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1. Admissions/ Management Information
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Title of the programme – including any lower awards
Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award.

See guidance on programme titles in:
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https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/programmedevelopment/Framework%20for%20Programme%20Design%20-%20PG.pdf
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Masters Social Work
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Postgraduate Diploma Social Work (see below for exit route information)Please indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Postgraduate Certificate Not available (see below for other exit route information)Please indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Level of qualificationLevel 7
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This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:2021/22
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Awarding institutionTeaching institution
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University of York University of York
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Department(s):
Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department		Board of Studies
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Lead Department SPSWSocial Policy and Social Work
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Other contributing Departments:
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Route code
(existing programmes only)		PMSPWSSPW2
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Admissions criteria
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According to the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Work (PCF), applicants must demonstrate awareness of the social context for social work practice; awareness of self; ability to develop rapport; and the potential to develop relevant knowledge, skills and values through professional training. These are assessed in a full interview day. Full details of the entry level requirements across the 9 domains of the PCF are at: https://www.basw.co.uk/pcf/capabilities/?level=10.
2:1 degree or equivalent. Grade C in Maths and English GCSEs or equivalent. The equivalent of one year's full-time experience working in social care, health care or related voluntary work. Working in a caring role in a personal capacity may also be accepted as relevant experience.
If a disability declared when applying, an interview offered if academic criteria for the course is met. Places offered subject to a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and a satisfactory health declaration. Having either a criminal conviction or a health condition is not an automatic bar to entry. But failure to disclose relevant information may result in termination of training. If English is not your first language you will need to provide evidence of your English language ability. Our requirements align with the guidance from Social Work England: IELTS: 7.0, with no less than 6.5 in each component; PTE: 67, with no less than 61 in each component; CAE and CPE (from January 2015): 185, with no less than 176 in each component; TOEFL: 100 with no less than 23 in each component; Trinity ISE: level 3 with Distinction in all components.
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Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
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ProgrammeLength (years/ months) Status (full-time/ part-time)
Please select		Start dates/months
(if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
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Face-to-face, campus-basedDistance learningOther
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MA Social Work
2Full-timePlease select Y/NYesPlease select Y/NNoPlacement-based
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Language(s) of study
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English
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Language(s) of assessment
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English
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2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
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2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
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Please Select Y/N: Yesif No move to section 3
if Yes complete the following questions
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2.b. Name of PSRB
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Social Work England (from December 2019)
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2.c. Please provide details of any approval/ accreditation event needed, including: timescales, the nature of the event, central support / information required:
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Approval for programme modifications will be required from Social Work England. If full approval is required (major modifications) the timescale for approval is up to 3 months from submission of documentation.
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2.d. Are there any conditions on the approval/ accreditation of the programme(s)/ graduates (for example accreditation only for the full award and not any interim award)
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To meet the approval requirements of the Social Work England the external examiner for the MASW must be appropriately experienced and qualified and registered as a Social Worker with Social Work England. Students can only apply for registration as a social worker following completion of the MA or PGDip route. There are also a number of other exceptions required to University award regulations (see box 11).
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3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
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Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
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Please Select Y/N: Yesif Yes, provide details
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The programme is designed to meet the requirements of the regulator, Social Work England - specifically the Professional Standards for registration. The programme also reflects the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) for Social Workers that has been adopted by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). The Professional Standards and PCF have been mapped onto each other and onto the programme to ensure graduates meet both sets of standards on completion. Selection of students for the course is predicated on them having actually reached an agreed PCF level prior to the commencement of the course - the 'Entry' level. Students must then achieve the 'Readiness for Direct Practice' PCF level before their first placement in Year 1, the 'End of First Placement' level by Year 2 and the 'End of Last Placement' level at graduation. Alongside the PCF and the Professional Standards, students must also be aware of the Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) developed by the national Chief Social Workers, which provide frameworks for post-qualifying practice in Children & Families, and Adults social work. These have been integrated into our final year modules.
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4. Programme leadership and programme team
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4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
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Martin Webber (Programme Lead) and Zoe Irving (Chair of Department Teaching Committee)
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4.b. Who has been involved in producing the PLOs, programme map and enhancement plan? (please include confirmation of the extent to which colleagues from the programme team /BoS have been involved; whether student views have been incorporated, and also any external input such as external examiners, employer liaison board)
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The programme team has had regular meetings to develop and agree the SoP and the PLOs. The current MA cohorts, City of York Council workforce leads, the MA external examiners, and the SUPAGroup (service user and carer group) have all been consulted on the SoP and the PLOs.
