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Programme summary for GradDip. Post Qualifying Specialist Social Work or Helping Professions: Children Young People, their Families and Carers / Social Work with Adults or GradDip. Helping Professions

About the programme

At UEL, you can gain a Graduate Diploma and the relevant GSCC PQ award whether you work with Children and Young People, Adults or in Mental Health Services. You will work in supportive groups with social work teachers who have particular knowledge in your specialist practice area.

Programme structure

You will be taught in groups of various shapes and sizes sometimes including large field-wide lectures and always with smaller seminar groups in which you focus on the specific requirements of the modules that comprise the awards. You will have the opportunity to consolidate your practice since qualifying and learn how to supervise and assess others. You will be taught how to integrate theory and practice and how to develop your specialist competence. The programme is within the academic framework of the third year of an honours degree and the professional Post Qualifying framework of the GSCC.

Career opportunities

Successful completion of this programme opens the door to all relevant post graduate courses. It offers PQ social work students both an academic and a professional qualification, recognised nationally by employers and colleagues alike. It leads to higher academic and professional awards as well as strengthening your confidence in your current professional role and context.

Support

For each individual module, you will have access to the module leader for advice and assistance about the module. You will have access to the professional award leader for specialist advice. You will have access to the UEL PQ programme leader for programme issues. PQ social work students will link with your employer-selected PQ work-based mentor for matters related to workplace mentoring, verification and assessment. You will be inducted into the UEL library services with the help of the specialist social work librarian. You will be supported in your studies by the UEL virtual learning environment: UEL Plus. As a registered PQ student you will have access to all of the UEL student support facilities including financial advisors. The GSCC supports and promotes the PQ framework which this programme is located within. Skills-for-Care, the employer-led Sector Skills Council, endorses this programme and encourages employers to recognise its value and facilitate your involvement in it.

Admission

For Graduate Diploma PQSSW

Social workers - a social work qualification. This is usually a GSCC approved award at Degree or Masters level or equivalent.

For Graduate Diploma Helping Professions

Other applicants - an equivalent professional qualification and 120 credits at Level 2/3.

All applicants need to be located within a health/education/social care setting.

The following requirements apply:

  • The PQ candidate has the agreement of their employer to participate in the programme
  • The PQ social work employer appoints a PQ work-based mentor who can verify that the student's practice meets the GSCC requirements and report on this to the UEL Practice Assessment Panel
  • The candidate has the opportunity to supervise and assess a student social worker/or equivalent
  • The practice of the PQ social work candidate will be directly observed by the line manager and PQ work-based mentor
  • The candidate has the employer's permission to bring anonymised case material into the classroom for exploration and analysis.

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