STUDY

Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Social Work (Degree Apprenticeship)

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Institution code: S82
UCAS code: N/A
Start date: September 2024
Duration: Three years full-time
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points (or above). BBB (A-level), DDM (BTEC), Merit (T Level)
Institution code: S82
UCAS code: N/A
Start date: September 2024
Duration: Three years full-time
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points (or above). BBB (A-level), DDM (BTEC), Merit (T Level)
Course information table
Institution code: S82
Start date: September 2025
Duration: Three years full-time, four and a half to seven years part-time.
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points (or above). BBB (A-level), DDM (BTEC), Merit (T Level)
Course information table
Institution code: S82
Start date: September 2025
Course information table
Duration: Three years full-time, four and a half to seven years part-time.
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points (or above). BBB (A-level), DDM (BTEC), Merit (T Level)

Overview

We are immensely proud of the Degree Apprenticeship programme. Apprentice Social Workers are provided with excellent learning opportunities and support to build on their existing knowledge, skills and practice experience. The Apprentice Social Work degree programme is successful in part because we have established strong Teaching Partnership relationships with Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and the University of East Anglia, which commenced in 2017. The Teaching Partnership enhances the quality of the apprenticeship programme by bringing innovative approaches to learning, practitioners into teaching, as well as even more opportunities for practical experience and learning from people who have had social work services. More information about the Teaching Partnership.

Social Work is an exciting and fulfilling and deeply rewarding international profession. As a Social Worker you will work in partnership with adults, children, carers and families in a range of different settings to support and promote positive change in people's lives in order to improve their wellbeing and independence. Within the context of relevant Social Work legislation, you will use your professional judgement and build relationships with a variety of individuals and communities, as well as with a wide range of other professionals and agencies.

The tutors and people who use services and practitioners bring a diversity of experience to the course, and direct links to current practice through the Teaching Partnership, ensures your learning is up to date. What is more, during your degree the teaching team provides academic guidance and careers support. All of this advances employability in time for graduation. Service users and carers with a variety of experiences and knowledge are involved in many elements of social work education. It is a fundamental part of the activities at the University of Suffolk.

The Apprentice Social Worker is a 37-hour per week job and the Apprenticeship programme is funded by Suffolk County Council and applications are advertised annually via Suffolk County Council Jobs and Careers. For more information, please email: WFDApprenticeshipProgramme@suffolk.gov.uk 

More information about the required Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours that apprentices will be required to demonstrate on this programme are accessible via the Institute for Apprentices website.

The course is approved by the profession’s regulator, Social Work England, and is mapped against the following: 

Social Work England Professional Standards (2019) 

BASW Professional Capabilities Framework (2018) 

Institute for Apprenticeships Social Worker (Integrated Degree) Standard (2022) 

QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Social Work (2019) 

Further information about the University's relationship with Social Work England is available in the PSRB register.

The University of Suffolk is world-class and committed to our region. We are proudly modern and innovative and we believe in transformative education. We are on the rise with a focus on student satisfaction, graduate prospects, spending on academic services and student facilities.

1st

in Social Work for graduate prospects

The Complete University Guide 2023

1st

in Social Work for spend per student

The Guardian University Guide 2023

94%

of Social Work students said the course is intellectually stimulating

The Guardian University Guide 2023

Course Modules

Our undergraduate programmes are delivered as 'block and blend' - more information can be found on Why Suffolk? You can also watch our Block and Blend video.

The Degree Apprenticeship is full-time and apprentices take up to five modules per year, with a combination of work-based practice learning experiences, block and year-long modules. Typically, apprentices attend university for one day per week and will spend four days in their rotation.

Downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

Social worker holding hands with senior woman

This module prepares apprentices and assesses their suitability to commence direct practice in line with the Professional Capabilities Framework (BASW, 2018) level of ‘Readiness for Practice and the Social Work England Professional Standards (SWE, 2019). 

The individual moves through various stages of the lifespan and this module, offers apprentices the opportunity toexamine the implications of a development process and life stages on the individuals behaviour. The module introduces apprentices to the conceptual frameworks of human development from pre-birth to old age, encompassing both ‘normal’ and atypical development.

This module introduces apprentices to a range of key theories and major themes drawn from sociology and rooted in social justice. Apprentices will develop their “sociological imagination” and engage with concepts and debates to challenge their assumptions and long-held beliefs. The module will promote learners’ curiosity and encourage them to question themselves and the world that they live in, providing a space to broaden understandings of their personal and professional value base and their developing professional identity. 

