Social Work

Social work is a profession with a dual purpose: to support individuals, families, and communities in addressing the difficulties and disadvantages they face, and to promote social justice and challenge the structural conditions that give rise to vulnerability and inequality. Social workers practice across a wide range of settings including children and family services, adult social care, mental health, substance misuse, homelessness, and community development, and they hold statutory powers and responsibilities in relation to child protection and adult safeguarding that make the professional and ethical dimensions of the role particularly significant.

At Robert Gordon University, this distance learning BA (Hons) Social Work degree is specifically designed for people who are already working in a related social care role and who wish to develop the knowledge, values, and skills required to practise as a qualified social worker, as the current description reflects. The distance learning format makes the programme accessible to students who cannot attend full time on campus, allowing you to continue working while you study and to apply your learning directly in your current professional environment. The programme provides the academic and professional preparation required for registration as a social worker with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), which is the regulatory body for the social services workforce in Scotland.

The curriculum covers the theoretical and legal foundations of social work practice, human development and the social context of need, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice, social work law and policy, practice assessment and risk management, and the professional ethics that govern the role. Practice placements in social work settings are a mandatory and substantial element of the programme, providing direct supervised experience that is central to professional development.

Graduates who meet the SSSC registration requirements work as qualified social workers across children and families, adult social care, mental health, and community services. Career progression includes senior practitioner, team manager, and service leadership roles. Postgraduate study in social work, public health, or related disciplines supports those seeking specialist expertise or research careers.