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- University of Bedfordshire
- Professional Social Work Practice PgDip
Course options
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Qualification
Postgraduate Diploma
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Location
Luton campus
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Study mode
Full time
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Start date
08-SEP-25
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Duration
14 Months
Course summary
This innovative Postgraduate Diploma blends practical experience with academic study, leading to a nationally recognised professional qualification in social work. Commissioned by two regional employer partnerships, it provides high-quality, work-based education and training for aspiring social workers, with placements in a local authority. The course is funded by the Department for Education students receive a bursary and are fully supported by a local authority childrens services department. To apply, you need at least six months experience (work or volunteering) with children, young people or families.
What will you study?
Studying our Professional Social Work Practice PgDip course will equip you with the knowledge and expertise in areas of sociology, social policy, and social work practice for social work with children and families. As a core part of your practice, Developing Professional Social Work Practice will allow you to explore key issues, theories and advanced skills in working directly with people and in doing so, assess your readiness to go into your 70-day placement. With a critical approach, you will develop advanced communication skills to work in complex and unpredictable social work environments. In relation to theory, you will develop a deep understanding of current discourse around human development, consider ethical practice and learn the methods of intervention to work with people.
You will then refine your approach to practice in our Reflective Social Work Practice unit to develop your skills as a critically reflective practitioner as you engage in a 100-day placement working alongside professionally qualified practitioners in a statutory childcare setting. One element that feeds into your social work practice is ethics, and this is where our Ethical Perspectives on Law and Society will allow you to explore legal, ethical, social policy and sociological themes in social work practice. You will consider ethical and professional principles such as equality, empowerment, partnership and anti-discriminatory practice. To add to this, you will develop knowledge around the models, policies and practice in Research Informed Child Care Practice. As the unit suggests, the first part of this unit will introduce you to research skills for social workers and how to use this to inform practice.
Following this, you will develop a crucial ability to work in partnership and communicate with different agencies and disciplines based on legal requirements and policy. This may extend into areas such as disability, addiction, mental illness, domestic violence and more. You will also be critical of policy and practice in social work provision in the childcare sector and subsequently make recommendations to improve the delivery of these services. Once you have completed your PgDip and have begun working as a newly qualified social worker, there is an option to complete an additional unit in our Dissertation for Social Workers. This will allow you to undertake a practice-based research project into a topic of your interest as you develop a critical understanding of a specific area in the field and apply advanced research skills to develop informed solutions to improved practice.
Careers
Graduates achieving the Postgraduate Diploma will be eligible to register and practice as a social worker if your local authority has vacancies you will be guaranteed an interview for a social worker role in children and families statutory social work. The starting salary for a social worker in most authorities in this region is around £30k per annum.
The qualification also opens up career paths within a wide range of statutory private voluntary and independent organisations providing services to vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals children families groups and communities.
Modules
Tuition fees
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- Afghanistan
- Albania
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- Argentina
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- Australia
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- Congo
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
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- Czech Republic
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- Dominican Republic
- East Timor
- Ecuador
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- England
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
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- Guinea
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- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
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- Niger
- Nigeria
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
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- Palau
- Palestinian Authority
- Panama
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- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
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- Republic of Ireland
- Romania
- Russia
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- San Marino
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- Saudi Arabia
- Scotland
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Korea
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- Spain
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- St. Lucia
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
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- Syria
- Taiwan
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- Thailand
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- UAE
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- United Kingdom
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- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
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- Wales
- Western Samoa
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
£ 807month
Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.
University information
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University League Table
129th
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Campus address
University of Bedfordshire, Park Square, Luton, Luton, LU1 3JU, England
Subject rankings
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Subject ranking
10th out of 73 8
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Entry standards
/ Max 180133 74%23rd
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Graduate prospects
/ Max 10096.0 96%11th
19 -
Student satisfaction
/ Max 43.49 87%1st
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