PDSUTSWK - PG Diploma Step Up to Social Work

The course has been designed to meet the requirements of Social Work England Education and Training Standards and is accredited by Social Work England. Once you've successfully completed the course, you can then join the Social Work England register that all qualified social workers must register with to practise in England.
PG Dip Step Up to Social Work at London Metropolitan University has 5 key themes which seek to reflect the current stakeholder demands and requirements for social work as follows:
● Encouraging People with Lived Experience participation
● Valuing diversity, promoting equality and social justice
● Developing positive relationship–based social work practice
● Promoting research –minded and evidence-based social work practice
● Nurturing emotionally resilient, intelligent and confident practitioners
We are proud of this tradition and keen to build on this success and enhance our reputation with students, people with lived experience, social work practitioners, local and regional employers and other key stakeholders.
The course offers a social justice framework, emphasising empowerment, advocacy, anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practice, professional activism, relationship and strengths-based practice as well as a thorough consideration of safeguarding principles and knowledge. The underpinning values and principles of the Education for Social Justice Framework are integrated within all levels of the course. The course has a focus on strengthening the infrastructure to build ‘belonging’ environments in which to learn and develop positive learning and professional identities. Together with increased support and initiatives for students to develop positive, dialogic relationships with the academic team where their voice and feedback is valued, this course has actively put in place strategies to begin to address and reduce the awarding gap.
People with Lived Experience colleagues have contributed to the development, design and delivery of this course in the following way/s (this list is not exhaustive):
● Developing case studies
● Identifying different, creative ways to share their stories
● Co-designing and co-facilitating sessions
● Marking presentations
● Developing and participation in experiential learning and teaching activities
● Developing and writing Good Practice guides for working with People with Lived Experience
● Co-producing strategies to widen the diversity of People with Lived Experience colleagues involved in the social work courses
The course content is also informed by the Social Work Subject Benchmark Statement as defined by the QAA (2019), which informs essential practice for a Social Worker upon qualification.
The overarching standards for Social Workers in England are currently defined within the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) which has been used to develop the curriculum. These nine standards or capabilities are as follows: 1. Professionalism; 2. Values and Ethics; 3. Diversity; 4. Rights and Justice; 5. Knowledge; 6. Critical Reflection 7. Intervention and Skills 8. Contexts and Organisations 9. Professional Leadership.
These nine capabilities have been integrated across the PG Dip Step Up to Social Work curriculum in terms of the content, learning outcomes, learning and teaching strategies and assessment and enhanced learning opportunities. Additionally, 30 skills days are incorporated within the taught Readiness for Direct Practice taught module as well as within practice whereby students can consolidate and integrate their theoretical knowledge.
Overall, the course content ensures students are prepared to become resilient, effective and reflective practitioners and who are fit to practise in Social Work. Additionally, the course content and each module has been mapped with the Knowledge and Skills Statement for Child and Family Social Work.

All students have access to the wide range of London Metropolitan University student support services which includes:

● Disability and dyslexia support services
● Counselling, Money advice and Accommodation services
● Library and Learning Resources services
● Careers and Employability services
● Student Journey and Student Hub
● Academic Tutors and Academic Mentors
● Student Union

The learning and teaching strategies applied on the course aim to develop and consolidate student’s values, skills and knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of social work. The teaching programme provides the underpinning theoretical and practical basis for learning in the area of social work. Students’ thinking and practical skills are developed through complementary activities including lectures, seminars, workshops, group work, on-line educational resources, tutorials, assignments, preparing for and undertaking practice- based learning to acquire the requisite professional capabilities. 

Students undertake a series of taught modules in the key areas of social work. In addition, students undertake two placements of 70 days and 100 days. Placement modules are undertaken with qualified practice educators and onsite supervision. Prior to placement, students complete a week-long induction into university processes and academic and support key colleagues. Additionally they complete the Readiness to Practise module, which equips them with the foundational knowledge, communication skills and values required for their first placement. During placement students are supported in their learning via dedicated a Practice Learning Agreement meeting and a Midway Review meeting with their practice educator and placement tutor. Established processes are in place to ensure the student receives a structured induction which is recorded in the practice learning agreement and that any concerns are addressed in a timely manner via The Cause for Concern procedure. Students are further supported by their Academic Tutor at the university. The placements are designed to enable students to demonstrate capability in the 9 domains in the Professional Capability Framework at the appropriate level. Ie. First of final placement level.

Suitable placements will be found within one of the employer's seven local authorities. Both 70 and 100 days placements will be undertaken within statutory settings and legal interventions consistent with the role of a social work practitioner. All placements will be identified, quality assured, and approved by the employer consortium.

The academic teaching team comprises suitably qualified and experienced university staff  that are all registered as social workers with Social Work England as set out in the professional requirements for social work education.  Students are expected to complement formal teaching with guided VLE learning resources and independent self-directed learning and completion of specified assignments.  Students are encouraged to use all the resources and facilities made available by London Metropolitan University and those available within the M25 area under the SCONUL exchange Scheme.

