BA (Hons) Social Work
Course Overview
Social work is a varied and rewarding profession centred on people. It offers careers working with children, young people, families and care experienced people. Also, social workers work with adults with care and support needs, such as learning and physical disabilities and mental ill health. As a social worker, you'll work in multidisciplinary environments alongside professionals from other agencies, such as housing services, the police and health and social care teams, to empower individuals, families and communities within society.Our Social Work England-approved BA (Hons) Social Work focuses on helping you learn to use your professional judgement and build relationships, both with the individuals and communities you serve as well as with colleagues from other professions and services. Our passionate and knowledgeable staff will support you to develop a sound knowledge of social work theory, models, legislation, policy, ethics and interventions that will underpin your professional decision-making. We'll cover areas such as the impact of injustice, demography, and social inequality, as well as safeguarding and the signs of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. We'll guide you as you gain key skills, values and behaviours, including professional curiosity, interpersonal and communication skills, initiative, leadership, research and critical reflection, partnership working, self-care and resilience, record keeping, and workload management.
We focus on preparing you to become a confident, highly competent, compassionate and professional social worker. When you successfully complete this qualification, you'll be able to use your professional expertise to work, assess, plan, implement, evaluate and intervene, putting the needs of people first and ensuring their voice is central to decision-making. You'll be ready to maintain professional and ethical standards while supporting positive change in people's lives to improve their wellbeing and independence.
Highlights
- The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) in Social Work is approved by Social Work England. On successful completion of this programme, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with Social Work England as a Social Worker.
- You'll gain first-hand work experience and have the opportunity to develop an invaluable network of professional contacts during your two work placements. You'll undertake a second-year placement of 70 days and a final-year placement of 100 days. Placements are available in a diverse range of social work areas, helping prepare you for the changing environments you'll encounter during your career.
- We offer 30 skills development days that focus on helping you learn specific skills, such as interviewing families, communicating with children, family group conferencing, solution-focused approaches, 'clarifying, probing and challenging', resilience for practitioners, case recording and giving evidence in court.
- We'll help you develop an awareness and appreciation for differing cultural values and behaviours, the factors that influence our journeys from pre-birth through to death, and the effects of age, sexuality, gender identity and expression, capacity, learning ability and physical ability. You'll also be encouraged to recognise how your own values and experience influence the judgements you make.
- Our professional expert academic tutors come from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds, including social work and a number of allied health and social care professions. They weave essential knowledge of inter-professional and multi-agency working into their delivery of the theory elements of the course, helping prepare you to work effectively with colleagues from a variety of other professions and agencies.
Key Features
- Our Social Work courses are ranked top in the UK for student satisfaction by the Complete University Guide 2024.
- Our programme offers 200 days of practice-based learning opportunities. We'll arrange two work placements for you, totalling 170 days, and you'll benefit from an additional 30 skills development days that take place on campus.
- Throughout the course, specialists in the field of social work, other key allied health and social care practitioners, senior managers and policymakers will be invited to join us as guest speakers. You can also expect to meet service users and carers who have direct experience with services and can offer their unique and valuable perspectives on the role of social workers in the community.
- Our dedicated team will guide you as you develop critical thinking and research evaluation skills and apply these during your honours-level project. This experience will support your ongoing professional development in future and help you evaluate evidence to inform your practice and decision-making in the field.
- Social work can be very demanding and carries a lot of responsibility, so we'll support you in learning strategies and techniques that can help you build your professional and emotional resilience and successfully manage the situations you face.
- When you successfully complete this programme, you'll be awarded a BA (Hons) in Social Work from the University of Bolton.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- 120 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English.
- While you don't need to have prior experience, some experience of working in a helping capacity would be an advantage.
- For guidance regarding acceptable alternative qualifications, please contact admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk. Qualifications gained outside England and Wales will be assessed on an individual basis according to guidance by Social Work England.
- We're happy to consider alternative qualifications and relevant work experience. The Recognition of Prior Certificated Learning (RPCL) or Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) route may be used for entry. Please contact the programme leader for details.
- You'll also need to demonstrate basic IT skills, including word processing, internet browsing and use of email.
- If your application is successfully shortlisted, you'll be invited to a selection day where you'll be expected to complete a number of assessments, including an interview, written test and group activity. The interview panel will include academic staff, practice staff and service users. The written test will assess your comprehension and written communication skills. The group activity will assess your values, behaviours, communication and problem-solving skills. We're seeking students who can demonstrate commitment to a social work career, have excellent communication skills, and are empathic, caring, and courageous.
- We offer places to applicants whose qualifications, experience, references and quality of application (including the personal statement) persuade us of their excellence.
- If you're successful at the interview stage, you'll be asked to undergo occupational health screening and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
- You'll be required to satisfactorily pass occupational health screening.
