Courses and structure

What you study

The curriculum aims to provide you with the value, knowledge and skill base for practice and is organised around study units, workshops, lectures/seminar courses, projects and private study. The teaching and learning opportunities centre on the key areas of the social sciences and their application to Social Work practice, as well developing your intellectual capacity, and the skills necessary to get you ready for practice.

The structured learning includes specific learning in:

• human growth and development, mental health and disability;
• Social Work theories and methods; assessment, planning, intervention and review;
• communication skills with children, adults and those with particular communication needs;
• Law, and partnership working across professional disciplines and agencies.

Practice is central to the degree, and there will be practice placements in two settings and with different service user groups (e.g. child care and mental health).

You are expected to demonstrate competence across a range of standards and this is formally assessed. The learning on the degree builds over the three years and prepares you to apply that knowledge to practice situations.

Course-units

Year 1

Introduction to Social Work
This course-unit provides an introduction to the nature of Social Work as a professional activity and an academic discipline. It outlines the historical background to the development of Social Work and introduces key Social Work theories and issues. This includes an introduction to the theoretical basis for anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive approaches and consideration of the perspectives of the users of Social Work services. Assessment by: 2,000-word essay.

Community Needs and Services
This course-unit considers a range of key concepts such as the nature of need, community, Social Work services and the significance of the service user perspective. You are expected to develop a basic understanding of the contested nature of the concepts and the difficulties associated with their application in policy and practice through a combination of formal teaching and a small-scale research project. This course-unit also introduces key methods and debates in research within the social sciences in general and Social Work in particular. Assessment by: 3,000-word essay.

Introduction to Social Sciences
This course-unit introduces you to some major theoretical approaches within the social sciences, to consider its relevance to Social Work. You are introduced to broad schools of thought in psychology as they apply to human growth and development, different ideological traditions in social policy; and sociological approaches to key concepts such as class, gender, race, sex, the family, socialisation and role theory to enable you to understand human behaviour and the social context of the world service users inhabit. The course-unit provides some of the underpinning social science knowledge for examining Social Work theory and practice. Assessment by: seen examination.

Professional Development for Practice
This course-unit aims to prepare you for undertaking professional practice in Years 2 and 3 of the programme. The course-unit offers you an opportunity to further your understanding of the experience of service users through workshops, reading, discussion, and audio-visual material. You have the opportunity to shadow an experienced and qualified Social Worker and are also expected to undertake direct work with service users either on a voluntary or paid basis. Seminars enable you to reflect on your personal and professional experiences and to link this with the theoretical and skills-based teaching on the programme. Assessment by: presentation and portfolio comprising a 2,000- word reflective account and a 2,000-word essay.

In addition, there is teaching on IT skills and workshops covering a number of specific issues.

Year 2

Human Growth and Development
This course-unit addresses issues of life-span development focusing on child development, adolescence and work with older people. It includes the study of key theories and approaches to human growth and development, as well as considering discrimination and oppression. You observe a child under the age of five in a home or group care setting for one hour a week for six weeks. The observations are accompanied by a weekly seminar in which you and fellow students take it in turns to present a detailed written narrative of an observation and discuss the issues generated. Assessment by: portfolio 4,000-words in total, comprising 2,000- word assignment and two 1,000-word records from your six Infant Child Observations.

Social Work Skills and Methods
This course-unit provides a grounding in key skills and methods of intervention for professional Social Work. It builds on the Professional Development for Practice course-unit in Year 1 and leads into the Social Work Theory and Practice course-unit in Year 3. It considers these in relation to the Department of Health requirements for Planning, Intervention and Review. It provides opportunities for you to practice some of the core skills and learn some core methods of intervention prior to your first assessed placement. Assessment by: seen examination.

Assessed Practice
This course aims to enable you to practice as a Social Worker at an intermediate level within a multi-professional context and to meet the professional requirements for Social Work training. It consists of 85 days practice under the guidance of a practice assessor. All practice learning opportunities offer the possibility for you to develop your communication and Social Work practice skills with service users and to work in partnership across professional disciplines and agencies. Assessment by: practice portfolio comprising work summaries and placement critical self-evaluation to show you have met the practice standards at the required level.

Assessment in Social Work
The Assessment in Social Work course-unit aims to provide you with an introduction to assessment in Social Work and to the links between Social Work theory and practice. It consists of a study unit in which you work in small groups to carry out guided reading, role-play and exploration of a simulated assessment task, plus a series of case discussion seminars concurrent with the practice placement. The course-unit aims to equip you with assessment skills to be applied in the initial period of Assessed Practice. Assessment by: 3,000-word case study.

Law and the Organisational Context of Social Work 1
This course-unit provides an overview of the legal and organisational context of Social Work. Assessment by: take home paper in Year 3.

Year 3

Law and the Organisational Context of Social Work 2
This course-unit provides an overview of the legal and organisational context of Social Work. You explore tensions, dilemmas and competing demands of practice within this context. Assessment by: take-home paper comprising short essay questions.

