BA (Honours) Social Work

Year of Entry 2024/25
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BA (Honours)

Social Work

Course full Full-time Social work

Become a reflective social work practitioner by applying theory to practice – developing your professional skills while promoting value-based multi-agency approaches with an international focus.

This course is now full for 2024

Sorry, there are no places left on this course starting in 2024.

Please see other courses with places available.

 

Everything you need to know...

  • Pound sign

    What is the fee?

    Home: £9,250 per year
    International/EU: £16,655 per year

  • Time

    How long will I study?

    3 Years

  • Location

    Where will I study?

    Collegiate Campus

  • Bookmark

    What are the entry requirements?

    120 UCAS Points

  • Checkmark

    What is the UCAS code?

    L500

  • Date

    When do I start?

    September 2024


Course summary

  • Become an ethical practitioner drawing upon local and global perspectives.
  • Gain social work and mental health experience with children, families and adults.
  • Undertake social work practice placements in a range of settings.
  • Develop your analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
  • Graduate with professional registration with Social Work England (SWE).

Over three years you’ll learn to integrate legal frameworks, statutory duties and interventions that impact individuals and communities. You’ll interpret research evidence and link theory to practice, while shaping your personal and professional value base. Through our collaborative relationship with the South Yorkshire Teaching Partnership (SYTP), you’ll gain practice learning experiences across five local authorities in the South Yorkshire Region.

Accredited by
  • Social Work England

This course was approved by the previous social work regulator, the Health and Care Professions Council. From 2 December 2019, responsibility for the approval of courses transferred to Social Work England. This course remains approved by Social Work England. This means that people qualifying from this course can apply to become a registered social worker.



Employability

96% of our graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating, with 89% in highly skilled employment or further study (2021/22 Graduate Outcomes Survey).

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How you learn

Your lecturer's view
Watch senior lecturer Jane Foggin talk about this course.
Student View

Watch student Kayley Brownhill talk about the BA Social Work course at Sheffield Hallam University.

At Sheffield Hallam, all our courses are designed to engage you with the world and challenge you to think in new ways. You’ll get to collaborate with others, and you’ll be taught in a supportive environment where you can thrive. 

On this course you’ll experience a blended approach to learning and teaching – on campus, online and in work placements – which mirrors how you’ll work in practice. You’ll be taught in class by academic staff who are research-active, both locally and internationally. We’ll be joined by international social work researchers who help you challenge and be part of real-life social work research, in groups or individually.

You’ll learn in active and independent ways – across teaching, practice and individual study. During two placements (80 days and 100 days) you’ll learn from people who access services, with support from interprofessional colleagues, a practice educator and supervision as an individual and in groups. You’ll also return to Hallam on several ‘recall days’ for peer support, skills development and critical reflection.

You learn through:

  • Seminars, workshops and tutorials
  • Academic adviser meetings
  • Problem-based activities
  • Skills development sessions
  • Simulation-based learning and courtroom skills
  • Scenario-based learning and library support
  • Guest lectures and online international events
  • Collaborative and self-directed learning
  • Group work meetings
  • Placements and employer-led learning
  • Peer support and critical reflective supervision
  • Exams, assessments and presentations
  • Portfolio, reports and research project
  • Reflective accounts

Course topics

Our BA Social Work (BASW) course is compliant with the Hallam Model, embedding a person centred approach to your professional knowledge, skills and behaviours in practice. You’ll learn the underpinning knowledge base required for social work placements, preparing to work collaboratively with practice partners and multi-agency working, supporting wellbeing and empowerment in practice. You’ll engage in specialist simulation facilities through workshops and digital technologies – e.g. courtroom and mental health tribunals.

You’ll develop your inter-agency collaboration skills for future careers in interprofessional contexts – learning from students across the college who represent a range of professional health and social care groupings. This will ensure you have the required foundations for social work in a variety of contexts and diverse group work settings.

In the libraries and learning spaces across the university and online, you’ll take an international approach to social work – individually or with student project groups to encourage collaboration, professional curiosity, problem-solving and critical reflection. You’ll also be able to discuss your research with your research group and potentially present your research findings during placement – meeting the professional leadership domain of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) for Social Work (BASW 2018).

Through case studies and real-world examples explored with practitioners and people with lived experience, you’ll be intellectually challenged by national and global social work problems. 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.

Course support

You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment through a number of key areas. These include:

  • Access to our unique student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development
  • Access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
  • Industry-specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities
  • Individual and group course support from academic advisers, a research supervisor and colleagues
  • Placement support from a practice educator (a qualified social worker) and an onsite work-based supervisor and placement tutor from Hallam
  • Reinforcement and enhancement of topics, writing and study skills covered in prior study
  • Activities to build transferable and employability skills, reflecting on your own experiences and learning

Course leaders and tutors

Sarah Burns
Sarah Burns
Lecturer In Learning Disability Nursing

Sarah Burns is a Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery

Applied learning

Work placements 

Our membership with the South Yorkshire Social Work Teaching Partnership provides you with the majority of work experience opportunities. The course includes a 10-day experiential work placement towards the end of the first year. 

