Social Work

Social work is a profession and an academic discipline concerned with supporting individuals, families, and communities in the face of adversity, vulnerability, and social disadvantage. Social workers operate in some of the most demanding contexts in public life, from child protection and mental health services to work with elderly people, people with disabilities, asylum seekers, and those experiencing poverty or domestic violence. The work requires both the practical skills to intervene effectively and the theoretical understanding to situate individual circumstances within the wider social structures and policies that shape people's lives.

At the University of Suffolk, this part-time programme leads to a qualification that, when registered with Social Work England, enables you to practise as a social worker. You will study child and adult social care, social policy, law, human development, and the values and ethics that underpin professional practice. The programme develops your ability to support people in distress, to empower individuals and communities, and to undertake protection work that keeps vulnerable people safe and well.

Social work education combines academic study with substantial placement experience in professional settings, ensuring you develop the practical competence that registration requires alongside theoretical understanding.

Social work graduates work in local authority children's and adults' services, NHS social work teams, mental health services, criminal justice, housing, and voluntary organisations. The profession offers a clear career pathway from newly qualified social worker to experienced practitioner, senior practitioner, and management roles. Postgraduate study in social work, social policy, or specialisms such as mental health or child protection is an option for those wishing to develop advanced expertise or move into research and teaching.