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5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
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5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the Masters programme
Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
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The MA in Social Work is a two year, full-time programme comprising academic study at Master's level in addition to practice-based experience. As such, the MA in Social Work operates as a degree and an accredited professional qualification, entitling you to register as a social worker and giving entry to a challenging and rewarding professional career. The internationally recognised teaching staff will support you in developing breadth and depth of knowledge concerning key social issues and the legal and policy context surrounding social work today. The programme’s integration of research and theory with practice means you will graduate from the programme as a critically reflective social worker, able to make informed judgements based on sound analysis, often within unpredictable circumstances. The MA is delivered in partnership with social work agencies in the Yorkshire region, and you will experience working with other professionals, service users and carers through two challenging practical placements providing statutory social work experience. The placements give you experience of social work across two distinct settings, and are carefully constructed to enable you to develop in practice skills, knowledge and confidence as the programme progresses so that you are fully prepared for your first social work job. As a graduate of this programme you will use your professional skills and knowledge to improve the lives of vulnerable individuals, families and groups. You will have the ability to face complex and difficult human situations with confidence, creativity, compassion and integrity. You will have a solid foundation from which to begin your professional journey on the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment, with strong potential for future leadership within a rapidly changing and fast paced profession. On graduation you will be able to pursue opportunities working for a range of organisations including local government, the voluntary sector, and socially-oriented forms of private enterprise.
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5.b.i. Programme Learning Outcomes - Masters
Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the Masters programme will be able to do.
If the document only covers a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma please specify four to six PLO statements in the sections 5.b.ii and 5.b.iii as appropriate.
Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
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PLOOn successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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1Make informed decisions concerning complex problems faced by individuals, families and communities in a wide range of social work contexts, by using appropriate assessments and interventions, analysing information from a range of different sources and incorporating stakeholder and service-user perspectives.
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2Critically apply knowledge from established, cutting-edge and social work focused social science theory and research to the assessment of complex social work situations.
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3Identify, critically evaluate and synthesise local, national and international social policy and legal frameworks relevant to specific social work issues in order to inform decision-making.
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4Develop strong working relationships with service users, colleagues and other professionals, and within social work and interdisciplinary teams, based on high level communication and collaboration skills.
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5Work effectively as a professional in multi-layered organisations and statutory social work contexts by understanding and respecting the roles and tasks of others, including non-statutory professionals, and upholding professional values and ethics.
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6Reflect systematically on social work practice and engage proactively in supervision processes in order to adapt to new situations, improve practice, build professional resilience and identify professional development opportunities, including the development of leadership skills.
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Design, conduct and critically evaluate challenging social work research projects, informed by a critical understanding of research and evaluation methodologies relevant to the social sciences.
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5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes
Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
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i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
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The PLOs are considered ambitious and stretching because they provide a coherent set of practice and knowledge skills that will properly prepare students for a career within an intellectually challenging and emotionally demanding profession. Clear progression is required from each student as they move from year one to year two, in terms of their theoretical knowledge and their practice skills. There is an expectation not only of theoretical understanding (assessed through a variety of methods that require advanced academic skills), but also of a demonstration of practice capability that combines that theoretical knowledge with a coherent understanding of ethical, value-based approaches to social work. Students must not only demonstrate academic knowledge - they must also demonstrate critical self-awareness and an ability to attend to their emotional self-care. The PLOs are stretching because they reflect course content that requires students to actively engage with complex theoretical, practical and ethical issues that are often conflicting and open to challenge: we require our students to argue for clear intellectual and value positions whilst respecting alternative viewpoints. The PLOs are ambitious in that they underpin a generic course that has application to a wide range of practice areas within the broad field of social work. They also reflect our expectation that students will graduate as competent social workers who are committed to career-long learning and professional development.
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ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
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The PLOs are advantageous to the student because they all relate directly to the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary for effective social work practice; the MA programme is distinctive in this regard as the motivation for attendance on the course is to prepare for this particular career. The PLOs are advantageous to the trainee social worker due to their generic nature: practice in a wide range of social work disciplines is possible due to the focused nature of the course material. The provision of this solid knowledge base will also allow students to then undertake study within specialist areas, both during the course and post-qualification. The PLOs promote active learning, where students are encouraged to question both their own values and professional frameworks and practice concepts. The PLOs also encourage the scaffolding of specific skills so that clear progression (in theoretical knowledge, academic attainment and professional capability) is evidenced throughout the lifetime of the course. The PLOs involve the clear ability to bring knowledge and skills together to enhance professional practice and instill a commitment to career-long learning. They are advantageous because they require the students to have knowledge of a broad range of disciplines, including psychology, social policy, human development, ethics and the law.
