Foundations for social work practice
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Are you interested in social work or social care? Whatever your starting point, this key introductory Level 1 course will develop your knowledge of the key roles of social work, and introduce the social work standards and codes of practice relevant to each UK nation state. It explores ideas about what social work is – using case studies with children, older people, mental-health communities, disabled children and people with learning disabilities to apply learning to practice contexts. You will also build key skills in information and communication technologies (ICT), information literacy and reflective writing. This course includes a 20-day practice learning opportunity under supervision of a practice verifier.
Registration onto this course doesn't lead to automatic entry to a social work degree. To register for this degree, you must meet a number of criteria, outlined in the sections on the BA (Hons) Social Work (England) or (Scotland). If you're already being sponsored, then you need to be registered by your employer for the version of this course that is for registered social work students: K113.
KYJ113 is not available to students studying in Wales, where students should study KZW113 instead.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Health and Social Care.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | KYJ113 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 8 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| 3 Interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.
What you will study
The workshops were the most positive aspect of the course, because these helped me to relate different theories to practice and I was able to work with other students as a team and the tutor was there to explain certain subject areas that I did not understand (KYJ113 student).
It is the first step towards a social work degree which I am aiming my career towards – it gave an insight into social work (KYJ113 student).
This award-winning course has eight blocks, with associated CDs:
Blocks 1 and 2 introduce you to ideas about what social work is and provide a broad framework intended to help you make sense of the ways in which academic learning and your practice relate to each other.
Blocks 3 to 7 are all based on case studies or practice examples and provide you with an opportunity to see the application and development of the ideas introduced in Blocks 1 and 2.
- Block 3 looks at initial engagement with children
- Block 4 focuses on the assessment and review process using the case study of an older woman in rural Wales
- Block 5 is based on a practice example of a mental-health community resource in Scotland
- Block 6 explores the provision of services for disabled children in an urban context
- Block 7 focuses on the way different sectors in Northern Ireland respond to the needs of people with learning difficulties
- Block 8 concludes the course by drawing together its key themes, and focuses on applying your learning to the context of practice.
The course concentrates on writing about practice, and learning how to apply theoretical learning to practice contexts. It draws upon case-study-based teaching to help you demonstrate an awareness and understanding of diversity and inequality.
In addition, to pass the course, you must complete a period of 20 days preparation for practice and have this verified by a qualified social worker or someone who holds an equivalent qualification, e.g. nurse, teacher, community worker or registered manager. It will be your responsibility to arrange the practice experience including identifying a verifier. Also you must have had the opportunity to shadow a social worker during this 20-day period.
During this course you will develop your ICT skills and can gain marks for this both in continuous assessment and in the end-of-module assessment. There are also online discussions that take place immediately after each workshop to continue your interactions with your tutor and fellow students and develop your online communication skills.
Entry
This is a key introductory Level 1 course. Level 1 courses provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, which help you to progress to courses at Level 2.
You are not required to have done any study in the area of social work or social care before, but you are strongly recommended to consider studying An introduction to health and social care (K101), or a social science course e.g. Introducing the social sciences (DD101) before or alongside KYJ113.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
You will receive guidance of how to get started online in your first course mailing. This will provide you with information on using your computer for OU study and working with the Computing Guide. For example, it explains how to access and use your website and online discussion forums. If you have time before the course starts, you can work through this and explore all the online services available to you.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials and CDs. You will also have access to a website through which teaching and library resources are available. Electronic version of most of the printed study materials are provided on the website.
You will need
A CD player.
For more details on the use of computing on this course and the BA (Hons) Social Work you can download the document Use of computing on the Social Work Degree.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer with Microsoft Office installed. The software on this module has some advanced features that only work in the proprietary versions of Microsoft Office. If you don't already have Microsoft Office, you can take advantage of a special educational offer.
If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running Windows using Boot Camp or similar dual-boot system.
Materials to buy
Set books
- Howe, D A Brief Introduction to Social Work Theory, Palgrave £14.99 - ISBN 9780230233126
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Part of your tuition is delivered online so some of the contact with your tutor will be through email and online discussion forums, although phone communication may also be used. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. Your tutor will run eight obligatory workshops (usually held on a Saturday). Requests for excusal from a workshop are dealt with by the tutor running it. In addition to the eight workshops, you will be expected to participate in your online tutor-group discussion forum for workshop-learning consolidation exercises. Questions of a professional, social work nature should be directed to your tutor.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
You must submit your end-of-module assessment online. The iCMAs are accessed via the website.
In addition, to pass the course, your practice verifier must have submitted to the University a completed Confirmation of student’s preparation for practice form (TMA 14).
Professional recognition
Successful completion of KYJ113 does not lead to automatic entry to the social work degree programme in England and Scotland as you must meet specific requirements.
To subsequently gain sponsorship and entry onto the Social Work programme you must be working in a social care setting and be sponsored by your employer. You will then be able to count KYJ113, in addition to K101, towards your degree. KYJ113 cannot be counted towards the social work degree in Wales. More details about the social work programmes can be found on the Social Work subject page.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013. We expect it to be available once a year.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Health and Social Care.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | KYJ113 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 8 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| 3 Interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Student Reviews
I enjoyed this course but as not being sponsored by an employer I had to find my own 30 day ...
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Excellent course, loved it! Good pace, good materials and brillant tutor! Good preparation for Level 2. Keep your TMAs for ...
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