Social work and social care

Contexts of Social Work

Module code: L5088
Level 4
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar
Assessment modes: Coursework

On this module, you’ll place the contemporary UK social work profession within its historical and global contexts. You’ll learn through lectures, workshops, and group and individual research tasks. These activities will help you better understand the realities of modern social work practice and the factors shaping the profession’s development.

You'll explore key policy changes and the political, contested, and controversial aspects of the social work role, providing a strong foundation for future modules. You'll benefit from the active participation of service users, carers, practitioners, and faculty, offering diverse perspectives and insights.

Module learning outcomes

• Understand the range of roles and tasks involved in social work practice through an appreciation of the range of settings in which social work takes place within contemporary British society. 
• Explain how social policy affects the development of social work practice  
• Demonstrate initial understanding of local and global challenges social work faces in the contemporary context 
• Describe some of the variations in how social work is practiced in other parts of the world through the lens of anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practice