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iii) ... how the design of the programme enables students from diverse entry routes to transition successfully into the programme? For example, how does the organisation of the programme ensure solid foundations in disciplinary knowledge and understanding of conventions, language skills, mathematics and statistics skills, writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity
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Prior to the course starting, students have access to a 'Preparing to study social work' VLE site, which contains introductory information on the programme, the Department and on social work more broadly (including key reading). It also includes a welcome blog for communication between students and staff. Students benefit from a comprehensive induction week, including sessions on the programme, the library/VLE, placements, constructing a safe learning agreement and 'meet the staff' opportunities. Preparation for the first placement starts in induction week, with workshops held for students to find out about the placement structure and processes, placement opportunities and begin filling in application forms for the first placement. Students are encouraged to participate in graduate academic skills sessions run across the Department of Social Policy and Social Work as well as attending digital literacy sessions in the Autumn term with our subject librarian. Students are recruited from multiple disciplines and are selected on their basis of meeting the 'entry to social work' criteria of the PCF. Their transition to the programme is facilitated during the first term when all students undertake modules in Social Work Across the Lifecourse (which includes theories and knowledge for practice and how these are applied to social work assessments and interventions); Communication Skills and Law & Policy for Social Work. Students also undertake a variety of Skills days including Ethics & Values in Social Work and Safeguarding Skills. This is a generic and broad introduction to social work to ensure all students have the required knowledge and skills to progress with their learning through the programme. Students also undertake a short intensive module 'Preparation for Practice' which ensures they are ready for their first practice placement. Their readiness for social work practice is assessed through this module to ensure they are ready to transition into their first practice placement.
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iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills. See QAA masters characteristics doument http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
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The programme is designed to enable students to progress through distinct phases of the programme through to qualification as a social worker; each needs to be passed prior to moving to the next. The 'readiness for social work practice' criteria of the PCF are assessed and need to be passed prior to the first placement. The two placements are sequential and require more advanced practice skills as students progress from the first to the second. Completion of the second placement will enable students to meet the 'end of final placement' criteria of the PCF and qualify as a social worker. More broadly, the programme is designed to enable progression through staging of modules throughout the first year and into the second year. Prior to first placement beginning, students develop necessary foundational skills and knowledge through the communication and preparation for practice components (for skills); and learning on the life course, key theories for assessment and intervention, ethics, law and policy. Prior to undertaking their first placement students complete a self-assessment of skills based on the PCF framework to begin their journey of reflective practice. This self-assessment is used to support learning plans during the first placement, supported by practice educators and academic liaison roles. The second year moves focus from generic to specialised learning as students undertake their second longer placement. Alongside this second placement students participate in Professional Development Groups led by practitioners from local agency where they begin to consider their career development and key skills such as resilience and leadership. During the second year students choose between two specialist pathways related to their chosen domain of practice, and complete a research project on a topic of their choice which both draws upon and contributes to their social work practice learning as they work towards becoming a qualified social worker. Students also undertake a final year module on Power, Participation & Practice which supports them to take an increasingly critical and analytical approach to social work as a profession and their own practice with a focus on participatory forms of practice. Throughout the course, skills days are integrated into modules in order to give students the opportunity to further develop core knowledge and skills relevant to contemporary issues and areas of practice that reflect priorities in the local social work landscape.
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v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classrooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
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Development of students' digital literacy is integral to the PLOs. Students are provided with training on IT during the two social work practice placements, where students must demonstrate such key social work skills as the maintenance of accurate, timely electronic case records, ensuring data security and using legal, ethical and security guidelines in respect of data collection and use. Students must be able to communicate professionally via, for example, secure email and video conferencing (all of which is an essential part of students developing their professional social work identity). Another key skill which is assessed during both practice placements is the ability to record legally accurate case information using data protection protocols within hard time constraints. Over the course of the two placements, the expectation is that students record and safely manage increasingly detailed, complex and legally sensitive information. Our expectations in respect of students' IT capabilities are set out in the first week of the programme, in which induction activities focus on digital literacy, including accessing electronic databases and electronic submission of assignments. Throughout the course technology enhances learning - through recordings of lectures, the setting of regular classroom input from students via powerpoint presentations (which involve the ability to collaborate effectively using shared tools and media, producing shared materials); and the creation of online discussion groups (to promote debate and greater understanding of course topics). Students also use video recording technology during role play sessions (in their Communications Module) and flipped classroom approaches (in the Social Work Across the Lifecourse module). The programme also encourages students to behave in a safe and ethical manner within digital environments, such as electronic support networks. The VLE is used for the timely dissemination of all coursework materials. The use of appropriate online resources is encouraged (for example the use of relevant social work research) in order to enhance the depth of students' reading and the quality of their written work. Related to this, the PLOs also encourage the students' ability to discern and discard poor quality and inappropriate online resources, such as uncredited research. This aspect of learning is part of a wider expectation that students will develop their own research skills at Masters level, making full use of, for example, electronic research databases and academic social work journals. Students digital skills are also enhanced and assessed through the use of online tests and assessments in some modules.
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vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)?