Social Work England professional standards (2019) require that all practitioners reflect on their personal and professional values (Standard 4.8) to ensure that practice is safe, ethical and operates within anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory frameworks. The module enables learners to critically reflect on their own personal values, explore the value base that underpins social work practice, appreciate that social work is full of ethical dilemmas, that practitioners need to sensitively navigate, and understand the damaging consequences of discrimination on individuals and groups. 

The ability to communicate effectively is an important life skill. It can be argued that the accomplishment of effective communication is the foundation upon which social work practice is formed. This module will support the development of apprentices to become accomplished communicators with people that access services, managers and other professionals both within and outside of social care. 

The key aim of this module is to enable apprentices to discuss, analyse and evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of national legislation and how policy is applied at regional and local levels. Contextualising social work practice with adults within a legal, political, social and economic framework, learners will be encouraged to analyse and evaluate the constraints and opportunities which arise within this continually changing context. 

Social workers must act to protect children and support them and their families. Children’s wishes and feelings must be sought and listened to and at the same time decisions must be taken in their best interests. Having knowledge of the law (including human / children’s rights legislation), procedures, ethics, and research including learning from Child Safeguarding Practice reviews, as well has being skillful in working directly with children and families and effectively communicating with them and with other professionals, is the foundation of excellent practice. 

Research underpins the social work knowledge-base, shaping and informing the profession. The module will promote apprentices’ curiosity, through developing a questioning approach and encourage a critical appreciation of a variety of different research approaches supported through the development of design, evaluation and analysis skills. Learners will engage with the principles, practice and integrity of research and progress their knowledge on the effective use of research findings. 

It is essential that social workers have a good knowledge and understanding of mental health and personal distress from a range of theories, law, lived experience perspectives and practice knowledge. These issues will be particularly explored in relation to social justice, including the tensions and dilemmas this raises for contemporary social work practice. 

Social Work apprentices are required to spend at least 170 days gaining required experience and learning in practice settings. Each apprentice must have experience in at least two contrasting practice settings.At level 5 learners will undertake supervised and assessed practice learning of at least 70 days for the academic year.

This module enables apprentices to critically consider and develop understandings of social justice as theory and practice. This is vital to social work practice to enable social workers to become critical thinkers to challenge injustice and bring about change. 

Social Work apprentices are required to spend at least 170 days gaining required experience and learning in practice settings. Each apprentice must have experience in at least two contrasting practice settings.At level 6 learners will undertake assessed practice learning of at least 100 days for the academic year. 

This module provides social work apprentices with an opportunity to produce a final year project that supports the exercise of independent judgement and research skills in the development and execution of an evaluative project relevant to the field of social work and which is rooted in contemporary practice. 

Course Modules 2024

Our undergraduate programmes are delivered as 'block and blend' - more information can be found on Why Suffolk? You can also watch our Block and Blend video.

The Degree Apprenticeship is full-time and apprentices take up to five modules per year, with a combination of work-based practice learning experiences, block and year-long modules. Typically, apprentices attend university for one day per week and will spend four days in their rotation.

Downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

Social worker holding hands with senior woman

This module prepares apprentices and assesses their suitability to commence direct practice in line with the Professional Capabilities Framework (BASW, 2018) level of ‘Readiness for Practice and the Social Work England Professional Standards (SWE, 2019). 

The individual moves through various stages of the lifespan and this module, offers apprentices the opportunity toexamine the implications of a development process and life stages on the individuals behaviour. The module introduces apprentices to the conceptual frameworks of human development from pre-birth to old age, encompassing both ‘normal’ and atypical development.

This module introduces apprentices to a range of key theories and major themes drawn from sociology and rooted in social justice. Apprentices will develop their “sociological imagination” and engage with concepts and debates to challenge their assumptions and long-held beliefs. The module will promote learners’ curiosity and encourage them to question themselves and the world that they live in, providing a space to broaden understandings of their personal and professional value base and their developing professional identity. 

Social Work England professional standards (2019) require that all practitioners reflect on their personal and professional values (Standard 4.8) to ensure that practice is safe, ethical and operates within anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory frameworks. The module enables learners to critically reflect on their own personal values, explore the value base that underpins social work practice, appreciate that social work is full of ethical dilemmas, that practitioners need to sensitively navigate, and understand the damaging consequences of discrimination on individuals and groups. 

