Course in brief

Social work is both a profession and an academic discipline that commits to social justice and human rights by supporting those in need.

It is a vital and rewarding field of work that puts you in direct contact with often vulnerable and marginalised individuals, giving you a chance to make a significant difference to their lives.

This degree is run in partnership with local agencies including Brighton & Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council, as well as with carers and service users.

It has been approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) – the regulatory body for social work training.

Completion of the degree programme leads to a generic social work qualification, which then allows you to specialise in a particular area of practice. It also allows you to apply for registration with HCPC, which is essential before practising as a social worker.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

UCAS code L500

Full-time 3 years

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council

Apply now with UCAS for 2019 entry

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level ABB–BBC (128–112 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DDM–DMM. Applicants invited to interview are normally selected from the group who have predicted grades at the top of this range but it is not a guarantee of interview.

If your predicted grades are towards the lower end of this range we may still invite you to interview if you offered a significantly competitive GCSE (or equivalent) profile, personal statement or relevant non–academic achievements. Subsequent offers will be made based on assessment at interview. 

International Baccalaureate
32 points.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Social work diploma preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 30 credits at merit or distinction, including level 3 credits in written communication, study skills, and reading and writing skills.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
A good GCSE profile including maths and English language. These are national requirements for social work training and cannot be waived/other subjects cannot be accepted in lieu. Functional Skills not acceptable.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in the other elements.

Other
You should have:

  • experience of being in a helping or support role, for example in a social care or education setting (this may be paid or voluntary)
  • understanding of, and preparedness for, social work practice
  • a satisfactory academic reference
  • a satisfactory second (character) reference preferably relating to social care, a helping role you have had outside of your family, or from your most recent employer.

Note that we are unable to accept deferrals of places to the next academic year for this course. 

If we make you an offer
Once you've accepted your offer, to fulfil professional requirements, you will be expected to provide evidence of the following:

  • satisfactory DBS disclosure
  • satisfactory health declaration/clearance.

Course in detail

Course structure

The course reflects the multi-professional nature of social work practice through joint learning sessions with students of nursing, occupational therapy, midwifery, medicine, education and physiotherapy. There is also a focus on the social science knowledge base of social work, with contributions from criminology, psychology, sociology and social policy.

Learning on the course involves the extensive use of actual and simulated case material. You are supported by regular individual and group tutorials, and there are important contributions from carers, service users and practitioners from partner agencies. Teaching is informed by the research of our staff, whose interests include complexity theory, mental health and resilience.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up-to-date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you will be told about any new developments through our applicant portal.

Social Work

Practice learning

Learning about and in practice is a core part of your training. You must spend at least 170 days in practice settings, plus 30 days of skills-based activity.

For the first placement, when the emphasis is on generic skills and learning, you are likely to work in the private, voluntary or independent sector. Second placements take place in settings where there are opportunities for you to engage with:

  • formal assessment processes
  • the application of legal frameworks
  • organisational policies and procedures
  • the demands of a high-pressure environment, and
  • multi-agency working.

Practice will be assessed according to the Social Work’s Professional Capabilities Framework. By the end of the course you also have to demonstrate the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Social Workers in England. Details can be found on the HCPC website.

Placements vary from year to year, and have to date included:

  • assessment teams
  • long-term teams
  • family centres
  • children’s hospitals, and
  • fostering and adoption services.

Year 1

Year 1 will introduce social work practice and begin your professional training. You will also learn about how the social sciences inform social work and about the role of social policy.

Modules

  • Introduction to Social Work Practice
  • Social Policy and Social Welfare
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Preparing for Social Work Practice
  • Law for Social Workers
  • Service User and Carer Needs and Resources
Social Policy

Year 2

Year 2 will develop your specialist knowledge and practical skills. You will also complete your first professional placement.

Modules

  • Social Work Practice with Adults, Children and Families: Skills, Theory and Context
  • Social Work Practice with Adults, Children and Families: Law, Policy and Protection
  • Practice Learning 1
  • Developing Analytic and Reflective Social Work Practice
Students at desks, pens poised, listening to a lecture

Final year

In year 3, the second placement will enable further development and the consolidation of more complex social work practice. You will also use your research skills to complete a social work project of your choice.