The programme's employability objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
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http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/careers/staff/
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The PLOs are specifically designed to support and enhance the student's employability within the social work profession. The modules in Year 1 specifically prepare students for practice placement experience; the knowledge acquired on placements is then embedded within the coursework at the end of this first year. All students on the MA in Social Work course undertake two social work practice placements, in Year 1 (70 days) and Year 2 (100 days). The structure of the course is designed to provide a broad knowledge base which the students are then able to apply in practice - for example, by applying learnt social work theories to real-life case work. Further, the PLOs are designed to meet the nine domains of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), the overarching standards framework for social work that sets out expectations for social workers at every stage of their career. In the final year of the course, students receive taught input from the university Careers Service as part of their preparation for applying for qualified employment. In addition, professional social work practitioners provide taught input throughout the programme, in order for the students to receive first-hand instruction on the realities and pressures of professional social work. The degree course sets the standards expected of students; post-qualification, our students will maintain their professional development using the PCF structure. The Social Work degree is a required qualification for anyone wishing to register, and work, as a professional social worker. The course and qualification are recognised by Social Work England, the regulatory body for social work: this requirement is reflected throughout all of the PLOs as each one is essential to the provision of a thorough grounding in social work skills and knowledge. Students also benefit from a number of skills days towards the end of the programme which are specifically focused on employability, careers and supporting students to find and apply for their first social work roles. These skills days will be supported and complemented by the input of local practitioners and university careers support staff.
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viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
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Departmental research knowledge is integral to the teaching of the MA in Social Work course and reflects the social work profession's ongoing commitment to evidence-based practice. As a result of the Research Excellence Framework most recent assessment (2014), the Department for Social Policy and Social Work in York was ranked 3rd in the UK for Research Excellence and equal 1st for the impact of our research. Several staff who contribute to the programme are published researchers of renown and high professional standing, whose work informs and enhances the study of social work evidence, theory, practice and research skills. The MA in Social Work is also enhanced by the quality of relevant social policy research undertaken by departmental colleagues. This is allied to a strong track record of producing high quality research papers across a broad range of social work disciplines, that enhance student learning and influence the development of their professional practice capabilities. Thereby, students receive expert advice in respect of undertaking their own research.
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5.d. Progression
For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one.

Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
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On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to:
If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
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Students on this programme will have access to the following exit routes: Graduate Certificate in Applied Social Welfare (on completion of 60 credits in the following modules ' Social Work Across the Lifecourse'; 'Law & Policy'; 'Communication Skills ) AND Graduate Diploma in Applied Social Welfare (on successful completion of all Year 1 modules). These exit awards are non-accredited and there is no entitlement to register as a social worker on completion of these awards.
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On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma students will be able to:
If the PG Diploma is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
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Students exiting with the PGDip will have completed all modules except for the ISM. They will have met all the professional requirements of the programme - the PCFs at qualifying level. This equates to all the PLOs except for PLO 7 - the one that relates to research skills.
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6. Reference points and programme regulations
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6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points
Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
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https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/programmedevelopment/Framework%20for%20Programme%20Design%20-%20PG.pdf
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http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
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http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/the-quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements
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http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.VthM1fmLS70
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QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Social Work
Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Work (BASW)
Social Work England Education and Training Standards
Social Work England Professional Standards
BASW Code of Ethics
Chief Social Workers' Knowledge and Skills Statements
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6.b. University award regulations
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The University’s award and assessment regulations apply to all programmes: any exceptions that relate to this programme are approved by University Teaching Committee and are recorded at the end of this document.
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7. Programme Structure
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7.a. Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map
Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the structure of your programme does not fit the usual academic year (for instance students start at the beginning of September or in January) please contact your Academic Quality Team contact in the Academic Support Office for guidance on how to represent the structure in an alternative format.

To clearly present the overall programme structure, include the name and details of each individual CORE module in the rows below. For OPTION modules, ‘Option module’ or 'Option from list x' should be used in place of specifically including all named options. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists by term of delivery or subject theme these lists should be provided in the next section (7.b).

From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of teaching delivery for the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA'). It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets).

Summative assessment by exams should normally be scheduled in the spring week 1 and summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7). Where the summer CAP is used, a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place. (NB: An additional resit assessment week is provided in week 10 of the summer term for postgraduate students. See Guide to Assessment, 5.4.a)
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http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/registry-services/guide/
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FULL TIME 2 YEAR STRUCTURE
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Year 1 FULL TIME
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
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CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
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20SPY00134MLaw and PolicySAEA
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10SPY00062HCommunication SkillsSAEAA
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40SPY00063HSocial Work Across the LifecourseSAEAA
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10SPY00066HPreparation for PracticeSEA
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30SPY00064HPlacement ISEA
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10SPY00133MKnowledge into PracticeS
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Year 2 FULL TIME