Social Work MA

About the Course

This social work training programme aims to educate and train individuals to be reflective, research-minded practitioners who are able to work critically and professionally and in accordance with the principle of anti-discriminatory practice. Graduates who successfully complete this programme are eligible to apply for Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration.

The professional and academic elements are closely integrated throughout the programme. There are 170 placement days, with the working week divided between time in placement and time in the University.

See Frequently Asked Questions, which include application information.

Download Course Leaflet (PDF)

Aims

The MA Social Work programme aims to prepare students to graduate as competent social workers eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and for membership of the British Association of Social Workers/The College of Social Work, as well as conferring a Masters Degree. By end of this programme, students will:

• develop a generic, detailed and advanced understanding of social work knowledge, values and intervention skills;
• be competent to practise ethical, innovative and effective social work in a diverse society, able to undertake critical and professional practice with service users, carers and providers that actively promotes social justice, make professional decisions and perform professional functions that are informed by a critical understanding of inequality, disadvantage and discrimination;
• develop a capacity for independent learning at an advanced level;
• develop research-mindedness through a capacity to critically evaluate social work research, understand and apply a range of relevant qualitative and quantitative research methods, and independently undertake and manage a research project.

Enquiries

Please make your applications through UCAS:

• UCAS Code: L508
• Short form of course: MA/SW

School of Health Sciences and Social Care
Brunel University
Email health-studies-courses@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)1895 268846

Related Courses

• Health Promotion and Public Health MSc

Special Features

• The programme is transitionally approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.
• We have an excellent academic record and reputation, and are currently ranked as number one Social Work department in the UK (Guardian, 2012).
• Students enjoy first-rate facilities in the new Mary Seacole Building.
• We are one of the leading providers of university-based social work and social policy research in London and have attracted funding from, amongst other sources, the ESRC, the AHRC, Nuffield Foundation, the Rowntree Trust, the European Union, the Department for Education and Skills and the NHS.
• Students benefit from close links with social care providers in local government and in the voluntary sector.
• Service users and carers are crucial to our work, and our BEEC (Brunel Experts by Experience Committee) enables them to be involved at all stages of the MA, from interview to assessment.
• Recent groundbreaking research into personalisation, service user involvement, Family Drug and Alcohol Courts, youth and religion, and the experiences of older people, amongst other areas, feed into our taught programmes, making them highly relevant and up-to-date. We have four active research centres, members of which include the authors of best selling books on citizenship, community care and child protection.
• We have a long-standing commitment to mature applicants and students from ethnic minorities. Anti-discriminatory practice has been at the core of our education and training philosophy for some years and this emphasis is evident in the teaching of this programme.
• Brunel University has a long history of securing a range of quality placements across London and surrounding areas. We have substantial experience in working across the statutory and independent sector and have strong partnership links.
• Placement student satisfaction level rates for 2011/12 were between 94%-97% across the MA and BA programmes. We believe this is a testament to the hard work and commitment given to practice learning and development during training. Currently Brunel University has 10 student units at various stages of development that offer a range of group and individual supervision to facilitate students’ learning. All placements are fully supported by a dedicated practice learning team.

Jeanette Banks graduated in 2011 with MA in Social work

After working as an unqualified social worker for London Borough of Ealing for 3 years, I was extremely lucky to qualify for a work secondment to the MA in Social work course at Brunel. The two year course offered at Brunel provided me with background knowledge in a huge variety of subjects including law, psychology, linking practice to current research findings and ethical considerations.

Along with the academic knowledge, the two practice placements provided me with unprecedented opportunities to see social work in practice in very different settings, namely end of life and palliative, and dementia social work. This direct experience has improved my confidence in working with other professionals.

Completing my own research was challenging but also taught me determination and persistence. My dissertation tutor, supported me through the process tremendously, encouraging me to 'find my own voice'. This piece of advice continues to help me daily now

I am currently employed full time as a social worker in a Community Mental Health team. This course permitted me to understand the values and ethics of working as a social worker in a world of limited resources, and to uphold these values when working with vulnerable people in need.

Course Content

Modules in Year 1

Main topics: social work values, codes of ethics and anti-oppressive practice is social work; the use of critical reflection and reflexivity in practice; power and authority and their effects on workers, service users and others; Skills in relationship building: engaging and sustaining relationships with service users; social work processes i.e. assessment, intervention, and evaluation; skills in recording interviews and report writing; skills for working within organisations; inter-professional practice, professional responsibilities, and boundaries.

Social Work Theories and Practice

Main topics: an overview of modern social work theory; psychodynamic perspective; cognitive perspective; behavioural perspective; systems and ecological perspectives; humanistic perspective; feminist perspective; social constructionist perspective; social change and social Work; theory of groups; organisational theories.

