Social Work
Social Work is a profession dedicated to supporting people in difficulty and working towards a more just and equitable society. It involves direct work with individuals, families and communities who are experiencing vulnerability, poverty, disability, mental health challenges, abuse, addiction or the effects of systemic inequality. Social workers assess complex situations, plan and coordinate care, advocate for people's rights and work within and across the agencies and legal frameworks that structure the welfare system.
It is a demanding and ethically serious profession that requires both practical skill and a capacity for sustained critical reflection.
At the University of Plymouth this three-year full-time degree prepares you for registration as a qualified social worker with Social Work England, combining academic study with substantial supervised practice placements in a range of settings. You will engage with theoretical frameworks drawn from psychology, sociology, law and ethics to develop a multi-dimensional understanding of human growth, wellbeing and difficulty, including concepts of grief, trauma, resilience, loss and the impact of social and cultural change across the life course. The programme develops your professional skills in communication, assessment, relationship-based practice and ethical decision-making, alongside your critical understanding of the systems within which social workers operate.
Qualification as a social worker leads to registration and the ability to practise in a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector settings. Newly qualified social workers typically begin in roles in children's social care, adult social care, mental health services, probation or housing support before developing specialist expertise over time. Career progression can lead to practice leadership, management, specialist assessment roles, policy work and academic positions.
The degree also provides a platform for postgraduate study in social work, social policy, mental health or community development for those wishing to develop further.