Social Work

Social work is a profession grounded in human rights, social justice, and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to live with dignity and self-determination. Social workers engage with some of the most complex and challenging situations in human experience, including children at risk of significant harm, adults in mental health crisis, families in poverty, older people who need care and support, and communities facing systemic disadvantage. The work demands deep empathy alongside professional rigour, and the training required to do it well combines academic knowledge with substantial supervised practice experience.

At the University of Chester, this three-year full-time programme is approved by Social Work England, which means that successful graduates are eligible to apply for registration as social workers and to practise in England. You will study human development across the lifespan, social policy and welfare law, safeguarding frameworks, assessment and intervention skills, communication and relationship-building, and the ethical dimensions of social work practice. Practice placements are a mandatory and substantial component of the degree, giving you supervised experience in statutory and voluntary settings and allowing you to develop the professional competencies that registration requires.

Chester's location in northwest England provides access to a diverse range of practice learning environments. A typical entry tariff of 120 points reflects the accessible nature of the programme.

Graduates are eligible to register with Social Work England and to work as social workers across children's services, adult social care, mental health, youth justice, and the voluntary sector. Career progression leads to senior practitioner, advanced practitioner, team manager, and service leadership roles. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study or specialist training in areas such as systemic family therapy, approved mental health practice, or child protection.