Life-span Behaviour and Development

Main topics: key concepts and theories of human growth and development; a critical analysis of attachment theory; physical and cognitive development in infancy and childhood; needs and special needs of children and young people; identity development and change across the life-cycle; adolescence and risk; antisocial behaviour and delinquency during the adolescent years; physical and mental health in adulthood; the challenges of an ageing population; death and dying; deprivation and disadvantage across the life-cycle; the impact of culture and ethnicity in childhood and adulthood; developing observational skills, and monitoring and recording observations.

Law for Social Work Practice

Main topics: English legal system and framework for social work; Rights law including human rights, equality and mental capacity law; law relating to children and families, adult service users and carers and mental health; confidentiality and information sharing; youth justice system and court reporting skills; welfare benefits and oral presentation skills; remedies including litigation, alternative dispute resolution, advocacy, mediation, complaints systems and the role of Ombudsmen; role of advocacy including independent advocacy and self advocacy; accountability and ethical dilemmas in social work practice.

Social Policy and Sociology

Main topics: key ideas, concepts and theories in social policy, social welfare and sociology; theoretical and ideological perspectives on social policy social welfare and sociology including contemporary debates such as globalisation, neoliberal welfare approaches, personalisation; the process of policy-making, and the framework and methods of policy analysis; translating policy agendas into an analysis of national and local needs; social welfare and services for particular groups.

Professional Skills Development I

Main topics: 3 day shadowing exercise; communication and interviewing skills training; skills of empowerment; professional skills training such as emotional resilience training, prevention of harm, neglect and abuse; leadership and management skills training.

Practice Learning I (70 days)

All practice settings provide a defined student workload reflecting the nature of normal practice in the agency; Opportunities for direct interventions with service users and carers; opportunities for learning about organisational processes; Opportunities for learning about the legal duties and powers, and their application or implementation within the context of the agency.

Research Methods

Research methods appropriate to both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including surveys and longitudinal studies; questionnaire design; experimental and quasi-experimental designs; statistical analysis and using SPSS; in-depth interviews; focus groups; observation; and qualitative analysis.

Modules in Year 2

Advanced Theories for Social Work Practice

Main topics: social work and counselling: models and steps; harm reduction and risk assessment of self-harm and suicidal behaviours; Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy; Motivational Interviewing; Solution Focused Brief Therapy; Existential Therapy; Family Therapy; group counselling; eclectic and integration in social work intervention skills.

What Works in Social Work

Main topics: developing a critical understanding of the contribution of evidence to social work practice; developing a critical understanding of the contribution of theories of change and their application to practice; evaluating the effectiveness of a range of evidence-informed interventions; decision-making, professional judgement and different organisational contexts.

Professional Skills Development II

Main topics: supporting and counselling techniques and interventions with young children, people with disabilities, loss and bereavement, and for safeguarding vulnerable persons; professional skills training such as working with conflict and resolution, working with resistance/challenging behaviour, care planning, complex assessment and working with other professionals, court reporting.

Practice Learning II (100 days)

All practice settings provide a defined student workload reflecting the nature of normal practice in the agency; Opportunities for direct interventions with service users and carers; opportunities for learning about organisational processes; Opportunities for learning about the legal duties and powers, and their application or implementation within the context of the agency.

The Dissertation

This constitutes a 15,000 word document presenting research undertaken by students within social work context. Students are allocated a dissertation supervisor whom they meet on a regular basis to discuss all stages of the research from developing the initial idea into a full proposal which achieves ethical approval, to drafting the final dissertation. Recent examples of dissertations by students undertaking this programme include:

•  Supporting carers with children with learning disabilities
• Social workers’ knowledge of domestic violence 
• Adolescent substance misuse and family conflict
• Changes in statutory care for older people as a result of the personalisation agenda
•  Reasoning mental distress: service user perspectives
• Attitudes toward religion and spirituality in social work

One elective from the following options:

Family Work

Main topics:the basic tenets of the different schools of family therapy; feminist and other critiques of family therapy and the issue of power in families; a range of techniques from these schools of family therapy including genograms, sculpting, co-working; exploration of Haley’s four stage model, joining, problem identification, goal setting and designing tasks; family therapy in statutory settings, its usefulness in assessing child protection planning and intervention; making assessments and developing hypotheses about family functioning and setting goals for intervention; making contracts with families and enabling them to think about solutions to these problems.

