Intro

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 social work degree course has been approved by Social Work England – the regulatory body for social work training. You'll need to demonstrate Social Work England's Professional Standards within your practice, alongside the expectations specified by the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) held by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).

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 to Social Work England for registration as a social worker.

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.

Open days

Book your place:
Moulsecoomb campus open day

Open days are the best way to find out about your course, the campus where you'll be based, and get a feel for the University of Brighton.

Book your place

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code L500

Full-time 3 years

Approved by Social Work England

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
32–28 points with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Social work diploma preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 18 credits at distinction and 27 credits at merit, including level 3 credits in written communication, study skills, and reading and writing skills.

T-level
Merit in the Health or Education and Early Years T-levels. Other T-levels are not accepted.

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, level 2 in English and maths, are acceptable.

If you do not have the required GCSEs, find out which equivalent qualifications we accept instead.

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.

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

Graphic with the text 'Potential + possibility'

Course content

Course structure

The course consists of university-based teaching and 200 days of practice learning. In your first year you’ll be introduced to foundational social work knowledge, including contributions from the social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, social policy and politics, something which develops in greater depth as you progress through the course. During your second and third years, you’ll complete two placements lasting 70 and 100 days respectively – take a look at the placement tab to find out more about these experiences and what to expect.

Knowledge from professional areas such as counselling, education and health is also incorporated into teaching and learning across the three year programme and, as part of this, there are opportunities to work in larger interprofessional groups during your time on with us. In previous years this has included working with students from other vocational courses, such as medicine, midwifery, occupational therapy and education.

Teaching typically takes the form of workshop style lectures, offering you opportunities to work closely with other students, qualified Social Workers and other professionals who may work closely with them. In this sense, the course benefits from contributions from a number of external partners and you’ll also get to meet different people who’ve either been in contact with services themselves, or care for someone who has. Use of actual and simulated case material is widely used within these sessions, helping you to apply your learning to real-world scenarios when on placement. 

We’re especially keen to enable you to become a curious, critical and compassionate practitioner and across the three years of study you'll be supported by regular tutorials to help meet your developmental needs. These will be facilitated by your Personal Academic Tutor, all of whom are social work qualified and registered with Social Work England.

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 Student View.

Placements

Practice learning placements are a core part of your training. Of the 200 days allocated for this, 30 take the form of skills for practice days delivered within the university. The focus of these, as their name suggests, in on skills development as set against specific social work tasks and interventions (like assessment and decision making) and/or different areas of practice. These take place at intervals throughout the course.

The first placement, which runs in parallel for second year undergraduates and first year postgraduates, lasts for 70 days. Within this placement the emphasis will be on developing generic skills and underpinned by relevant theories and research. This setting is predominantly based in the private, voluntary or independent sector.

In your final year you’ll spend 100 days on placement. This placement will take place in a statutory setting, usually a Local Authority, or an organisation fulfilling statutory functions, such as a private fostering agency. During this placement you’ll have opportunities to:

  • Undertake formal assessment processes.
  • Apply legal frameworks in practice.
  • Make decisions (with guidance) in relation to situations involving risk and complexity.
  • Experience the demands of a high-pressure environment.
  • Work with other professions as part of a multi-agency team.

For both of your placements, your practice will be assessed according to the Professional Capabilities Framework and you’ll be assigned a Practice Educator who’ll oversee your assessment. Supervisory and case management support for your work with service users will also be provided by the placement.

The university works with a large number of placement providers along the south-east coast and some upwards into Surrey, this enables us to draw on a wide range of learning opportunities for our students and ensures we meet the regulatory requirement to provide students with two distinct placements. These are our core providers and you will be offered both your first and second placements within these geographical parameters.

In terms of professional requirements, by the end of the course you must also demonstrate that your practice meets the Professional Standards for Social Workers from Social Work England.

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

    In this module you'll be introduced to core and basic knowledge of professional social work practice, including the central importance of professionalism and ethical and anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.

    The module outlines the nature, purpose, remit and knowledge base of professional social work; introduces key social work skills and outlines the component parts involved in professional social work tasks.

    You'll explore professionalism - the professional identity, role and responsibility of social workers and how this relates to, and differs from, the personal self. The statutory regulation of social work profession and the professional body for social work are introduced. You'll also be introduced to the range of different settings for professional practice.

  • Contemporary Social Inequalities

    This module will provide you with the theoretical and conceptual tools to confront normative/normalising explanations of difference and inequality. You'll understand the ways that ‘differences’ and inequalities are formed and their consequences for everyday lived realities.

  • Human Growth and Development

    This module will introduce you to theories and knowledge on human development across the lifespan, by examining a range of bio-psychosocial theories, applying understanding to how human growth and development is shaped as we grow and travel through the life-course.