Modules

  • Contemporary Social Work
  • Practice Learning 2
  • Social Work Project
Students in a seminar

Cupp

We strongly believe that it is our duty to use our knowledge and resources for social benefit, which is why we set up the Community University Partnership Programme (Cupp) back in 2003.

Cupp is an award-winning project that aims to tackle disadvantage and promote sustainable development through partnership with local organisations. Our combined efforts have made a tangible difference to the effectiveness of community sectors and the lives of local people.

As a Brighton student, you will have the opportunity to volunteer through Cupp and work in the community yourself, all the while developing your vocational skills and gaining valuable work experience.

Cupp team

Course statistics

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats enable you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Unistats data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They are updated following course changes, and give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course.

Programme specification

These charts give an indication of how much time you will spend on different activities at each level of the course, and an indication of the balance of assessment by coursework, and written and practical exams. For courses with option modules, actual proportions will depend on the modules you choose.

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked above). You can find out also about the range of support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Overall workload

Assessments

Careers and employability

This is an important time to enter the social work profession and there continues to be a need for social workers nationally. Employment opportunities arise in local authorities and voluntary agencies for practice with children, older and disabled people and those using mental health services.

localcommunity

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,460 GBP

Social work bursary information

 

Universities in England have been advised about NHS Social Work bursary allocations for students enrolling on their course in the2018–19 academic year (postgraduate) and for those entering their second year of the undergraduate degrees.

We will shortly be submitting our nomination list for students who have completed their first year with us. There are no bursaries for first year students in England, but those entering their final two years are all considered for nomination to the NHS who then assess eligibility (mainly based upon residence). Although the total number of students eligible is likely to exceed the number of bursaries once more, it is likely that the majority of our students will be successful in receiving a bursary.

We do use a prioritisation process based upon that set out within national guidance for our bursary nominations. This means that we will prioritise applicants based upon their prior educational achievement and interview performance, performance during year one of the degree in academic work and attendance, taking other factors into account where appropriate and particularly in the event of a tie-break situation.

Those we cannot nominate but who are otherwise eligible, we will include on the reserve list and these students may also receive travel support monies from the NHS as per the detailed information on the web page provided below.

The NHS Business Service Authority administers social work bursaries, for further information and to check your eligibility visit their webpage. 

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2019–20.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

i360 and ticket booth on the seafront What to expect enriching experiences

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Surrounded by the South Downs National Park and just five miles from the centre of Brighton, our Falmer campus has benefited from over £60million of investment over the past 10 years. 7,000 students are based here, studying subjects including English, education, social science, nursing and medicine.

Recent developments include the Falmer Sports Centre – with its fitness suites and sports hall – and the innovative Checkland Building, which has natural ventilation systems and an insulating green roof.

Falmer has also recently installed more than 600 solar panels, which reduce the campus’s carbon emissions by more than 80 tonnes. The renovation has made us one of the top universities in the UK for on-site renewable energy production.

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Accommodation

Brighton: Falmer

We have halls of residence across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

  • Eligible students can apply for any of these options. Find out if you are eligible…
  • You’ll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • Falmer campus is linked to halls on the Falmer campus and Varley Park.
    • Varley Park offers a mix of rooms and catering options. Varley Park is less than a mile from Falmer and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.
    • Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls are on campus and offer a range of room types and catering options.

We also offer Unihomes and Unilets, student houses that we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option offers the most choice and flexibility and can work particularly well when you’re balancing learning with placements and other commitments.

There’s plenty of support if you choose private rented accommodation. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. And we run our housemates service over the summer for students, new and returning, looking for a place to live.

Find out more on our accommodation webpages.

Hillside hall of residence at Varley Park

Varley Park accommodation near to the Falmer campus

Student in our Moulsecoomb Place hall of residence

Maps

house Accommodation
campus University building

Falmer campus

Find out more

Social work news

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Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Visit the School of Applied Social Science blog.

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