Year One: 'Introduction and Foundation'
At this stage you will be assessed on your potential for further development. Before undertaking direct practice with service users in a practice learning setting, you must undertake 20 days of assessed practice learning through which you must demonstrate that you have the interpersonal skills and values required to be suitable and safe to work with people with social care needs and their carers. The first year of study will also focus on core values and skills as well as broader social, cultural and institutional processes that frame the role and task of social work.
Years Two & Three: 'Applying knowledge, skills and values in social work practice and the development and confirmation of competence in social work practice'
You will spend 180 days in assessed practice learning settings (80 days year 2 and 100 days year 3).
This will involve a minimum of two practice settings. This will provide you with a range of learning opportunities to demonstrate competence in relation to National Occupational Standards for Social Work (2011) and the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care (2017). By the end of these two longer periods of practice based learning you will be applying social work knowledge, skills and values including research findings in your practice and will need to demonstrate the development of critical, analytical and reflective practice.
There will be a focus on disadvantage, oppression and deprivation; leading to an emphasis on social work intervention and the contexts within which social work is practised.
In year two there will be a focus upon the application of social work knowledge, skills and values including research findings in their practice and academically assessed work, with an emphasis upon students demonstrating their development of critical, analytical and reflective practice.
Year three subsequently offers the opportunity for students to build on the knowledge, skills and values attained in year two, with students demonstrating professional judgement, intervention and critical reflection across both their practise and within academically assessed work.
Learning & Teaching
All students that enrol on the BSc (Hons) Social Work are assigned a personal tutor that will provide both group and individual tutorial support. All staff on the social work degree have extensive experience of employment within social work, and draw on this to enhance students learning experience of the subject. Students are taught through a range of teaching and learning methods, including experiential and problem based group work, interactive lectures and seminars along with the integration of media to support a wider understanding of the experiences of people with social care needs and their carers.
Students are placed within Local Authority 'Host agency' groups for the duration of their studies, and subsequently have the opportunity to build and sustain professional working relationships with peers and professionals within their host Local Authority. A substantial part of the course is spent in practice settings within agencies in South Wales; therefore the ability to undertake travelling to and within practice agencies will be advantageous.
Whilst on the social work degree students are also required to demonstrate that they are able to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) methods and techniques to support their learning and practice.
Assessment of individual areas of study will include a combination of different approaches: through practice learning, simulation/case study exercises, essays and assignments, reports, poster presentations, group and individual presentations and examinations.
In addition, students are required to produce portfolios that are linked to their practice based learning, which includes observations of practice and reflective accounts based on the observations.
Students on the social work degree receive electronic feedback and feedforward to all academically assessed work and are encouraged through the enhanced personal tutorial process to review feedback and build both academic and practice based social work skills.
Employability & Careers
On completion of the social work degree and all associated academic and practice based learning opportunities, graduates will be able to access a wide range of employment opportunities within social work in statutory, independent and third sector employment. Graduates are able to take up employment with people with social care needs and their carers who use a range of social work and social care services which address complex social issues and needs.
Graduates will also be required to pursue Continued Professional Education and Learning within their Social Work career, or a postgraduate qualification, for example in teaching in further/higher education or a Masters or Doctorate in Social Work. There are also other graduate opportunities outside Social work.
Entry Requirements & How to Apply
The Social Work programme is keen to support applicants from all backgrounds and with varying educational experiences.
Applicants should hold GCSE English Language (or Welsh First Language) and Mathematics* at grade C or above (or grade 4 or above for applicants holding newly reformed GCSEs in England). Equivalent qualifications considered are Essential Skills Level Two in Communication and Application of Number, or Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Maths. Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of these. Applicants must be able to demonstrate an ability to study at higher education, normally through a recognised qualification:
- 96 points from at least two A levels to include grades CC; Welsh Baccalaureate – Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate considered as a third subject
- RQF BTEC National Extended Diploma/Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma MMM
- CACHE Diploma grade C (minimum 96 points)
- A relevant NVQ Level 3 or 4 in a social work/social care related subject area
- 96 points from the Access to Higher Education Diploma. English and Maths related credits covered within the Access are not normally accepted as GCSE equivalent
- 96 points from at least two Scottish Advanced Highers to include grades DD
- 96 points from the Irish Leaving Certificate at Highers to include 2 X H3 subjects
- Other recognised qualification that provides evidence of ability to study at Higher Education Level
- Applicants are also expected to hold a minimum of 455hrs (13 weeks) of supervised (paid or unpaid) work experience in a social care setting. This requirement will have to be demonstrated on your UCAS application form and be completed by the time you attend an interview. There is no time limit for when this work experience was completed, however more recent experience would strengthen your application. Experience does not have to be gained in one block and could come from full time or part time, paid or volunteering experience or from a placement experience over a longer period of time.
The programme will also consider, in exceptional circumstances, those applicants that have personal experience as an individual with social care needs or as a carer. For example, applications from individuals that have been a primary carer, on a substantial and reqular basis of a relative, friend, or neighbour or a child/young person looked after by the Local Authority - that is, a care experienced person. In such circumstances, applications can also be strengthened with additional volunteering/paid social care experience.
*For Welsh applicants sitting the reformed Mathematics GCSE, we will accept either GCSE
Mathematics – Numeracy.
For applicants who are only undertaking 2 A levels or equivalent, this will be considered along with the rest of the academic profile and we may issue a graded offer in lieu of an offer using the UCAS Tariff.
If you are studying combinations of the above or if your qualification isn't listed, please either contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search for entry requirements. Further information on our entry requirements, including qualifications from the EU can be found by clicking
All offers made are conditional, in that all successful applicants will have to satisfy Disclosure and Barring (DBS) requirements and meet the requirements of registration with Social Care Wales. We also strongly recommend registering for the Update Service as this will mean you do not need any additional DBS Checks to cover your placements as part of the course. Further information on the DBS process can be found at.
If you are successful and offered a place, you will receive written instruction about starting on the course and the DBS/Social Care Wales registration conditions that need to met prior to commencement of the course
Selection is based on the receipt of a completed UCAS application where suitability is assessed based on your match to the entry requirements, including work experience hours. All short listed applicants will be invited to an interview day. Applicant’s supported/sponsored by Local Authority Social Services Departments in the South Wales region should apply directly through your own Training Departments who will subsequently initiate the selection process.