Welcome to the University of Bath Open Day BSc (Hons) Social Work and Applied Social Studies Caroline Hickman – Teaching Fellow & Admissions Tutor Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Overview Social work at the University of Bath International opportunities Structure of the degree Practice learning Service User and Carer involvement Student life and student support Admissions Social work careers/employability Questions

Social Work at the University of Bath Social Work programme at the University of Bath number one in the Complete University Guide 2015. Department of Social & Policy Sciences is a leading centre for social sciences Staff are at the forefront of their discipline (as educators, researchers, theorists and policy analysts). Awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2011 for ‘Influential research into child poverty and support for vulnerable people’.

Social work at the University of Bath 40 places – relatively small programme yet set within an international/global context. Generic degree programme, covering a wide range of topics and using a range of teaching methods – designed to be interactive and student centred. Taught by social work academics with extensive and wide ranging experience in social work practice, teaching, research and policy making. Important input from social work practitioners and service users & carers.

Social Work staff group Dr Louise Brown – Research in development of models of child protection in an international context (currently working with NGO’s, academics & local government in China on child protection). And ‘improving practice through social innovation’ - training programme for social entrepreneurs developing business ideas in health & social care. Dr Gillian Macdonald – Research into violence against women and children and inclusion of children’s voice in legal decision making. Currently looking at European women’s experiences of the criminal justice system in domestic violence cases. Mrs Barbara Neale – Working with our partner agencies to develop new placement opportunities, implementing new quality assurance techniques for placements so students can be confident in the quality and standards of their placements.

Social Work staff group Dr Jeremy Dixon – Research in forensic mental health social work & mentally disordered offenders’ views of social supervision & their perspectives on their own offending risks. Dr Justin Rogers – Completed PhD research exploring young people’s experiences of foster care and how they manage their relationships with family and friends in the context of disrupted social networks. Ms Megan Robb – PhD research into how social workers conceptualise domestic violence against women with learning disabilities. Ms Caroline Hickman – Completed MSc Social Research in foster carers experience and evaluation of therapeutic groups. PhD on therapeutic effect of relationships with the natural world/pets.

International opportunities Study abroad opportunities. Potential overseas placements. Fieldwork visits in Year 1 or Year 2 Yonsei University, Seoul Ohio State University, USA Sun Yat-Sen, Southern China Stellenbosch, South Africa

Practice learning Year 1 - Skills days & Community Research Project (22 days across 1st year) Year 2 (80 days full time in Semester 1) Year 3 (90 days full time in Semester 2) We provide excellent placements in a wide range of settings (in statutory, third sector, independent and voluntary organisations) Supported by a trained Practice Educator/Supervisor and your Personal Tutor

Community Research Projects Examples Year 1 - small groups – 22 days across the 1st year Off The Record (Bristol) – Evaluating a group for young minority ethnic women exploring themes of gender, race & wellbeing Splitz (Domestic Violence) – Alternative support options using an online tool The Carers Centre – What do Carers aged 18-25 want from The Carers Centre BFEG – Work with a group of black and minority ethnic young people to identify issues of importance in their lives – supplementary schools Off The Record (Bath) – Researching young people’s access to counselling services “Completing community profiling has proved to be the most challenging yet the most gratifying part of my year. The opportunity to work with local organisations, conduct research first hand and craft ideas into results has been an educational and confidence building journey. Although it was tough working out how to achieve goals as a group, the lessons I learned throughout this experience have shown me how to value my own strengths and how to appreciate the strengths of others” Kieran Smith Year 1 student

Practice Learning Placements Year 2 & 3 Examples: Year 2 (80 days) Splitz Domestic Abuse Project, OTR Bristol, Bath Mind, SW attached to schools, Richmond Fellowship, The Carers Centre, Julian House, TACT, Adolescent & Young Person Mentoring Project, Homelessness Project, Children’s Centre, DHI, Young Carers Project, Women’s Refuge, Ex Offenders Rehab Project, Supported Housing projects Year 3 (90 days) Swindon, Banes, South Glos, Somerset, Wiltshire - Cafcass (Swindon & Somerset), Mental Health Community teams, Children & Families Intervention teams, Assessment & Child Protection teams, Safeguarding Children & Families teams, Youth Offending teams, Family Placement teams, Children’s Centres, RUH, Great Western Hospital, Wiltshire Social Care team, Salisbury District Hospital, Community Mental Health teams, Fostering & Adoption teams, Looked After Children’s teams, Drugs & Alcohol teams, Adult Recovery Service

Service Users and Carers

Student feedback “The importance of service users and carers on the social work degree program cannot be overstated. Meeting face to face with service users not only taught me a great deal about social work but also about myself. The honesty and unique insight that was brought by the individuals that I encountered challenged my assumptions on many levels and had had a lasting impact on my perception of others. Engaging with service users has made the program very real and very human for me and has been a truly valuable experience” Kieran Smith Year 1 student

Student life and student support … Personal Tutors Peer mentoring & peer assisted learning Social work community & facebook page Student Centre - money advice, counselling services, learning support (such as academic writing, disability, dyslexia etc.) Students’ Union and societies Guaranteed accommodation in first year (if needed)

Social work admissions UCAS application (grade requirements: AAB-BBB, personal statement, including relevant experience, references). Interview day (group talk, written exercise, individual interviews). Enhanced DBS (previously CRB) and health checks. See website for details: bath.ac.uk/study

Social work careers As a professionally qualified social worker you can work in a wide range of health or social care settings. Increasingly employment opportunities arise in multidisciplinary settings where social workers work alongside health care and/or other professionals (e.g. education, criminal justice, mental health). Further information about careers in social work can be obtained from: Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) The College of Social Work (TCSW) The British Association of Social Workers (BASW)

Student comments (2012-2014) “ Having such a variety of service user involvement in the social work programme has been immensely valuable and has enhanced my level of learning. Understanding the perspectives and needs of service users and what they expect from me has been critical to how I want to develop throughout the social work programme. “ Tracey Branch Year 1 student “I found this unit particularly useful to develop my ability to be  assertive and confident within organisations. I feel this is very  important, especially as I'm a relatively young, and perhaps  inexperienced, student on the course. It also taught me how to be more research minded, which is inevitably useful and relevant within any social science based profession” Tia Wharton Year 1 student

Summary Taught by experienced, enthusiastic staff. Based within a prestigious social sciences department, providing high quality research and teaching. Mixed methods of teaching; high levels of interactivity and student engagement. Wide range of fantastic, well supported practice learning opportunities, including international possibilities. Small groups of students, great community, lots of support from staff, peers, the university. Studying here will enable you to gain a good degree from a university with a great reputation, which impacts positively on your employability.

Questions

Contacts Caroline Hickman Admissions Tutor Email: C.L.Hickman@bath.ac.uk Alison Borgelin Course Administrator Email: a.s.borgelin@bath.ac.uk Tel: 01225 386253