Skills and Methods in Social Work: Specialist Area of Practice
This course-unit introduces you to one of the two main specialist areas of Social Work practice, work with children and families or work with adults in need, enabling you to extend your knowledge and skills in one specialist area. It provides the opportunity to examine aspects of theory and practice in some depth and to explore evidence- based and research-based practice. It enables you to analyse and critically evaluate some methods of intervention or policies and practices in the chosen topic area. It provides a foundation for the application of knowledge, values and skills in the final placement. Assessment by: 8,000-word extended essay on practice-related topic of your choice.

Assessed Practice
This course-unit aims to enable you to practice as a Social Worker at a newly qualified Social Worker level within a multi-professional context and to meet the professional requirements for Social Work training.

It consists of 115 days practice from November to June, under the guidance of a practice assessor. All practice learning offers opportunities for you to develop your communication and Social Work practice skills with service users and to work in partnership across professional disciplines and agencies.

The Year 3 practice learning enables you to work in a different setting and with a different service user group to during the practice learning undertaken in Year 2. You undertake statutory Social Work tasks involving legal interventions, where you have not had the opportunity to do this in the previous year.

Assessment by: practice portfolio comprising work summaries and placement critical self-evaluation to show you have met the practice standards at the required level.

Practice Placements

You undertake a number of assessed practice placements. The Department of Health requires you to spend at least 200 days in practice settings.

In Year 1, you are expected to complete a week shadowing an experienced Social Worker as well as a period of voluntary work, both of which you arrange.

In Year 2 there is a practice placement lasting 85 days and in Year 3 the practice placement lasts 115 days. These placements are arranged through the allocation system devised by the College.

From September 2013, in Year 2 the practice placement will last 70 days, and in Year 3 it will last 100 days. The practice placements will be supported by 30 days for the development of practice skills.

You have an identified Practice Assessor for each of the two practice placements. Most of our placements are located in South East London, so if you live elsewhere please be aware you will need to travel.

Assessment

The programme is assessed by a range of methods including formal written papers, examinations, project work, practice based case studies, extended essays, and production of a practice portfolio for each placement.

Assessment of practice is by reports by your Practice Assessor. This includes direct observation of your work with service users as well as your practice portfolio, and narrative giving an evaluation of your work.

Skills and careers

Skills

The programmes here at Goldsmiths are both practice-focused and critical and aim to equip you for the challenges of contemporary social work practice.

Key skills you will acquire during your studies include:

• communicating with a range of service users, carers and professionals.
• assessing need, risk and strengths.
• producing high quality reports.
• planning, co-ordinating and evaluating services.
• partnership and multi disciplinary working

Careers and employability

Our students have been successful in a range of areas, from postgraduate research to employment in local authority children’s services departments, adult services departments, independent sector and voluntary sector agencies such as NSPCC, Family Action and MIND.

• Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths
• Our alumni

About the department

The Department of Professional and Community Education (PACE)

The Department of Professional and Community Education (PACE) offers a broad range of programmes and courses ranging from vocational and professional training, undergraduate and postgraduate, certificate and diploma programmes, as well as courses designed to encourage returning to study.

Subjects include:

• Community and Youth Work
• Cultural and Social Studies including Anthropology, Computing, Creative Writing, Design and Technology, Historical Studies, Literary Studies, Media and Communications, Politics, Psychology, Research Study Skills and Sociology
• Languages and Language Studies including English as a Foreign Language
• Performing Arts, including Drama, Theatre and Music
• Psychotherapeutic Studies including Art Psychotherapy, Therapeutic Cultures, Dance Movement Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Psychodynamic Studies
• Social Work

At Goldsmiths, we aim to work closely with local communities. For over a hundred years we have been committed to lifelong learning and to bridging the gap between theory and practice, through professional and continuing studies. PACE was formed to provide a focus for this work.

• Selected publications
• Staff in the department
• Research

Student profiles

"The decision to resign from my job and pursue a career in social work at Goldsmiths has been one of the best I have made. At the beginning of the course it was very overwhelming because you have a huge amount of new information to process and understand. However, the content of the course is fascinating. I have been taught about interesting theories and concepts. I have learned how to look at things critically and learned how to be reflective in my practice.

The course is exciting because you meet and work with individuals from a diverse range of cultures, backgrounds and experience, all of whom bring individual perspectives and knowledge which enhance your learning.

I would recommend Goldsmiths to anyone wanting to pursue a career in social work. The lecturers are experienced practitioners who are passionate about social work, and their lectures and seminars are always interesting and informative. The Goldsmiths social work course is renowned for group work, so be prepared. Also, get into the habit of reading anything and everything to do with social work, particularly read about anti-oppressive practice and anti-discriminatory practice, as they are at the forefront of social work practice."

Lacey, BA Social Work

"To be able to get a place at Goldsmiths and study social work I had to overcome many obstacles. I am 33 years old and Polish with a first degree in acting. I had to prepare myself thoroughly, mentally and technically, to be able to apply for the course. This included gaining appropriate work experience, completing an Access course, receiving counselling sessions, networking and taking an interest in current social issues. I was lucky to meet people who directed me to this university, as on this course you learn as much about others as you learn about yourself.

