Social Work
Social work is one of the most demanding and meaningful professions in the public services, concerned with supporting individuals, families, and communities facing vulnerability, disadvantage, and crisis, while upholding their rights and promoting their ability to live the lives they choose. At Liverpool Hope University, the BA Social Work is a three-year full-time programme that develops the knowledge, values, and practical skills that professional social work requires. Social work education in the UK is regulated, and completing an approved programme leads to eligibility for registration with Social Work England, which is the gateway to professional practice.
The programme provides a structured foundation in the first year, covering the knowledge, skills, and competencies that underpin social work practice. You will study human development across the lifespan, the social and structural factors that create and sustain disadvantage, the legislative framework that governs social work, and the ethical principles that guide practice. Placement is central to social work education: you will spend significant time in supervised practice settings where you develop your professional skills under the guidance of registered practitioners.
Practice placements take you into a range of settings, including children and families services, adult social care, mental health services, and community organisations, giving you broad experience of the contexts in which social workers operate.
Social work graduates who achieve registration with Social Work England are qualified to practise across the full range of statutory and voluntary sector settings. Children and families social work, adult social care, mental health services, youth offending, domestic abuse services, and community development are among the most common areas of practice. Progression within social work leads to roles in practice management, specialist practice, safeguarding, and leadership.
Some graduates go on to postgraduate study, including practice educator qualifications, advanced practice awards, or master's programmes in social work, social policy, or related disciplines. The professional knowledge, ethical rigour, and practical competence that Liverpool Hope's programme develops prepare graduates for careers where the ability to make judgements in complex, often difficult circumstances is the central requirement.