Step Up to Social WorkPG Dip

Applied Law for Social Work

You will understand, analyse and critically reflect on legal processes, legislation, statutory instruments, and guidance. You will explore social work and multi-agency practice interventions applicable to children in need and at risk of harm. You will examine how these are informed by law, theory, research and the voices of children. Knowledge of inquiries and serious case reviews will inform your learning and concepts of human rights and safeguarding are central to the module. You will understand thresholds for intervention and the application of professional judgement which underpin best-practice models.

The teaching methods are various and participatory. They take into account different learning needs and styles to ensure wide participation. You will be given tools to develop your confidence to interpret and use law in social work practice in order to safeguard and protect People with Lived Experience. Your understanding of case law will be tested in this module.

The lectures and case studies in the seminars are guided by real life situations as reflected in practice in case law and as described in serious case reviews.
You will have the experience of observing live courts in action and take part in mock court activities (with the presentence of a judge and visiting lawyers). These activities serve to build on existing knowledge of the law and this will further expand your understanding of legislation and law in practice.

An ethical approach to applying the law runs through the whole course. You will learn about the legal system as a way of ensuring social justice, and you will learn how and why a rules-based order based on the European Convention of Human Rights informs all social work practice.

You will have the opportunity to make the connection with anti- discriminatory and anti-Oppressive practice and Equality of Opportunity. You will increase your understanding of the impact of past and present colonial approaches within the law and how a rights-based approach to law facilitates decolonisation in law and practice. The teaching group are experienced Practitioners and Academic staff representing diverse ethnicities, genders, sexualities, and cultures.

The aims of the module are that you will:
1. learn how the English Courts and legal system works, and how to find your way through legislation, statutory instruments, codes of practice and case law.
2. become familiar with key professional milestones, such as serious incident reports and professional guidance.
3. have the opportunity to examine and explore laws related to anti- discriminatory practice, human rights and social justice in relation to current legislation, policy and practice guidance.
4. have direct live experiences of courts in action, the use of real-life cases and the examination and explorations of serious case reviews.
5. critically analyse the role of multi-agency working together in protecting children, this will include housing law, and opportunities to explore safeguarding in practice for children.
6. critically reflect on the professional role with an emphasis on evaluating and managing risk, the importance of accountability, understanding thresholds and the application of professional judgement.
7. investigate how the law evolved from a colonial context and how a rights-based approach to law facilitates decolonisation in law and practice.

Assessment Planning and Professional Ethics

This module provides opportunities for students to prepare for effective social work
practice. By the end of this module:
● You will understand key concepts and develop a foundational knowledge of need, risk, support and care for children and adults, and the role of the social worker.
● You will be able to recognise how legislation, policy and practice guidance relates to assessment and support/care planning.
● You will be able to understand and reflect on models and theories of assessment and support/care planning for children and adults and to develop practitioner skills in a context of social work ethics and values.
● You will recognise the importance of promoting the involvement of children and adults in social work processes and the development of skills in the empowerment of service users.

People with Lived Experience colleagues have contributed to the development of the case studies used in the teaching and assessment of this module

Development across the lifespan for Social Work

Social Workers are required to develop and apply relevant knowledge from social work practice and research, social sciences, law, other professional and relevant fields, and from the experience of people who use services (PCF Domain 5).
This module will support you to apply knowledge acquired from sociological and psychological theories of adult and child development, people with lived experience and through a child observation task.
By the end of this module you will be able to:
● Identify, analyse and evaluate psychological and sociological theories of child and adult development.
● Demonstrate an understanding of child developmental milestones within the parameters of diverse cultures and contexts.
● Explain and analyse theories of adult development, to understand the specific, day to day difficulties and disadvantages faced by different adult service user groups including people who need the help and support of social care services because of ill-health, impairment/disability.
● Explain theories of loss and grief and identify differing models of support within the context of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory theory and practice.
● Apply psychological and sociological theories of development to a child observation and an adult narrative task.

Readiness for Direct Practice

This module prepares you for direct practice to progress into your first placement.
This module provides opportunities for you to:
● Gain a deeper understanding of the role of social workers, the regulations and key documents that govern social workers.
● Develop practice skills in a supportive learning environment.
● Develop professional abilities, skills and understanding of the generic role of a social worker to achieve readiness for practice across a range of different service user groups.
● Develop basic communication skills in-line with the Readiness for Practice criteria
● Engage with the 9 domains of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).

People with Lived Experience colleagues have contributed to the development, design
and delivery of this module in the following ways:
● Assessment of summative role play task
● Co-facilitation of role play communication skills session.

Social Work Practice Learning 1 - First placement

Social Work Practice Learning one will provide you with experiential learning
opportunities, in a social work or social care setting, to integrate the theory you have
been introduced to at university with practice. You will be supported to demonstrate
appropriate professional behaviour and relationships, develop professional values and
gain working knowledge of organisational contexts. It also aims to provide you with the
opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills required for practice with individuals,
families, carers, groups and communities.

It provides the first opportunity for you to practise in social work under supervised
conditions and develop knowledge, skills and values to enable you to meet the
Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) at first placement level and Social Work
England’s Professional Standards as they relate to this level of your studies.

Social Work Practice Learning 2 - Second placement

The Practice Learning 2 module provides you with the opportunity to prepare for professional practice in social work under supervised conditions and

● Develop your knowledge, values and skills in relation to working with people with lived experience in more complex situations, taking responsibility for managing your time and workload effectively.
● Develop an understanding of, and an ability to apply ethical principles and relevant legislation whilst working alongside professionally qualified social workers in a setting and with a people with lived experience group that contrasts with the first placement.
● Consolidate and integrate the skills and knowledge developed in your first placement and university-based teaching modules.
● Demonstrate knowledge and effective application of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), BASW Professional Standards and the Knowledge and Skills Statement (KSS) (DfE and DoH)

By the end of their final placement students are expected to be practising at the level that will be required of a newly qualified social worker.

Social Work Theories and Perspectives

This module aims to provide students with an opportunity to learn a range of theoretical approaches used in Social Work interventions, and to apply these to different social contexts in order to promote effective, ethical and anti-oppressive social work practice.

By the end of this module:
● You will be able to critically analyse the contested nature of social work explanations of the circumstances of service users and the interventions implied by these explanations.
● You will be able to identify and analyse theoretical perspectives relevant to social work taking into account the practical and ethical impact these perspectives have upon different individuals, groups and communities.
● You will be able to critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives with regard to relations of power and anti-oppressive practice relevant to social work