Social Work

Social work is a profession concerned with supporting individuals, families, and communities facing difficulty, disadvantage, or risk. It operates at the intersection of personal circumstances and social structures, recognising that the challenges people face are shaped by poverty, inequality, discrimination, trauma, and the adequacy or inadequacy of public services. Social workers hold statutory responsibilities and professional authority, working with children and families, older people, people with disabilities, individuals with mental health needs, and others who require assessment, advocacy, or practical support.

Nottingham Trent University's three-year full-time Social Work programme prepares you for professional practice and registration with Social Work England. You will study human development, social policy, law relevant to social work, research methods, and the theoretical and ethical frameworks that guide professional judgement. The curriculum addresses safeguarding, risk assessment, care planning, working with involuntary clients, and the skills of interviewing, recording, and multi-agency collaboration that characterise social work in practice.

Practice placements are integral to the degree and are completed in real settings, working alongside qualified practitioners in local authorities, voluntary organisations, and other agencies. These placements are where theory is tested against the complexity of actual human situations, and where you develop the professional identity, resilience, and critical reflection that the role demands.

You will also examine the systemic dimensions of social work: how legislation and policy shape what practitioners can do, how organisational cultures affect professional practice, and how service users' perspectives should inform everything from assessment to service design. Nottingham Trent places value on social justice and anti-oppressive practice, and these commitments run through the programme.

Graduates are eligible to register as qualified social workers and to practise in children's services, adult social care, mental health, youth justice, and the voluntary and independent sectors. Career progression leads to specialist and advanced practitioner roles, team management, and leadership in health and social care organisations.