Social Work with Groups and Communities

Main topics: theoretical bases for community work, including Marx, Gramsci, Freire, Alinsky; approaches to community work including critical pedagogy and praxis, networks and social capital; purposes and types of groups, group development and processes and the role of the facilitator; developing, maintaining and supporting group and community development; community profiling, community needs assessments and group planning; well-being as a conceptual framework for community development; visual and participatory group work methods.

Social Work Practice: Incorporating Care and Support in the Community, Personalisation and Networking

Main topics: the factors that contribute to the development of care and support and personalisation approaches in the UK; the nature of care and support and personalisation approaches in current practice; the relationship between personalisation and community care; networking and network analysis principles and processes; ethical and practice dilemmas in care and support and personalisation practices; Single Assessment Process (SAP); reviewing, monitoring, care planning, support planning and implementation; partnership and collaboration; direct payments.

And one selection from the following professional pathways:

Social Work with Children and Families

Main topics: working with children in need and child protection; theory, research, law, policy and practice; inter-professional workshops on the impact of parental problems including parental substance misuse and domestic violence; critical review of inter-agency and inter-disciplinary practice through serious case reviews; children looked after and leaving care and service user voices; theory and research specific to social work practice with children and families; risk analysis and risk management; the centrality of relation based practice in direct work and communication with children and young people; the family court system and skills in analysing and presenting case material.

Social Work with Adults

Main topics: the development of community-based care and support and integrated adult health and social care including ideological underpinnings and contemporary issues in policy and adult social work practice; person-centred and care management approaches to community-based adult social work practice; adult practice specialisms.

Note: As this programme may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults, students will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application, previously known as a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. The application will cost £51.86 (this amount may be subject to change) and the University will send further instructions as part of the admissions process. For further guidance please email admissions@brunel.ac.uk

Fees for 2013/14 entry

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students

Social Work Bursary

The Department of Health has confirmed that the postgraduate social work bursary will be maintained to ensure a continuation of highly qualified graduates. However, the Department of Health will cap the number of undergraduate and post-graduate bursary recipients to ensure a sufficient supply of high quality students is maintained.

Further information will be available shortly at http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/825.aspx.

UK/EU students: £5,800 full-time

International students: £15,000 full-time

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements

Admission to the MA Social Work Programme

The MA Social Work programme at Brunel is very popular and every year is oversubscribed. Our selection process is rigorous and we use a holistic approach to ensure we assess the complex mix of intellectual and personal qualities needed to undertake the degree and a future career in Social Work.

All candidates need to apply through UCAS. Our entry requirements are as follows:

• A minimum of a 2.2 Honours degree in a related subject (eg. Education; Sociology; Social Policy; Politics; Psychology; Law; Health and/or Social Care) or a minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree in an unrelated subject (eg. Business, Creative Arts, History);
• All applicants must have GCSE Grade C in English Language and Mathematics. We also accept Key Skills/Functional Skills Level 2 Application of Number and Communication. Please note we do not accept Adult Literacy or Adult Numeracy.
• All applicants must possess basic IT skills before applying for the course.
• Applicants must provide an academic reference from first degree level and a character reference from someone who can testify to their suitability for a career in Social Work. This character reference should be given by someone who can comment on the candidate’s experiences in the paid or voluntary or community sector, highlighting how this experience has prepared the candidate for a career in Social Work.
• All applicants must demonstrate: appropriate personal qualities and life experiences; ability to reflect on and positively learn from significant events in their life; recent undertaking of pre-course preparatory work either by making use of training opportunities within their work or by undertaking relevant study; the ability to express themselves orally and in writing and the ability to think critically and analytically; and an understanding of the role of research in informing social work practice.

It is very important that you enter full details of how your experiences (paid/voluntary/within the family/community) have led you to choose a career in Social Work on your UCAS form. Please ensure your personal statement is well-written and demonstrates your academic ability. It is also important that you explain what you have learned from your life experience and how this has contributed to your understanding of the social work role and task.

Those applicants who meet the academic requirements for the course and have provided evidence of appropriate work experience and a well written personal statement will be invited to a selection day.

If you are invited to a selection day you will complete a written test. This is designed to measure your ability to write clearly and coherently in the English language. It is also used to evaluate your ability to develop reflective, analytical and conceptual thinking. If you pass this test you will then be invited to participate in an observed group exercise which is used to assess oral communication skills, critical understanding of social care issues, skills in dealing with group dynamics and values appertaining to fairness and diversity. Following this you will then have an individual interview which is used to assess your motivation and suitability for the course, communication skills, commitment, understanding of Social Work and your ability to reflect on how your life experiences have prepared you for the programme.

Applicants need to provide 2 references (1 academic and 1 character) which are checked and need to undergo a satisfactory CRB check before an offer of a place is made.

English Language Requirements

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.