Social workers overwhelmingly work with the most marginalised and oppressed within society. The people we work with in our professional lives face a range of difficulties and traumas. As social workers our task is to understand such traumas and offer support, help and guidance to those in need during times of trouble. Very often this means understanding the public causes of individual private pains. The Social Work degree is shaped by a very strong commitment to social justice.
As a Social Work student, you will study aspects of sociology, social policy, psychology, law, social theory and social work methods, skills and practices. You will explore barriers such as poverty, disability, racism and sexism that service users often face in society. Such barriers impact on people in a range of negative ways and it is important we understand the nature of the society in which we live and the way it can affect people in their lives. You will spend half a day a week (in your first year) at the new Liverpool Hope Settlement – working in the community and engaging in good social work practice. In your second and third years, you will undertake a total of 170 days in a social work setting.
The degree is taught by a teaching team who are all published in the field of social work and are experts in particular fields of the discipline. The School plays an important role in the Social Work Action Network (SWAN). SWAN is a national organisation within social work comprising practitioners, students, academics and service users. We also have a partnership with Person Shaped Support (PSS), one of Liverpool’s oldest and largest voluntary sector organisations. During your second year you will have the opportunity to undertake a social work placement in either India or America. We are the only social work course in England that offers you this choice.
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars of smaller groups of around 15-20 students, and tutorials which typically have no more than 10 students. There are a number of fieldtrips throughout your three years of study, and you also have the opportunity to have a one-to-one meeting with your tutor each week.
In your first year of study, there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 10 teaching hours in your second and third years. On top of teaching hours, you are also expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments you may have.
Our Single Honours Social Work degree is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Upon successful completion of the degree, you will be eligible to register with the HCPC as a professional social worker.
Throughout your three years of study you will have a number of assessments, including written exams, essays, posters, practice portfolios, and portfolios. In your final year you also complete a dissertation research project.
You will be given written feedback on your assessments, and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor in more detail.
The first year of study provides you with the basic tools required to practice as competent student social workers. There are lectures in social policy, sociology, the life-course, initial social work skills and practice and preparation for practice. There will be input from service users and local agencies. You will spend half a day a week working in a local community setting, and all you will attend a compulsory field trip to the annual SWAN conference.
In the first term you will study social theory, social work methods, law for social workers and research methods for practitioners. In the second term, you go out onto full-time placement. Placements last 70 days and run from 9am - 5pm for five days a week. In the second year, placements are in local voluntary sector organisations. You also attend a compulsory field trip to the annual SWAN conference.
In your final year, you will further develop your knowledge about social work historically, nationally and internationally, practice knowledge and skills, your understanding of contemporary social work issues, working with service users and current research issues within social work. You choose a range of advanced social work seminars delivered by staff to reflect their academic interests and publishing schedules. Your third year also includes a placement. Placements last 100 days and run from 9am - 5pm for five days a week. You will also attend a compulsory fieldtrip to the annual SWAN conference.
During the August/September admissions period we are able to offer some flexibility in our entry requirements for courses that still have vacancies.
We are also offering a Foundation Year on many of our courses for students who have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualification level to enter directly onto our degree programmes.
Please call us to discuss the options available to you: 0151 291 3111
Social work equips you with the knowledge and skills required to apply for recognition as a qualified social worker. Social work skills are also highly transferable and valued by potential employers. By the end of your time with us you will be suitably qualified to embark on a career in social work. This could include (amongst others) working with children and families, older people, people with learning disabilities, people with disabilities, young people, drug and alcohol misusers, alongside homeless people or people with HIV and AIDS.
The vast majority of our graduates are in employment within six months of graduating.
Studying Social Work at Liverpool Hope University includes 170 days on placement in professional settings. These placement opportunities provide you with the skills and knowledge to begin your successful career as a social worker.
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Unfortunately the Study Abroad option is not available for this degree.
The tuition fees for 2019/20 are £9,250 for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,250.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
If you want to apply for membership of HCPC once you graduate, there is an initial subscription fee, plus a biennial subscription fee – full details of costs can be found on the HCPC website.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
The International tuition fees for 2019/2020 entry will be released in due course.
Visit our International fees page for more information.