You’ll have built up essential practice skills through a programme of ten skills days provided by external experts – both practitioners and colleagues with lived experience. You’ll cover core professional skills for engagement, applying knowledge in order to assess needs and risks, the fundamentals of safeguarding and preparing for professional practice. 

At Level 5 there’s an 80-day mandatory work placement assessed against the relevant levels of the PCF. Then in your final year you’ll have a mandatory assessed placement of 100 days in a contrasting setting, where statutory aspects of social work are undertaken.

We have a dedicated placement team to help you find placements. You’ll also be supported by academic staff in your application and as your placement tutor – plus a qualified practice educator (PE), as well as a trained work-based supervisor if your PE is based offsite. 

We’ll establish learning agreement processes that check learning expectations – including your supervision, provision of work opportunities, building of evidence against the practice standards of the PCF, and explaining key aspects of the procedures. You’ll also have a midpoint review meeting with your placement tutor, and a concerns meeting.

You’ll be assessed against the relevant PCF through evidence including direct observations, supervision discussions, reflective journal submissions, feedback from people with lived experience, your own written work, and a summative report produced by the PE. 

Handbooks for practice learning and regulations, plus supporting information

Live projects

A range of experiences are built into the course from the outset, developing your skills in connecting theoretical knowledge to real-world applications. You’ll have  opportunities to undertake project work in all three years of the course, alongside students from other professional disciplines within our College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences.

Field trips 

You’ll be able to take trips to make observations about social settings and environments.

As a department we value the importance of learning from diverse experiences – broadening your professional understanding and becoming a culturally competent social worker. Through access to the Turing Grant Scheme we have a range of active partnerships across Africa, Europe and India, facilitating volunteering visits to community development or refugee agencies. 

Networking opportunities

We have extra-curricular career-focused activities – from careers and job fairs to employer events, volunteering and leadership awards, and training to assist with professional development. As a department we celebrate international social work with a global audience, so you’ll be able to engage in a range of online international activities and events.  

Our student Social Work Society, our Global Majority Student Group, and the Diverse Voices Conference are great opportunities for students to come together and share experiences with their peers and academic staff. From the point of student recruitment to assessment, our colleagues with lived experience and employer partners enhance your student experience and create real links to practice. You’ll have many opportunities to learn with and from students across the college, representing a range of health and social care professional groupings.


Future careers

Social work is an in-demand profession with a protected title. The BASW is a professionally approved course which prepares you to become a newly qualified social worker. 

We work closely with Hallam’s careers service to provide integrated and timetabled employment support throughout the course. This covers a range of work opportunities with local, regional and national employers – including a Social Work Skills Day focused on career readiness. We have an excellent record of graduate employment and incorporate many aspects of employability skills into your modules and practice learning.

We maintain strong relationships with local authorities in the South Yorkshire region and beyond, as well as private and voluntary sector agencies. This all enhances your route from a student on placement to an employee after you graduate. 

Previous graduates have gone on to work for:

  • Local authorities in the region and beyond
  • Field teams
  • School and hospital settings
  • Social care charities such as Barnardo’s and Age UK
  • Private sector organisations such as private fostering and adoption agencies 

Where will I study?

You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

Collegiate campus

Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.

Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities 


Collegiate Campus map
Location

Collegiate Crescent
Sheffield
S10 2BP

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Students outside Collegiate Library
Collegiate library

Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.

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Equipment and facilities

On this course you’re based at our Collegiate Crescent campus, which includes: 

  • Our £13 million purpose-built Robert Winston Building 
  • Specialist facilities including a courtroom and simulated spaces 
  • A 24-hour library and learning centre 
  • A range of online apps and platforms that support collaborative learning 
  • ​​Electronic tools and platforms for academic and professional work 
  • Employment-based databases and client record systems

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Entry requirements

All students

UCAS points

120

from A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. We do not accept AS levels. We accept A level General Studies.

For example:

  • BBB at A Level
  • DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma
  • Merit overall from a T level qualification
  • A combination of qualifications, which may include general studies

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

Or

  • Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in health studies, health science, social sciences or nursing. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3 of which at least 15 level 3 credits should be graded at distinction level.
  • If you are in the process of completing the FdSc Professional Practice in Health and Social Care at one of our partner colleges and are looking to progress your career as a registered professional, we would welcome an application from you. Please note the different application routes below:
    • Completing the level 4 Certificate of Higher Education in Professional Practice in Health and Social Care means you can apply via UCAS to be considered for entry at Year 1 of your chosen professional degree
    • Completing the full two year FdSc to level 5 means you can apply to be considered for entry in to Year 2 of this professional degree. This is a direct application process in accordance with the partnership arrangement between Sheffield Hallam University and your college, not via UCAS. Please note that places to commence this course in Year 2 are limited.

If you already hold a first degree with a second class honours (2:2) or above, you may be eligible to study our Masters in Social Work.

Other equivalent qualifications are considered individually.

And

GCSEs in

  • English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
  • *GCSE English equivalents
    • Level 2 Literacy
    • Level 2 Key Skills

IELTS

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in all skills, or a recognised equivalent. If your level of English language is currently below IELTS 7.0 we recommend you consider an appropriate Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve the required level of English.