The ability to communicate effectively is an important life skill. It can be argued that the accomplishment of effective communication is the foundation upon which social work practice is formed. This module will support the development of apprentices to become accomplished communicators with people that access services, managers and other professionals both within and outside of social care. 

The key aim of this module is to enable apprentices to discuss, analyse and evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of national legislation and how policy is applied at regional and local levels. Contextualising social work practice with adults within a legal, political, social and economic framework, learners will be encouraged to analyse and evaluate the constraints and opportunities which arise within this continually changing context. 

Social workers must act to protect children and support them and their families. Children’s wishes and feelings must be sought and listened to and at the same time decisions must be taken in their best interests. Having knowledge of the law (including human / children’s rights legislation), procedures, ethics, and research including learning from Child Safeguarding Practice reviews, as well has being skillful in working directly with children and families and effectively communicating with them and with other professionals, is the foundation of excellent practice. 

Research underpins the social work knowledge-base, shaping and informing the profession. The module will promote apprentices’ curiosity, through developing a questioning approach and encourage a critical appreciation of a variety of different research approaches supported through the development of design, evaluation and analysis skills. Learners will engage with the principles, practice and integrity of research and progress their knowledge on the effective use of research findings. 

It is essential that social workers have a good knowledge and understanding of mental health and personal distress from a range of theories, law, lived experience perspectives and practice knowledge. These issues will be particularly explored in relation to social justice, including the tensions and dilemmas this raises for contemporary social work practice. 

Social Work apprentices are required to spend at least 170 days gaining required experience and learning in practice settings. Each apprentice must have experience in at least two contrasting practice settings.At level 5 learners will undertake supervised and assessed practice learning of at least 70 days for the academic year.

This module enables apprentices to critically consider and develop understandings of social justice as theory and practice. This is vital to social work practice to enable social workers to become critical thinkers to challenge injustice and bring about change. 

Social Work apprentices are required to spend at least 170 days gaining required experience and learning in practice settings. Each apprentice must have experience in at least two contrasting practice settings.At level 6 learners will undertake assessed practice learning of at least 100 days for the academic year. 

This module provides social work apprentices with an opportunity to produce a final year project that supports the exercise of independent judgement and research skills in the development and execution of an evaluative project relevant to the field of social work and which is rooted in contemporary practice. 

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WHY SUFFOLK

16th place in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards for Best Facilities 2023

WUSCA 2023

5th place in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards for Career Prospects 2023

WUSCA 2023

14th place in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards for Student Support 2023

WUSCA 2023
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Inside the Waterfront Building
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The Waterfront Building on Ipswich Marina
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The Library
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SU Social Space

Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements

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Career Opportunities

We know how important employability is when considering degree courses. Social work graduates have a wide range of options upon graduation and are in great demand in the UK – from Social Workers within a local authority, the independent or private and voluntary (PVI) sector to careers involving research, education and beyond. Social Workers also work within many fields, such as:

  • Mental health
  • Child protection
  • Youth justice
  • Health

 

You could also work alongside older people, refugees and asylum seekers, children and families, people with disabilities, foster carers and adopters, and more.

What this means is that a career in social work can be varied and opens the door to many, different opportunities! 

Your Course Team

Apprenticeship Funding

Degree Apprenticeships are only offered to students undertaking the course as part of their employment. Apprenticeship training will therefore be funded directly by employers or by employers in partnership with Government. Apprentices will not be required to pay any tuition or course fees, and will not be eligible for any Student Finance England maintenance support. Please see our Apprenticeship pages for more information.

Apprenticeships Information
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Victoria Veale, BA (Hons) Social Work (Degree Apprenticeship)

“Since graduating from the University of Suffolk I have been employed by Suffolk County Council as a social worker in Adult and Community Services. I am currently at the newly qualified stage of my career and recently was shortlisted for the Adult Newly Qualified Social Worker of the year in the Social Worker of the Year Awards.”

read more
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Related Courses

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BA (Hons) Social Work

A Social Work degree opens the door to a profession which is varied and aims to improve people’s lives.

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Post Graduate Certificate in Social Work Practice Education

This course aims to produce high quality social work practice educators who are able to produce evidence-informed assessments of social work students and newly qualified social workers.

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