    You will explore a range of bio-psychosocial theories: (eg. attachment; psychodynamic; bio-psychosocial, cognitive, behavioural, humanistic) and related theories (eg. systems theory and complexity theory). You'll examine the individual’s development in different contexts across the lifespan from childhood and adolescence, through adulthood to end of life, with consideration of the various transitions. You'll also take account of different cultural contexts; disability; mental health; harm and abuse; inequalities, exclusion and discrimination.

    Application of understanding the life course to social work practice is embedded throughout the module learning. Thus, bio-psychosocial theories of development are applied to specific practice issues ranging from child abuse and parenting through to offending behaviour and care for older people and those with mental health difficulties. Key concepts in the lifespan are explored also: for example, identity, vulnerability, risk, protective factors, resilience and the promotion of strengths.

    Learning and teaching on this module contributes to learning and assessment in relation to the College of Social Work’s Professional Capabilities Framework and the Health and Care Professions Councils’ Standards of Proficiency for Social Workers in England and Wales.

  • Preparing for Social Work Practice

    This module includes ten 'developing skills for practice' days and will enable you to develop core skills in engaging with service users/carers and undertaking assessments and interventions. You'll have the opportunity to shadow the practice of a Social Worker during your development days.

    The module will also examine a number of social work methods and you'll gain an understanding of the place of theory and evidence in social work in guiding and evaluating assessments and interventions.

  • Law for Social Workers

    On this module you'll be introduced to the use of law in social work - you will learn about the English legal system, frameworks and concepts, before going on to consider the core legislation and practice guidance underpinning social work with children and families, adult service users and carers and those with mental health needs.

    Attention will also be paid to the inter-professional context in which social workers operate and the need for partnership working when seeking to meet needs and safeguard and protect service users and carers. Throughout, a key focus will be upon the implications of statutory intervention for anti-oppressive, rights-based practice, the challenging of discrimination and the perspectives of service users and carers on use of law in social work practice.

  • Experts by Experience: Identity, Needs and Resources

    This module will introduce you to the concept of need, what need might look like, how it might be defined by different groups and what resources may or may not be available to meet the needs of people with lived experience of receiving social work services or carers. You'll also develop knowledge of research methods and skills of inquiry, as well as skills in evaluation when considering how resources might meet identified needs.

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
  • Social Work Practice with Children and Families
  • Practice Learning 1
  • Critical Social Work
parents and children socialising at home

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

  • Social Work Dissertation
  • Contemporary Social Work
  • Practice Learning 2

Studying social work (video)

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube.

Watch this film from our Teaching Partnership and hear stories from social workers and students about working in the field

Meet the team

Annie Mullin, course leader

Annie has recently taken over the course lead role, having been a member of the university for a number of years teaching across our qualifying and post-qualifying social work programmes. Annie is a qualified Social Worker and brings much experience from the field of mental health social work. Read Annie's full profile.

Other members of the teaching team:

More about this subject at Brighton

Welcome to the School of Humanities and Social Science!

Professor Stephen Maddison welcomes you to your new academic home.

Starting at uni with us in 2023?

Read our getting ready for university pages which are full of information you will find useful before you arrive.

Social Work students participate in creative reflection sessions following film screening

In May, students and staff watched the Art of Attachment (2018) and used the screening as a springboard to discuss trauma-informed practice and the importance of allowing people space and time to share their stories and for practitioners to listen and be aware of their own vulnerability.

Thinking of choosing Social Work? Watch this film about studying the subject and life in practice

Find out about studying Social Work at the University of Brighton.

Read more from our blog

Careers

Accreditation

Our Social Work degree BSc (Hons) is approved by Social Work England (SWE), the regulatory body for the social work profession and qualifying training programmes in England.

Successful completion of this degree course can lead to registration with SWE, enabling you to apply for social work jobs and practice as a registered Social Worker. As a generic social work qualification, you can apply to work in any area of social work practice – subject to any specific employer requirements.

This qualification may enable you to register and work as a Social Worker in countries other than England. If you are intending to do this, you should first check with the regulatory body in that particular country to see if this qualification enables this.

Social Work England logo

Professional links 

Our qualifying social work courses are delivered within a consortium of partners, who together form the South Coast Regional Centre for Social Work Education.

Together we work with the University of Sussex, Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council to deliver a positive training experience. Our local authority partners are key to the delivery of our programmes and offer a number of placement opportunities, across a range of practice settings each year – from work in adult safeguarding to child protection.

We also work closely with other statutory agencies, such as Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, who offer placement experiences related to mental health issues, as well as a range of non-statutory, community organisations. These have included agencies such as charities supporting the needs of people who are homeless or have substance misuse issues and a range of primary and secondary schools.