- You'll need to demonstrate that you are of good health and good character prior to enrolment and on an ongoing basis throughout your studies and career. You'll be required to complete a confidential self-declaration form outlining any medical or health conditions that may affect your ability to undertake academic or social work practice tasks.
- This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 7.0 with normally no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The field of social work spans multiple career options, and many graduates choose their career path based on the types of people they want to help. Social workers provide help and support directly to individuals, couples, families and groups, often supporting people who face a range of challenges, such as poverty, mental health issues, addiction and family breakdown. As a social worker, you may provide one-to-one support or connect people and their families with resources in their community to help them overcome their problems.
As a graduate of this degree, you'll be able to demonstrate a wide range of transferable skills such as resilience, advanced communication and negotiation skills. You'll also possess the ability to manage conflict and exercise authority in complex situations, manage risk to self, service users and colleagues, and enable others to achieve their goals.
What can I do with this qualification?
If you're considering further study, postgraduate qualifications are available in areas such as community justice, social policy and counselling. You can also take advantage of the numerous continuing professional development opportunities that aid your progression in the social work field.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Potential careers include:
- Advocacy
- Community development
- Counselling
- Probation
- Youth work
- Mental health
- Teaching
- Journalism
- Volunteer management
- Substance misuse
- Social housing
- Learning support
- Academic research
- Public health
Professional Recognition
This programme is approved by Social Work England.
On successful completion of this course, you will have been assessed as meeting the professional standards required by Social Work England and the professional capabilities for qualifying social workers. As a result, you will be eligible to apply for registration with Social Work England as a Social Worker.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) offers a limited number of social work bursaries each year for students undertaking qualifying social work courses. Undergraduate students can only apply from their second year of study. The number of bursaries available may be less than the number of places available. The University of Bolton will provide the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) with a shortlist of those applicants who should be considered for a bursary. Please visit https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/social-work-students/ for more information.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply to multiple institutions or courses for September, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
International Applicants
The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.
This course is not currently accepting international online applications.
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Partner Organisation Applicants
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Teaching & Assessment
Modern social work professionals require a range of skills and values. Our practice placement partners and tutors will help you gain experience in a range of social work scenarios designed to develop your skills in a safe and supportive environment. The course involves a wealth of workplace learning opportunities. You'll undertake a second-year placement of 70 days and a final-year placement of 100 days. The University will organise and monitor your placements (please note that considerable travelling may be required and that you'll be responsible for travel and parking costs).
As you progress through the course, we'll guide and encourage you to draw on your practice placement experience while studying theory, and apply the theory learned to your practice while on placement so you can understand how the two complement each other. Your practice placements will contribute to your overall degree outcome alongside your academic work.
We'll use a blended learning approach, combining face-to-face sessions with online and practical work. You can expect lectures, presentations, simulations delivered by tutors, seminar discussions, small group workshops, and group and individual tutorials. Inter-professional practitioners from the health and social care field will contribute as guest speakers so that you can learn from their first-hand live examples of current practice. We'll use a virtual learning environment (VLE) as an accessible repository for online resources and learning packages. Online content will form a normal part of the learning experience (for instance, podcasts, blogs, and audiovisual media), as well as interactive learning packages. You'll also need to undertake a significant amount of personal study, including general background reading, preparing for seminar activities, working on assignments and revising for examinations.
To help support your learning, the University also offers additional study skills sessions, such as essay writing, numeracy, library skills and electronic searching. You can also find support through our social learning community, which includes a peer-support programme and enhanced personal tutoring. You'll also need to develop your E-portfolio, where you'll catalogue evidence of your learning through various media. To enhance your individual journey to becoming an effective practitioner, we'll encourage you to develop reflective practice through personal development planning.
Assessment tasks are designed to ensure you achieve the learning outcomes for each module and develop the necessary skills, knowledge and behaviours required to practise as a social worker. Assessment evaluates your achievement and helps you organise and develop your learning by revealing your strengths and weaknesses. You can expect various assessment methods, including essays, reports, presentations, portfolios and set exercises. We'll provide feedback on your assessments to help you improve in the future.
PLEASE NOTE:
100% attendance for practice-based learning is required, and absences or missed components of practice-based learning will have to be completed at a later date.
A minimum of 80% attendance is required for programme modules to progress and achieve the award for which you are registered. You must attend scheduled sessions. Please note that attendance is taken into account when making Assessment Board decisions. You may be withdrawn due to poor attendance.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Introduction to Social Work
- Anti-Discriminatory Practice
- Human Growth and Development
- Readiness for Practice
- Working with Children and Families
- Working with Adults
- Social Work Law
- Decision Making in Practice
- Social Work Perspectives in Mental Health
- Practice Placement 1
- Research Methods for Social Work Professionals
- Employability
- Practice Placement 2
- Dissertation
- Critical Reflective Practice
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 100% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 70% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 52% Placement/study abroad 30% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 18% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 58% Placement/study abroad 30% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 12% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