The course also seeks to promote student’s self-awareness and self-management as well as a reflective approach to their learning with a view to the enhancement of their personal and professional development (PPDP). Students are encouraged to develop their employability attributes through reflecting on their learning from the taught and the placement modules. The portfolio components of the placement modules will support their Personal and Professional Development Planning as they will provide opportunities to evidence their practice capabilities in relation to knowledge, skills and values.

As a student on the course you will:
● Engage with and understand the concept of radical Social Work
● Build on your existing knowledge, expertise and experience
● experience an environment in which you are able to enter into constructive and ongoing dialogue with the teaching and learning staff and with your peers.
● Have the opportunity to engage with social work practice from a range of perspectives and these will include non-eurocentric, Global South issues and debates.
● Learn about rights, personal, community, and professional activism
● Develop your professional identity and values of a social worker which will be underpinned by a commitment to Social Justice, anti-oppressive practice and anti-racist social work
● Learn about theoretical knowledge, skills and values and how to apply them in practice
● Become accountable, reflective and self-critical and critically integrate knowledge from research and theory to underpin your practice and professional development
● Learn to demonstrate autonomy and originality in solving problems, and act independently in assessing, planning and implementing interventions at a level of professional excellence
● Engage with people with lived experience of social work and social care services as an integral part of year learning
● Gain a critical understanding of interprofessional learning and working in multi-disciplinary teams
● Be supported to understand and meet the Professional Standards of Social Work England and the BASW Professional Capabilities Framework as they relate to your developing practice.

1. Practise Social Work through the critical understanding of the principles of anti-racist social work and anti-oppressive practice.
2. Recognise and promote the fundamental principles of human rights, social justice and economic well-being.
3. Work with people with lived experience of social work to challenge inequality and injustice
4. Develop awareness of activist campaigns and political movements led by groups including for example, women, disabled people, people from Black, Asian and minoritised communities and LGBTQIA+ people.
5. Understand the principles of co-production of services involving the sharing of power between professionals, citizens and communities to plan and deliver support together for social change
6. Apply methods and techniques appropriate to your own research or advanced scholarship in Social Work
7. Deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
8. Exercise self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level
9. Manage your own lifelong learning, knowledge, understanding and skills in relation your personal and professional development
10. Demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible practitioners/professionals in their discipline.

Social Work https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-social-work.pdf?%20sfvrsn=5c35c881_6

All module assessments are based on enabling the student to achieve the module learning outcomes and encourage student reflection, critical conversations and evaluation. Modules utilise a range of formative assessments to enable students to receive developmental feedforward opportunities, gauge their progress and support their understanding of the assessment requirements before the summative assessment is required to be submitted. A diverse range of formative tasks has been embraced and embedded into module design. A sample are game show quiz formats, debating societies, the ‘What? So What? Now What?’ self-reflective cycle, presentations, use of Padlet for feedback and whole class discussion and MS Teams Chat for on-going dialogue, support and feedback between classes.
The creative range of assessments will reflect our students’ identities, own experiences and cultural capital and introduce a variety of ways that students can articulate their understanding and knowledge.
Careful consideration has been given by the course team in reducing the amount of assessments, recognising that the overall assessment load on social work courses can be high due to the complexity of practice that needs to be assessed against a range of professional capabilities. The course assessment strategy included examining how to meaningfully reduce the assessment load on students by carefully mapping and rationalising the learning outcomes for each module to avoid duplication and unnecessary overlap of the learning being assessed.
The course assessment tables set out the volume timing and nature of summative assessments across the three/two years. Each module guide includes the module assessment and marking criteria and all staff seek to work within the university assessment timetable which includes three weeks marking and moderation processes. The course team also explicitly discusses the ‘time on task’ required for each module assessment, as part of a strategy to help students prepare realistically and plan for it.

The course includes two compulsory placement modules Social Work Practice Learning 1 and Social Work Practice Learning 2. Placements are organised, quality ensured and allocated by the employer consortium. Each placement is designed to meet the required 9 domains of the Professional Capability Framework and the SWE Professional Standards and KSS for Children and Families. The first placement is 70 days and the second placement is 100 days.
Students will be supported on their placement by a suitably qualified and experienced practice educator who is responsible for holistically assessing their practice against the Professional Capability Framework and all students will be allocated a placement tutor to further support and guide them during their placement. Students must pass the required modules including the first placement before proceeding to the next stage of study.
All placements are evaluated as part of an established continuing improvement cycle using the Pan London Common paperwork Quality Assurance in Practice Learning template (QAPL). Students, practice educators and placement supervisors (where applicable) are asked to complete an evaluation of the placement so that further support or training can be provided to placement organisations if required and areas of good practice can be reflected upon and shared widely amongst partner agencies.