I value Goldsmiths’ way of teaching, where we need to find our own motivation and strengths to be able to complete the course. We are not having an easy ride here, and we are very often working in small groups, where we have to learn to deal with conflict and different perspectives. This is a useful tool for developing professional and personal skills.

I am a first year student and we have already had very difficult tasks set for us to do. I find it very helpful to develop good mechanisms and strategies to study under these circumstances. Our way of thinking is being challenged to teach us to open our minds, strip us from prejudice and assumptions and learn social work skills. This course prepares you to work efficiently, skilfully, independently and successfully.

I find this course very interesting and mentally stimulating with a range of lectures and discussions on contested topics. We have plenty of time to pursue our interests in the library but also time to reflect, talk or discuss, sometimes very passionately, rather than just listen."

Sebastian, BA Social Work

"Studying for the degree has been an ambition of mine for many years. Through being out of academic education for many years, I did not feel confident enough to undertake a degree in the first instance. I therefore undertook an Access to Social Work course in order to prepare me for undertaking the degree.

I had known about Goldsmiths and its reputation of being a very good university to study social work. Although I had read information about the university, upon attending the open day, I was very impressed by the diversity and the different cultures of both the students and staff. Being a mature student, I felt then that Goldsmiths would be a place where I would be best suited to undertake my studies.

The lecturers are passionate about social work and the promoting of human rights and social justice. Classes and lectures cover various subjects, topics and debates, with many linking theories to current contemporary social work practice. Some areas of learning have been more challenging than others, but what I love the most is that unlike other universities, Goldsmiths really does start to prepare you for social work practice from the offset.

The university atmosphere is very buzzy and vibrant and there are so many groups you can get involved with if you wish. Academic and emotional support within the university is very good and is available to everyone."

Pauline, BA Social Work

"I decided to study social work after volunteering as a befriender with a looked after young person. I had been out of education for some time and I believed that I would not be able to gain the qualifications required to access the Goldsmiths course. Luckily, I spoke with the Admissions Office who advised me to undertake the Open University Introduction to Health and Social Care qualification which, with my voluntary experience, gained me a place on the social work course last year.

Goldsmiths is a great university to study social work at. Although perhaps best known for its arts and humanities departments, Goldsmiths’ rhetoric of radical and original thought permeates through the course, giving us students the belief that we can genuinely promote human rights and social justice.

Our lecturers are passionate about social work and are experienced as practitioners as well as academics. However much of my learning has come not from the library or lecturers, but from the rich tapestry of colleagues that I study with, all of whom bring and share unique insights and experiences, which continuously challenge, influence and develop my own ideas of good social work.

When you attend Goldsmiths you feel part of something very special. The campus feels intimate and the Students’ Union works hard to create an environment which I have found promotes plenty of fun as well as a good dollop of social debate. If you want to study social work and just pass then there are plenty of decent universities to do so. However, if you want to be creative and challenge the status quo, then maybe this is the place for you."

Patrick, BA Social Work

"Before I began life as a student at Goldsmiths I was a manager in a school that worked with children diagnosed as having emotional and behavioural difficulties. My position, Acting Head of Care, had been earned by my ability to work effectively and being at the right place at the right time. However I was concerned about my future prospects as my lack of qualifications would have eventually presented a barrier in my future career development. My decision was to leave full-time employment and go back into full-time education as a mature student.

This decision was very daunting as I knew that I would have to make many sacrifices. Once I had decided to pursue the social work degree I immediately began to speak to social workers that I knew professionally and privately. As the conversations took place, Goldsmiths was the one establishment that was continually mentioned. Goldsmiths had a reputation of excellence in regards to the quality of the lecturers and the level of the practitioners that complete the course. I then looked at the university ratings and noted that Goldsmiths had been in the top three for a number of years for social work. The combination of the glowing reputation and the university ratings was a strong factor in my preference of university.

My decision has been validated from the moment of the interview to this present day. I am finding the social work course both rewarding and demanding. The content of the course is riveting at times. During these last three years I have not only been taught complex theories and concepts, but have been given the skills to think analytically and view things from multiple perspectives. The lectures in the beginning of year one was daunting for many students as we had to get accustomed to the concepts we were being taught by lecturers with a complex vocabulary. However, being on placement in year three has illuminated the importance of broadening one's knowledge. Both of my placements have also highlighted the positive reputation that Goldsmiths students have within social work.

The atmosphere in the university is excellent. There is a very youthful and vibrant feel that permeates throughout Goldsmiths. There is an unwritten rule around respecting each other within the uni and I have never seen anything but a positive vibe in Goldsmiths.

During my time at Goldsmiths I have taken part in football, basketball, and jujitsu. I have also been able to attend different activities ranging from fashion shows, to debates with politicians. By using the university equipment I have been able to make two DVDs, one for a school project and another for a work project.

Goldsmiths is one choice that I will never regret. The things that I have experienced and learnt will always be looked at fondly. My reality is that I came to Goldsmiths just wanting to be a social worker, but I will be leaving with the hope that social work is just the beginning of my career."

Daniel, BA Social Work