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  4. Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship

Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship

BA

Attendance mode
Full-time

Start date(s)
September

Duration
3 years

Location
City Campus

UK students can apply

Overview

This Social Work Integrated Degree Apprenticeship currently runs as a closed programme for employees of Bradford Council. However, the University is open to new partnerships with other organisations.

This programme is designed to produce qualified practitioners who are eligible to apply for registration as a social worker with Social Work England. It provides a route for employees within social care aiming to take the next step in their career to practise as a social worker.

Apprentices will learn to make informed, critical and independent judgements about theoretical and practical questions and issues in the context of social Work practice. An important aspect of this is an understanding of the value base of the social work profession and awareness of critical reflection on self and society. This embraces broader issues such as inequality, social divisions, discrimination and the socio-political context of social work practice. These reflect the Apprenticeship Standards of Behaviour for Social Work as outlined by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Integral to the programme is a commitment to promoting best practice in anti-oppressive practice, a rights-based approach and equal opportunities.

The programme has well developed partnerships with people who use services. Co-production is embedded throughout the content of the programme and informs our working relationships and interactions with apprentices, colleagues and external agencies. It is central to the Bradford Teaching Partnership. There is a period of fieldwork placement at Levels 5 and 6 when apprentices are encouraged to consolidate and develop the links between theory and practice, including anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.

A fundamental aspect of this programme is the aim to prepare apprentices for diverse employment opportunities and pre-vocational training. To this end, the programme embraces a multidisciplinary approach which emphasises the significance of transferable skills and lifelong learning appropriate to their professional status.

The learner will be salaried whilst studying, and undergo a mixture of on- and off-the-job training, as with all apprenticeships.

Professional accreditation

The professional status of social worker is conferred by Social Work England. Successful graduates are eligible to register with Social Work England as a qualified social worker.

Social Work England approved logo

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee

Apprentices do not pay course fees. An Apprentice is employed by an organisation into an Apprenticeship job role this entitles them to earn as they learn.

By studying a Degree Apprenticeship, Apprentices can obtain a degree at no cost to them as individuals.

By employing Apprentices, organisations can make the most of their Apprenticeship levy fees and train staff in a cost effective way.

There are currently two funding models:

Levy funded:

If the annual pay bill of your organisation exceeds £3m you can pay for your apprenticeships training through your levy account.

If you have exceeded your levy contribution, you can fund apprenticeship training through the co-funded model. To better understand how this will work please, contact us.

Non-levy funded:

If you are a non-levy paying organisation or you are a levy organisation that has exceeded your levy contribution, the government will financially co-fund your apprenticeship training. The government will contribute 95% of the costs. As the employer, you will contribute 5%.

Entry requirements

Relevant work experience at Care Assessor level within the Local Authority.

Plus minimum of

Mathematics and English at GCSE Grade 4 or C or Level 2 equivalent.

Additional entry requirements

All places are offered subject to satisfactory occupational health screening and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

The occupational health screening

All places are offered subject to satisfactory occupational health screening. This will involve completing an online occupational health questionnaire and attendance if required at a medical appointment.

Occupational health screening and assessment will consider the students’ health and wellbeing and their fitness to study and practice. Progress on the course is dependent on your continued fitness.

This screening process complies with Public Health England requirements for the protection of the public and students and staff working in health and social care.

All offers of places are made subject to satisfactory health clearance.

The University is obliged to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities to enable them to fulfill the required competencies of the programme. Candidates who are concerned about health issues are strongly advised to contact us prior to applying.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

All places are also offered subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) (previously known as CRB check) disclosure. This is due to the fact that you may be required to work with children or vulnerable adults on your clinical placement, and will need to demonstrate that you can safely work with these groups.

What you will study

Learners will develop a ‘toolbox’ of intellectual and practical skills, to give a working knowledge of the technical, administrative and professional skills needed to work from a rights-based perspective with both children and adults.

At the end of the course, students will have acquired the professional knowledge and skills to equip them for employment in any social care setting and allow colleagues to access further professional development/study/training.

Career prospects

This programme is design to meet the growing need for qualified social work practitioners. This initiative is Government-led and links to strategies relating to employment and vocational qualifications. It provide flexible routes into the social work profession for high quality candidates, offering:

  • employees a new opportunity for career progression within the social care workforce
  • employers an opportunity to use the apprenticeship levy to develop social care staff and improve retention

Social Worker Apprentices will work for adult’s services or children and families’ services in statutory and non-statutory roles in local authorities, healthcare services, private and voluntary sector employers. Job roles the qualifications could lead to include:

  • safeguarding
  • mental health and adult social care
  • child protection, adoption and fostering.

After two years practicing as a qualified social worker learners could access future continual professional development, including Approved Mental Health Professional training, Best Interest Assessor or qualifications relating to Advanced Practitioner status within Children and Families.

Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

Learning and assessment

We make it clear from the beginning that you are an equal partner during your learning journey as an apprentice on this course. You'll be encouraged to help shape the curriculum based on your learning needs and lived experiences.

Learning will take place in a number of different formats. Some days you’ll be in face-to-face interactive workshops and seminars. At other times you will take part in online learning activities and tutorials, sometimes as an individual, as well as in small groups.

Our ‘flipped learning’ approach means that you’ll be given guided reading and research tasks ahead of in-class discussions. Our virtual learning environment will support you further with discussion boards, forums, polls, quizzes, and numerous online resources.

You will also undertake two placements, in your second and final years, which are part of the on-the-job training part of the programme.

Assessments for placements include providing evidence for ‘fitness to practice’ at the next stage of the degree. Other ways that you’ll be assessed include essays, individual and group presentations, video and taped practice submissions and virtual learning exercises.

When submitting parts of your Readiness to Practice assessment, you'll be supported to work within a format that reflects your own learning style, as long as you can show that you're meeting the learning outcomes and apprenticeship standards.

View the official programme specification document (PDF) for this course.

This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.