Social Work placements

Placements give you on-the-job training while studying on our Social Work BA or MA. You’ll benefit from our close links with schools, local authorities and other social care settings.

Practice learning

All students on our Social Work courses must complete 200 practice learning days, including two block placements and practice development workshops.

We work closely with local partner agencies, who provide an exciting range of practice learning opportunities in both the statutory and voluntary sectors. While on placement, you are assessed and supported by experienced placement supervisors, practice educators and practice educator consultants. Additional support is provided by university Academic Advisors and Student Services where required.

You’ll need to demonstrate readiness to engage in direct practice before going on any direct work or practice placements with vulnerable people.

Placement settings

Placements opportunities will vary from year to year. Some examples of placement settings are children and family placements or adult and community care placements. 

Children and family placements

These could include:

• duty teams
• long-term teams
• family centres
• children’s hospitals
• child protection services
• children’s disability teams
• fostering and adoption services.

Adult and community care placements

These could include:

• older people’s assessment teams
• hospital-based teams
• community mental health teams
• independent living teams
• day centres
• disability teams
• homelessness and addiction services
• residential units.

Social Work BA placements

The first year of your training involves a range of activities preparing you for practice. You will undertake a four-day work shadowing placement in a statutory agency, as well as observational activities. You’ll be assessed for readiness for direct practice through a range of tasks and a verbal exam.

You’ll spend 170 days on placement in your next two years (70 days in Year 2 and 100 days in Year 3). You’ll also have 30 days of workshops to develop your practice skills across the entire course.

Find out more about the Social Work BA. 

Social Work MA placements

Before you start working on placement, you will be involved in a range of activities preparing you for practice.

One of the requirements before you start the MA is to undertake a four-day work shadowing placement of a social worker in a statutory agency. 

During Year 1, Semester 1 of the MA, you’ll be assessed for your readiness for direct practice through a verbal exam. In Year 1, Semester 2 you will undertake the first professional practice placement of 70 days in the local community.

In Year 2 you will undertake your final professional practice placement of 100 days in the local community.

You’ll also have 30 days of workshops to develop your practice skills across both years of the MA.

Find out more about the Social Work MA. 

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More information

• find a course
• Open Days and events
• visit the current students and staff website.