Local council information on becoming a social worker:

Graduate destinations 

As a social worker you’ll work with people to find ways to enhance their wellbeing through problem-solving issues of support, advocating for change and taking steps to minimise harm. 

This may involve helping to protect people from harm, abuse or neglect, or supporting people to live independently. Social work is a challenging yet rewarding profession and the majority of graduates find this career choice fulfilling and virtually all say it is meaningful (Social Work at University of Brighton: Discover Uni)*.

After graduation and successful registration with Social Work England, you can specialise in many different areas. Social Workers are employed across many different areas, enabling you to work with both children and adults in a variety of services, such as: children in need and child protection, adults in additional needs and in need of protection, youth offending, mental health, substance misuse, homeless support, asylum seekers and refugees and specialist disability and enablement support.

*comparative data for postgraduate programmes is not available.

A family using a tablet

Supporting your employability 

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

Coloured background with the words Be More, Connected, Skilled, Employable

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 15,300 GBP

Social work bursary information

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 the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2023–24.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. 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. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Humanities and Social Science in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

  • For some assessments you may be required to print large format posters for presentations at a cost of £5–£10 per poster.
  • Most coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget up to £100 for printing.
  • Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £200 to buy your own copies.
  • Some courses include an optional placement module for which students will need to cover the costs of travel to and from the placement and DBS checks as required.
  • For the Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling PGDip and Psychotherapeutic Psychodynamic Counselling PGDip, the following course-related costs are not included in the tuition fee:
    • Supervision fees: £1,170 for each full year. Estimated based on £45 per hour with fortnightly meetings. In some agencies, supervision will be provided at no cost. Where students have to pay, the cost will only begin when supervision begins.
    • Personal counselling/therapy: £2,000–£2,800 over the course. Estimated based on £40 per hour.
  • For a number of courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but under normal circumstances we would expect a budget of approximately £150 per year will cover the costs of particular trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you'll find new Students' Union, events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Two people walking past Mithras halls

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you applied for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

  • Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
  • Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently?
We can help – find out more about private renting.

Relaxing in halls

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Mithras halls room with a view

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Students playing frisbee

Student views  

Elicia

"My interview for the University of Brighton was my first out of the five choices. I had such a positive experience, so this played a big part in my final decision. Also, having lived in a small town my whole life, I wanted to explore somewhere different, and when talking to family, family friends and friends, they only told me positive things about Brighton.

"Being on the social work course has already allowed me to become aware of the inequalities in society that might not have been obvious to me before and how this impacts the everyday lives of individuals. I already feel that learning about the many inequalities and how they are embedded into society has made me realise how unjust society is. I chose social work because I have a strong sense of social justice and care about the inequalities people face. Therefore, I believe the course will make a difference to my future and career because it will give me more insight into what goes on in the world and why people need Social Workers to help support them and advocate for them.

"I also believe that this particular course will help me grow as an individual because I have to continuously develop my knowledge, skills, and values, which all help shape the person I am.

"So far in the course, I have learnt a lot about myself as a person, and as a social work student, for example, skills and values I would not have thought about before. Whether personal or professional, I have learned how they can interlink with one another and how I can continue developing these and use them throughout my degree and future career to be an excellent practitioner.

"The course allows me to view situations and experiences with a more open mind because I must practice holistically. Therefore, when presented with concerns in everyday life and my career, I will learn to look at the individual and their surroundings, which could also contribute to their problems.

"For someone wanting to apply for a social work degree, my top bit of advice would be for you to really want to go into this type of profession. It is a great course to study; however, it is challenging and demanding, and you must be able to see the benefits throughout for yourself to want to carry on and succeed.

"I guess it is like anything; if you really want something, you will continue to succeed and take on anything thrown at you. I have learnt that social work is not like many other courses. You cannot just skip lectures, not participate in class and tasks set, and everything you are asked to do will all contribute to helping you as an individual, a student, and a future social worker.

"If you love a challenge and to be put to the test, keeping you on your toes, social work is the course for you.

"As a first-year student, the support I have received has been excellent. I studied social work on an access course the year before I started university and was told I would not receive much help. However, from experience, I now know this is not the case.

"My 1:1 tutor and course tutors have been very supportive, especially when I struggled to cope. Having their support meant I was able to contact student services, who have also really helped and provided me with great advice, which I can apply throughout university and my personal life."

Mandy

"I have wanted to be a social worker for 30 years so doing this course feels like a dream coming true. The course will stand me in good stead for practice.

