Social Work MSW

Sheffield Hallam University

- Study contemporary knowledge, legal responsibilities and duties of social workers.- Apply ethically sound professional judgements to social work practice situations.- Undertake practice placements in a range of social work areas and settings which meet Social Work England (SWE) standards and guidance.- Develop problem-solving and shared-decision-making skills to address complex social work practice issues – required for your registration as a social worker.Over two years you’ll expand your knowledge and practice skills, integrating legal frameworks which impact upon individuals and communities within local and global social work interventions. Through direct practice you’ll develop social work expertise to analyse and interpret research, evidence and statute effectively – presenting an appropriate course of action and recommendations in an anti-oppressive, rights-based manner in the multi-cultural context of the UK.

Our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive. We take a global approach to social work – both individually and with student project groups – encouraging collaboration, professional curiosity, problem-solving skills and critical reflection.You’ll explore case studies and real-world examples with practitioners and people with lived experience – intellectually challenging social work problems at national and global levels. You’ll develop evidence-based solutions, portfolios of evidence and transferable employability skills – preparing you to successfully register as a professional who makes ethically sound assessments and research-informed decisions.You learn through:- Lectures and seminars- Specialist lectures from social work practice, carers and experts- Interactive workshops- Learning through reflection on practice- Professional portfolio- Presentations- Use of digital technologies- Directed learning- Independent learning

Practice-based learning is a core element of this course. We work in partnership with five statutory sector, local authority social work providers, three NHS Foundation Trusts, and third sector organisations. It’s through working in partnership with these provider organisations that we’re able to allocate your placements. While our dedicated placement team manages the placement finding process, academic staff are key in supporting you in your placement application.Practice learning is supported in a number of ways:- Allocation of a suitably qualified Practice Educator (PE)- Where the PE is based offsite, a trained work-based supervisor is also allocated.- Allocation of a named member of academic staff to act as placement tutor- Learning agreement processes that check learning expectations including your supervision, provision of work opportunities, building of evidence against the practice standards of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) (BASW, 2018) and explaining key aspects of the procedures- Midpoint review meeting conducted by the placement tutor- Concerns meeting where indicated- Handbooks for practice learning and regulations, plus supporting information