School of Health and Society

BA (Hons) Social Care

BA (Hons) Part-time 6 years, Full-time 3 years

The course will equip you with knowledge and skills appropriate to a range of graduate jobs in the statutory, voluntary, not-for-profit, and private sectors.

The course will equip you with knowledge and skills appropriate to a range of graduate jobs in the statutory, voluntary, not-for-profit, and private sectors.

Award
BA (Hons)
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
UCAS Code
L563
Course specifications
Course length
Part-time (6 years),Full-time (3 years)
Campus location
University: City Campus
School
School of Health and Society
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

Social care refers to the wide-ranging assistance given to adults and children with care and support needs.

The main groups who receive social care include older people, especially those who have become frail or who are living with dementia, people with a learning disability, and people with mental health issues. However, there are also many groups in the community that need social care support such as substance users, people experiencing violence within the family/home, and other community groups who experience inequality, such as women in some BAME communities. Social care services work alongside health, housing and public health services to ensure people’s wider needs are met.

This specialist award in social care is designed for those who want to develop a career within the expanding social care sector. It offers opportunities to study issues in contemporary society such as poverty, domestic violence and abuse, ageing populations, mental health, drug dependency and substance misuse, youth crime, homelessness and social exclusion. You will understand the political landscapes in which social care is delivered and the policy responses.

The teaching is delivered by lecturers passionate about social care. Lecturers have significant experience working with a diverse range of people with differing care and support needs, for example, specialist children services, drug services, older people’s care, probation and criminal justice, mental health, learning disability, adult services, domestic violence and abuse, dementia, and housing.  

Social Care careers are rewarding, vast and diverse. This is because social care is delivered in a mixed economy, with roles for the public, private and voluntary sectors. As a result of long-term trends, the majority of social care services are now provided by the independent sector, which is made up of the voluntary sector and also some for-profit companies.

Social care provider organisations may be commissioned by local authorities to provide care services or organisations may seek their funding to meet a known community need. Social care can be delivered by a range of workers including support workers, therapists, art and creative workers, domestic abuse workers, substance user workers, housing officers and coaches, welfare rights advisers, community outreach workers, prison in-reach workers, educationists, youth and community workers, rehabilitation, and advocates.

We pride ourselves on the strong partnerships we have developed with employers across the region, including local councils, voluntary and independent social care providers. Their specialist practitioners contribute to our teaching programme to enhance your learning experiences.

What happens on the course?

The course will equip you with knowledge and skills appropriate to a range of graduate jobs in the statutory, voluntary, not-for-profit, and private sectors.

In year one you will build your foundation knowledge and skills in social care. You will explore social care values, equality, and diversity issues. You will understand how inequality and disadvantage operate in society and impact the daily lives of the people you support. You will learn how to challenge inequality and will become an anti-discriminatory social care practitioner. You will learn how social care is delivered within a mixed economy of care, and evaluate the political responses. You will develop key interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively in this sector.  

At Level 5 you will gain a broad understanding of the diverse practices, settings, and influential factors that make up and affect this sector, and you will build on specialist areas of practice. You will develop skills and interventions working with children and adults across diverse settings and explore the increasingly complex issues concerning the management of continuity of care, long-term conditions, rehabilitation, ageing populations, and end of life care.

In your graduation year, you will demonstrate strong skills in critical thinking and the ability to analyse and critically evaluate information, communicate effectively with individuals, groups and organisations. You will produce accurate records and make informed ethical decisions. In addition, you will be work-ready and possess highly-valued graduate skills including leadership skills, problem-solving, project management, creativity, team working, communication skills, time management, specialist information, self-motivation, and the ability to remain calm while working under pressure.

 

Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

97% of students rated teaching on their course positively (NSS, 2024).

We pride ourselves on developing strong relationships with students in the academic and pastoral support we offer. We value classroom-based learning with face-to-face discussions and activities which complement any online teaching content. We deliver research-informed teaching from specialists and experts in social care, and we actively engage students in research opportunities within the University and the wider community.

On successful completion of the Honours programme you will be able to:

  • critically appraise theories about society, the welfare state, and social care.
  • demonstrate critical awareness of the contribution of professional/ social care practice to the delivery and funding of social care provision.
  • demonstrate a commitment to the values and ethics of social care through detailed knowledge of coherent arguments at the forefront of the discipline.
  • demonstrate in-depth knowledge and systematic understanding of the specific needs and disadvantages faced by certain groups in society e.g. older people, young people and disabled people and the social processes that give rise to such needs.
  • apply social policy and sociological theories to critically analyse social need and policy outcomes and be able to convey core theories, concepts and approaches to understanding social care and societal responses to needs.
  • You will possess key employability skills including communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, self-awareness and self-management, planning and organising, initiative and enterprise, and cultural intelligence.

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2022-23
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2023-24
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2024-25
Home Part-time £3120 per year# 2022-23
Home Part-time £4625 per year# 2023-24
Home Part-time £4625 per year# 2024-25
International Full-time £13450 per year 2022-23
International Full-time £14450 per year 2023-24
International Full-time £14950 per year 2024-25

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed

# Undergraduate part-time fees for 50% rate of study

Typical entry requirement: 96 UCAS points

  • A Levels - grades CCC / BCD
  • BTEC L3 Extended Diploma or OCR Cambridge L3 Technical Extended Diploma - grades MMM
  • BTEC L3 Diploma - grades DD
  • Access to HE Diploma (60 credits) of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 (96 UCAS point equivalence, minimum 45 credits at merit)

Use the UCAS Tariff calculator to check your qualifications and points

Other Requirements

Students must usually have studied for a minimum of two years post GCSE level. However, we will consider applications from mature students who do not have two years of post-16 study, where they have relevant work experience. Please see http://wlv.ac.uk/mature for further information.

The highlights of my time on the BA Social Care course have been getting on well with the lecturers. I had the most amazing opportunity which was to go to China for two weeks. It was really special because I ended my university journey on a high. I have just started my PhD as a result, and one of my lecturers who taught me on the Social Care course really supported me in applying.

Emily Winnall, BA (Hons) Social Care and Postgraduate Research in Social Work and Social Care

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) click here.


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

If your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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