"To anyone thinking about applying for this course I would say 'Do it', it is a great course. I like all the teaching staff. There is a nice difference in the way they teach. All staff are friendly, approachable, and easy to learn from. The lectures are good. The support staff are helpful too.

"I am on my placement in statutory children’s social work services and love it. I feel I have really landed on my feet with the team I am working with and really hope I will get a permanent job with them in the future. The work is varied and interesting with great support from other professionals. It is demanding and fast paced which suits me. I learn something every day…amazing."

Abi

"I chose this course because I have had an interest in becoming a social worker since leaving sixth form, I have always liked the idea of being able to help people in a way that makes a difference in their lives. I feel that I will be able to do this once I have completed this course. 

"I have always wanted to go to the University of Brighton. It is close to my family home and I enjoy the area.

"The course will give me the ability to fulfil the role of social worker or other similar professions, it has provided me with key ideas of what a social worker needs to do and how to do it. It has provided me with an idea of the work that I will be doing when I qualify and has helped me with to see the different aspects of social work and social care in general.

"The teaching has been great, with a variety of staff members, they are happy to help if you have a question or are struggling with anything. Tutors are great for one to ones where you can discuss any difficulties your may have, they can help to talk through this to make it clear and give you guidance on how to move forward. 

"I would say that if you have a passion to make a difference and you want to be able to support people to improve their situations then social work would be good. It is a good course that provides lots of information and helps in building an understanding of how to fulfil the role of a social worker. 

"I am on my first placement, it has been in a residential home for adolescent children with behaviour an education needs. It has various locations in East Sussex. There is no average day, some days can be very busy and others are more relaxed. It involves encouraging the young people to meet their education needs, attend therapy, be independent and to manage their emotions. They work with families where possible to improve relationships between the young people and their families.

"The placement has been great for putting theory in to practice, this is what I was worried about at the start of my placement but you are offered support throughout, this is great and helps you to reaffirm what you are learning. By being on placement it helps in building skills such as communication, interviewing and general interventions.

"Placement is what you make of it, use the resources that you have, talk to your practice educator, tutor and supervisors, they are a great way o ensure that you are getting what you need out of the placement. The more open and willing you are to complete task on placement the better the experience you will have. 

Nisha

"I chose the Social Work course because it allows students to have well rounded training and provides an opportunity to see what the profession is really like in the placements embedded within the course. 

"I chose to study at the University of Brighton because I always heard positive things about it from other people and from the reaction, I knew it was an excellent choice to make. I believe the course will set me up well by the end of the three years at university as it provides detailed information and experiences to encounter before entering the professional career.

"I am currently enjoying the law module the most, as it is interesting and insightful to understand a vital aspect within the profession.

"The teaching has been great, and the staff are supportive to students and seem to care about the wellbeing of their students.

"I would say to anyone thinking about applying to go for it! It is a highly interesting and challenging course, and it gives you a wide range of knowledge to set you up for the career.

"I have just completed the first shadowing placement and I really enjoyed it as it was a realistic insight into the profession, and I am grateful that the course offers the opportunity for it. My placement was in the family support team in East Sussex County Council based in Lewes. In a typical day within the office, I would read case notes, family assessments, child protection plans, police reports and pre-birth assessments. When I was not in the office, I went to a few houses visits each day or primary schools to visit young children and I encountered many different types of families.

"I definitely learnt a lot on my short placement that I was not aware about prior to going, as sometimes it is best to see it in action to get a real understanding. To anyone who is unsure about the placement option, I would say to not worry as much about it and instead look forward to it. I was very nervous before my placement however it really opened my eyes, and I was able to gain so much from it."

Isy

"I chose social work because I wanted a progression on from care work, I wanted to have a career that had a positive impact on my community. And I chose the University of Brighton as I had heard about the student support being good and I had friends and some family in the city.

"The campus has a nice atmosphere, the library is really good and there is good support available from the lecturers if needed.

"My 70-day placement with the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership has been amazing. I really enjoy it."

"My typical day may include: supporting cooking or gardening groups for a range of adults and young people with different support needs, arranging referrals to the therapeutic groups, contacting service users for evaluations of our services, and assisting colleagues with admin tasks." In terms of what you gain from being on placement and out of the classroom, you get to do practical person-facing jobs, supervision which has massively supported my learning, and you are able to just do the social work!

"The support for placement from the uni involved lots of prep lectures. We have regular group tutorials where we discuss placement and how things are going."

Stay in touch

Open days

Book your place:
Moulsecoomb campus open day

Open days are the best way to find out about your course, the campus where you'll be based, and get a feel for the University of Brighton.

Book your place

Ask a question about this course

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

01273 644644

Find out about Brighton student life on our social work and social sciences blog.

Statistics

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 below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website.

Programme specification

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

Programme specification

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