Social Work at Ruskin

Information for new students 2020-21

• Career Opportunities • Challenge • Variety • Job satisfaction • Changing profession • Bursary

Why Social Work?

• Social workers aim to improve people’s lives by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties, promoting human rights and wellbeing. Social workers protect children and adults with support needs from harm. From helping keep a family under pressure together to supporting someone with mental health problems, social work is a varied, demanding, often emotional and very rewarding career https://www.basw.co.uk/resources/become-social-worker/what-do-social-workers-do

• The Social workers role is diverse. They work with Children and families, Youth Offending, Mental Health, Learning Disability and Older people. They work in Local Authorities, Schools, third sector organisations and charities.

What do Social Workers do?

Why Ruskin College?

• Ruskin is a unique place with an important role in the history of the trade union and labour movement. It has played a role of national significance in opening up educational opportunities

• Ruskin’s vision is of ‘a society where everyone has access to quality education regardless of their background, and the opportunity to fulfil their potential.’

• Ruskin’s Mission is to ‘provide the best level of education and inclusion opportunities to adults - particularly those who may previously have been excluded or disadvantaged - and to transform the individuals concerned along with the communities, groups and societies from which they came.’

• Ruskin College has a long and valuable tradition of providing social work education and training beginning in the early 1960s. In 1973 we developed a two-year Certificate of Qualification in Social Work for non-graduate Students. In 1989 this changed to the Diploma in Social Work.

• We now offer the present undergraduate programme for Social Work – the three-year BA (Hons) in Social Work.

• The BA Social Work (Hons) at Ruskin aims to provide students with professional training and education in social work. It aims to provide a teaching and learning environment and placement opportunities that enable students to develop their academic and professional potential and to demonstrate the critical knowledge, understanding, values and skills needed for professional social work.

• The programme is particularly interested in identifying non-traditional students who have not previously been able to navigate the education system. This approach is consistent with the College’s Mission and Strategic Aims of widening participation.

• We strongly welcome part time applications to the programme.

Why Social Work at Ruskin?

• Social Workers as both practical doers and critical thinkers

• Strong emphasis on ethical basis of Social Work

• Awareness of issues of power and inequality

• Developing your Practice skills

• Understanding the legal basis of Social Work

• The importance of research and evidence- based practice

• Voices of lived experience run through the course

• Inter-agency and inter -professional working

The Social Work ethos at Ruskin

Programme Structure Level 4

• Principles and Practice of Social Work 1

• Sociology

• Social Policy

• Applied Psychology, Human Growth and Development

• Social Work Law

Programme Structure Level 5

• Principles and Practice of Social Work 2

• Placement 1 (70 Days)

• Research and Social Work

Programme Structure Level 6

• Placement 2 (100 days)

• Social Work Dissertation

What will I study on the

BA Social Work?

What will I study on the BA Social Work?

• Assessments are varied.

• They will include presentations, essays, coursework, case study analysis, examinations and practice portfolios.

• In the final year students undertake a 12,000 word dissertation.

Assessments

Practice Placements • Placements are provided through strong links with our stakeholders in Oxfordshire County Council and a range of charities, colleges and third sector organisations.

• The BA Social Work requires students to undertake 170 days in direct practice plus practice related skills days.

• We offer a broad range of practice opportunities (Voluntary, Statutory, Mental Health, Children and Families, Adults, Youth Offending).

• We may be able to offer placement opportunities closer to where you live.

Practice Placements

• You will be supported academically by Module Leaders who co-ordinate teaching, learning and assessment on the modules you study.

• You will be allocated a personal tutor who supports you in your academic development and personal development at Ruskin.

• You will have a Practice Educator in Placement who supports your learning in this setting.

• When we interview you for the BA (Hons) Social Work course all students are assessed for their support needs around literacy issues.

How will I be supported to study at Ruskin?

• The new specialist regulator for the Social work degree is ‘Social Work England’. This organisation maintains the standards for Education and Training, as well as Professional Standards for Social Work.

• Ruskin’s programme is evaluated by Social Work England to ensure we are meeting appropriate standards in our training and education of social work students.

• Completion of the BA Social Work programme is not a guarantee that you will be able to register with Social Work England. On completing the course, graduates apply to join the join the Social Work register, which is what allows you to practice as a Social Worker https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/

Social Work England

• To be offered a place on the social work course today you to be successful both in your written test and your individual interview.

• In order to be offered an interview the course requires you to have some experience, either paid or voluntary, in relevant social care or social work settings. Applicants may also have related life experience, but it would normally be expected that they will have paid or voluntary work in addition to this. Please talk about this in your interview. We are looking for your ability to reflect on what you have learnt from your experience and how this relates to social work.

• All Criminal Convictions, Cautions and Reprimands must be declared on application. If you wish to discuss any of these you may have in interview you are free to do this.

• We will notify you within 5 working days as to whether you are successful on the social work programme. All offers are subject to receipt of satisfactory references, meeting your academic conditions and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.

Admissions process

Fees for this course are: • £9,000 per year (FT, 3 years) • £6,500 per year (PT, 4 years) • Student loans are available from Student Finance England • Student Services will help you access funding and answer any questions

Fees and Loans

Eligible undergraduate students can apply for a social work bursary to help them with their living costs and tuition fees from their second year of study. In the first year of the course, funding is available through Student Finance England.

An undergraduate social work bursary is:

• awarded to eligible students who have completed their first year of study

• not assessed on your household income

• not paid back

• paid into your chosen bank account at the start of each term

This academic year (2019/20) the basic bursary rates was :

• £4,862.50 for a university outside of London (this is paid pro rata for eligible part time students).

• Further details are available at: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/social-work-students/apply-undergraduate-bursary

Social Work Bursaries

Any questions?