places – relatively small programme yet set within an international/global context Generic degree programme, covering a wide range of topics and using a range of teaching methods – designed to be interactive and student centred Taught by social work academics with extensive and wide ranging experience in social work practice, teaching, research and policy making Important input from practitioners and service users & carers

Social Work staff group Dr Louise Brown – Research in development of models of child protection in an international context (currently working with NGO’s, academics & local government in China on child protection). And ‘improving practice through social innovation’ - training programme for social entrepreneurs developing business ideas in health & social care Dr Mark Baldwin – Researches social work role in creation and implementation of social policies & member of the national steering group for the Social Work Action Network Barbara Neale – Working with our partner agencies to develop new placement opportunities, implementing new quality assurance techniques for placements so students can be confident in the quality and standards of their placements

Social Work staff group Dr Jeremy Dixon – Research in forensic mental health social work & mentally disordered offenders’ views of social supervision & their perspectives on their own offending risks Justin Rogers – Completing his PhD research exploring young people’s experiences of foster care and how they manage their relationships with family and friends in the context of disrupted social networks Megan Robb – Researching how social workers conceptualise domestic violence against women with learning disabilities Caroline Hickman – Completing MSc Social Research in foster carers experience and evaluation of therapeutic groups using Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy with TACT (Bristol)

INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Study abroad opportunities; Potential overseas placements; Fieldwork visits in Year 1 or Year 2 during vacation times; Common modules; Joint research projects for students in Year 1.

SWASS Degree structure Year three Policy, practice research and law (childcare & mental health) 2 Social work with adults 2 Working in a social care organisation Practice learning placement – 100 days Case study Dissertation Year two Practice learning placement – 70 days Discrimination and empowerment Critical reflection Social work theories and methods Policy, practice research and law (childcare & mental health) Social work with adults 1 Year one Introduction to social sciences Social work & life course (psychology) Introduction to social work theory and practice Community profile/research project

Practice learning Year skills days/Community Profiling 170 days (70/100) We provide excellent placements in a wide range of settings (in statutory, third sector, independent organisations) Supported by a trained Practice Educator/Supervisor and your Personal Tutor

Student feedback "My work with the Young Carers was an amazing opportunity to develop and utilise my skills and learning from the course. I met some truly inspiring young people who really do enjoy collaborating with the university to teach us about being Young Carers, which develops our learning but also empowers them”

Student life & student support … Personal Tutors Peer mentoring & peer assisted learning Social work community & facebook page Student Centre - money advice, counselling services, learning support (such as academic writing, disability, dyslexia etc.) Students’ Union and societies Guaranteed accommodation in first year (if needed)

Social work admissions UCAS application (grade requirements: AAB-BBB, personal statement, including relevant experience, references). Interview day (group talk, written exercise, individual interviews). Enhanced DBS (previously CRB) and health checks. See website for details: bath.ac.uk/study

Social work careers As a professionally qualified social worker you can work in a wide range of health or social care settings. Increasingly employment opportunities arise in multidisciplinary settings where social workers work alongside health care and/or other professionals (e.g. education, criminal justice, mental health). Further information about careers in social work can be obtained from: Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) The College of Social Work (TCSW) The British Association of Social Workers (BASW)

Student comments ( ) “I feel that the lecturer made this unit beneficial and interesting, including concepts which had the potential to be dry. This was achieved through variations in teaching methods and a good amount of debate, discussion and group work”. “I have really enjoyed studying this unit and it has helped to develop critical skills in relation to policies, social work processes and organisational structures. I consider this challenge to our thinking to be integral to social work training and would therefore like to thank the lecturer for giving space and critical perspectives to allow this”.

Summary Taught by experienced, enthusiastic staff. Based within a prestigious social sciences department, providing high quality research and teaching. Mixed methods of teaching; high levels of interactivity and student engagement. Wide range of fantastic, well supported practice learning opportunities, including international possibilities. Small groups of students, great community, lots of support from staff, peers, the university. Studying here will enable you to gain a good degree from a university with a great reputation, which impacts positively on your employability Questions

Contacts Caroline Hickman Admissions Tutor Alison Borgelin Course Administrator | Tel: