MA Social Work(with registration)

Year 2

(Award available for year: Master of Arts)

Learning outcomes

On completion of this level students should have shown evidence of being able to:
- to demonstrate in-depth, extended or specialist knowledge relevant to and at the forefront of social work practice
- to demonstrate an advanced understanding of concepts, information and skills informed by knowledge at the forefront of social work;
- to exhibit competence in the exercise of advanced, generic and social work based intellectual abilities;
- to demonstrate an advanced understanding of the skills required to critically analyse and appraise knowledge related to social work practice;
- to take a proactive and self-reflective role in relation to their own social work and academic performance and take responsibility for modifying action in light of this including formulating and evaluating ideas and hypotheses;
- to take a proactive self reflective role in developing professional relationships with others;
- to critically evaluate current issues and research in social work
- to plan and carry out a research project, demonstrating a critically reflective understanding of research methods and the implications of their project for social work practice.

Programme Specific outcomes:
- To critically and reflectively analyse and evaluate the evidence base for contemporary social work practice in order to facilitate the delivery of high quality social work practice taking into account both national and international policy developments and current legislation.
- To demonstrate a critically reflective understanding of the five core areas of knowledge and understanding relevant to social work, including their application to practice and service delivery. These are ; social work services, service users and carers; the service delivery context; values and ethics; social work theory; the nature of social work practice
- To equip the student with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and awareness to critically evaluate difference, manage diversity and promote equality in service provision
- To integrate analytic and critically reflective understanding of ethical issues and codes of values and practice with their interventions in specific situations
- To synthesise knowledge and understanding of factors that contribute to social disadvantage and empowerment of service users and carers.
- To recognise and acknowledge the contributions of family, service users' and carers' perspectives in health and social care and to actively promote their involvement in service delivery and planning
- To deliver safe, skilled and responsive care to service users and carers in a wide range of health social care settings in line with the Professional Capabilities Framework and HCPC Standards of Proficiency.
- To demonstrate professional judgement and problem-solving skills that are underpinned by an in depth and broad social work knowledge base.
- To demonstrate the exercise of initiative, personal responsibility and decision making in complex and unpredictable situations
- To develop knowledge and skills in inter-professional learning and working that critically evaluate the issues and demands of working together and provide appropriate challenges to develop service user and carer focused service delivery
- To demonstrate the ability to independently evaluate and develop strategies to meet the student's own learning needs, including continuous professional development
- Consistently exercise an appropriate level of autonomy and initiative in individual decision making within the context of supervisory, collaborative, ethical and organisational requirements
- To qualify students who are committed to and able to deliver anti oppressive approaches to services in line with the value requirements of the PCF, the HCPC Standards of Proficiency and the HCPC Code of Practice for Conduct and Ethics for social workers.

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire the following abilities defined in the modules specified for the programme
- The skills necessary to undertake a higher research degree and/or for employment in a higher capacity in social work practice;
- Evaluating their own achievement and that of others;
- Self direction and effective decision making in complex and unpredictable situations;
- Independent learning and the ability to work in a way which ensures continuing professionaldevelopment;
- To critically engage in the development of professional/disciplinary boundaries and norms.

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will involve the achievement of the students in:
- evidencing an ability to conduct independent in-depth enquiry within social work;
- demonstrating the ability to apply breadth and/or depth of knowledge to a complex specialist area;
- drawing on a range of perspectives on an area of study;
- evaluating and criticising received opinion;
- make reasoned judgements whilst understanding the limitations on judgements made in the absence of complete data.