Course Regulatory schedule for Social Work Programmes
Status
This schedule forms a part of the Regulations for all Social Work programmes and should be read alongside the University’s Regulations, which govern courses and the responsibilities of students.
All University students are bound from the commencement of their course or from the point of enrolment, by all relevant Regulations, Procedures and policies.
Students enrolled on all social work programmes are governed by:
The University’s Academic Regulations which govern the standards of the University’s awards, the responsibilities of students and the formal roles played by staff in relation to admission to courses and programmes of study, assessment of student’s work and conferment of awards;
Regulations and Procedures, which govern the conduct of students, in particular, the Regulations applicable to all students in cases of Misconduct – incorporating a Code of Discipline; Fitness to Study; Fitness to Practise Social Work;
Responsibilities placed upon students regarding not only their conduct but also their professional suitability and Fitness to Practise, as set out in the Social Work England Professional Standards. Social Work students are expected to understand and work towards these professional standards in preparation for when they apply for registration. Students should ensure that during the course, including whilst on placement, they do not do anything that contravenes the Professional Standards or the policies and procedures of their placement provider.
All breaches of the professional standards/codes will be progressed in accordance with the Fitness to Practise Social Work Procedures or other University Regulations or Procedures as appropriate
In addition, social work students on the qualifying programmes have specific regulations governing professional practice placements that are also outlined below in the weblinks
It is the responsibility of all students to read the Social Work England Standards and the relevant University Regulations (accessed via the University’s online Student Handbook) to familiarise themselves with all responsibilities and requirements

Issues that may affect a student’s suitability to commence or continue training as a social worker
Students must familiarise themselves with the Fitness to Practise Social Work Procedures, which set down the suitability requirements and the process for reporting and investigating any breaches.
It is the responsibility of each student to bring to the attention of the Principal Lecturer for Social Work or nominated staff member, in a timely manner any matter including ill health of any kind that could be considered to have a bearing on their continued suitability for social work training. Likewise, students are required to bring to the attention of the Principal Lecturer for Social Work any matter as indicated above that could be considered to have a bearing on the suitability of another social work student
Failure to disclose any circumstance or information affecting a student’s suitability occurring prior to entry to the course or subsequent to enrolment shall be deemed a breach of the University’s Code of Discipline and shall be progressed in accordance with the Student Disciplinary procedures (see 5 and 6 above).
Incorporation of previous course structure and modules into the current course
N/A
Re-registration of module and timetabling

As the PG Diploma Step Up to Social Work is a government funded programme, there is never a guarantee that another cohort will be funded. As far as possible, the course will be scheduled to allow students to progress successfully on their modules, but any that need to be retaken is subject to another cohort of the PG Diploma Step Up to Social Work being available. Students will only be funded by their training borough for two opportunities to undertake assessments. Students who do not successfully pass their assessment at
the second attempt (resubmission) will be required to self- fund any further
assessment opportunities.

Social Work Awards
Students may pass the Social Work course with either a postgraduate diploma or MSc.

PG Dip Step Up to Social Work
All core modules must be passed
Students can take an additional Research Mindedness for Practice module (SW7P00) and exit with MSc in Social Work

External Examiner Appointments
Responsibility for recruiting external examiners for the social work course rests with the Head of Social Work. Appointments are made via the University’s quality assurance processes. The appointed external examiner must be appropriately experienced and qualified and be from the relevant part of the Social Work England Register.
Placement Requirements can be found here:
https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/ohq8zr2jtn0qgxmnfqprfqn5c61xxrhp
    
Termination of training information can be found here:
https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/kb69rdx059iqi8h66bzc6snbirtwm4cr
 
Whistle-blowing & Complaints Procedures in Relation to Practice Placements can be found here:
https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/wlto4k0usjyburnab0ezzh0jo5kcmc8m

Fitness to Practice Procedures can be found here:
https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/a53a007cu3gkjcns9ha0gwups5l7845v

PG Dip Step Up to Social Work All core modules must be passed

Students have the option to register an additional Research Mindedness for Practice module (SW7P00) and exit with MSc in Social Work

The student’s Personal, Professional Development Plan (PPDP) creates an opportunity for the student to identify their overall professional goals related to the PCF and Social Work England’s Professional Standards. Students are given the PPDP at the start of the Readiness for Direct Practice Module They also complete these during each of their professional placements.
The mid-way placement meeting is an opportunity to review the student’s PPDP. The student must have begun to complete this prior to the mid-way stage meeting by stating their goals for the end of placement. This should be shared regularly in weekly supervision in order for it to be discussed and signed by the tutor, practice educator and student during the mid-way meeting.
Before the end of the placement the PPDP should be completed and signed by the Practice Educator and Placement Tutor. The completed and signed form must be included in the placement portfolio.

Upon the student’s successful completion of the Programme and attainment of the Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work qualification, student’s may apply for existing vacancies for Newly Qualified Social Worker (NQSW) posts within their Host Local Authorities.
Any offer of a post will be subject to available vacant NQSW posts and can only commence once Social Work England registration is confirmed.
Students should prepare for the fact that there may be a delay of some weeks, between the completion of the programme and Social Work England registration being received, and employment as an NQSW.
For the avoidance of doubt, there is NO guaranteed offer of employment for student’s following completion of the programme, or obligation for trainees to take up posts in their host authority.

You’ll be required to have:

• a 2:2 degree qualification
• six months’ full-time (or equivalent) direct experience, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, of working with vulnerable children, young people and/or families, carers or vulnerable adults
• GCSEs in English or English language and mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above (or an approved equivalent)