 

Helping your application succeed

Experience

Experience of interacting with members of the public from a range of backgrounds in different settings is essential when applying to a health or social care course. This is so you will have an understanding of the diversity of the population who access health and social care.  It is important to be able to understand and explain how your experiences relate to the activities and qualities which are required for the profession at your interview.

Reference

You must provide a reference from a current or recent employer or educational institution with your UCAS application.

Interview

If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to an online interview. To confirm your identity on the day please bring a valid form of photo ID with you, preferably a passport or photo driving licence.

View our interview guidance to ensure you understand the interviews process and how you can prepare for this.   

Course enrolment - professional requirements

Before enrolling you must fully declare the following information on the pre-admission declaration forms provided during the admissions process:

  • unfiltered criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. For further information on unfiltered offences please see the Disclosure and Barring Service website.
  • involvement in disciplinary proceedings during paid or voluntary employment or education establishments
  • involvement with safeguarding proceedings, social services or related organisations
  • enrolment on a health or social work professional course at another University

In addition

Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Criminal Record Check

  • you will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check prior to or during the enrolment week of your course. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
  • you will need to present valid identity documents (PDF) (PDF, 38.1KB) as part of the application process
  • if you have lived outside of the UK for more than six consecutive months in the last five years you must provide an overseas criminal record check. Further information on obtaining an overseas criminal record check.
  • where your DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate contains any recorded information you must present this to the Professional Issues Team within ten working days of receipt of the certificate.

Occupational Health Screening

You will need to undertake occupational health screening to determine your suitability to undertake the course. This will be provided by the University free of charge. As part of this assessment you are expected to provide all relevant, truthful and accurate information to ensure a safe environment for yourself and service users.

Immunisations

You must undertake a programme of immunisations as required by the Department of Health and meet the immunisation and immunity requirements of placement providers. This will be provided by the University free of charge. Please obtain details of your immunisation history from your doctor so you can submit this during your Occupational Health Screening.

Pre-course Day

After completing the above professional checks, if you reside in the UK it is important for you to make every reasonable attempt to attend a Pre-Course Day event to undertake the next stage of the professional requirements for your course. The pre-course day is also a good opportunity to meet fellow applicants on the health & social care courses who will be starting their studies at the same time as you, as well as some current students and teaching staff. We will look forward to welcoming you on the day.

Other professional suitability information

Your full enrolment on your course will be confirmed when the Professional Issues Team have verified that your Enhanced DBS Disclosure (and overseas criminal record check where relevant) indicates that you are suitable to work with vulnerable groups including children and clearance from your health screening has been received. 

If your personal circumstances change in relation to any of the professional requirements, from when you apply to the end of your course, please tell the Professional Issues team immediately by calling 0114 225 5637 or emailing HWB-Professional-Issues@shu.ac.uk.

Disability support

We strongly recommend that you tell us about any long term health conditions, learning difficulty or disability you may have. This is so we can assess whether we can deliver the course in such a way that you can meet the Health and Care Professions Council standards of proficiency and take part without disadvantage both in University and on placement.

You can contact our disability coordinator on 0114 225 2588 to explore any issues you may have, or you can contact our university disabled student support team on 0114 225 3964 (voice and Minicom).

The Disability Disclosure booklet provides information for students on health and social care courses and will help you understand the importance of disclosing your disability at the earliest possible stage. This is so you can be assessed for the support you may require to succeed on the course.

 

Additional information for EU/International students

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.


Modules

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Collaboration For Individual And Community Wellbeing
Credits 20
Assessment Practical(100%)
Personal And Professional Development
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Skills Days Attendance (Ba Sw)
Credits -
Assessment
The Theoretically Informed Practitioner
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(50%) , Practical(50%)
Values Into Action
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(50%) , Exam(50%)
Year 2

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Assessing And Addressing Complexity In Practice
Credits 20
Assessment Practical(100%)
Developing Professional Practice
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Evidence And Enquiry For Practice
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Social Work Practice Experience 1
Credits -
Assessment
Working With People Across The Life Course
Credits 40
Assessment Practical(100%)
Final year

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Achieving Critical Practice
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Complexity & Leadership In Professional Practice
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Social Work Practice Experience 2
Credits -
Assessment
The Advancing Professional
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(100%)
The Career Ready Social Worker
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Fees and funding

Home students

Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy.

If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.

International students

Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £16,655 per year.

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Health and social care funding

Home fee-paying students can access a non-repayable maintenance grant of at least £5,000 per year. You may also be eligible for additional financial support based on your circumstances.

Learn more

Additional course costs

The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

General course additional costs

Additional costs for Social work courses (PDF, 331.7KB)

Legal information

Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.

HSC bursary image

Health and social care funding

Home fee-paying students can access a non-repayable maintenance grant of at least £5,000 per year. You may also be eligible for additional financial support based on your circumstances.

Learn more
 

Why choose us?

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Teaching

We are Gold rated in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and student outcomes

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Employment

95% of our UK graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (2021/22 Graduate Outcomes Survey)

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Training

We are one of the largest training providers of health and social care in the UK, giving you access to cross-discipline learning

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