The Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Care is Professor Imogen Taylor.
The Department of Social Work and Social Care has 13 members of full-time teaching faculty. We also rely heavily on the support of our excellent Associate Tutors who work for us on a part-time basis while holding what are often very influential and senior roles in social care settings. Refer to People.
Teaching in the Department of Social Work and Social Care
We offer undergraduate, postgraduate and post-qualifying degrees.
At undergraduate level, we have our hugely popular BA in Social Work, which scored 97 per cent in the overall satisfaction category, 93 per cent in the personal development category and 89 per cent in the teaching category of the 2011 National Student Survey (NSS), placing us 1st, 6th and 14th, respectively.
The School of Education and Social Work excels in the study of childhood and youth. In 2012, the Department of Education launched the BA in Working with Children and Young People. This multidisciplinary degree straddles not only the Department of Education and the Department of Social Work and Social Care, but also comprises modules from the Department of Anthropology, the Department of Sociology and the School of Psychology.
Our postgraduate taught degrees include the MA in Social Work, the MSc in Social Research Methods, and the MA in Childhood and Youth Studies, which is a multidisciplinary degree straddling the Department of Education and the Department of Social Work and Social Care.
The Department of Social Work and Social Care has recently launched a range of post-qualifying courses to offer experienced professionals the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills for their specialist roles. Courses may be studied in their entirety over a two-year period, or individual modules taken independently over a maximum of five years. The latter route is designed specifically to accommodate the demands of the practising social worker. Courses are available via Specialist, Higher Specialist, Advanced and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) routes.
Research in the Department of Social Work and Social Care
Social Work at Sussex was rated 14th in the UK in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 95 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and 60 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher.
Our postgraduate research degrees include the PhD in Social Work and Social Care and the Doctor of Social Work (DSW).
Our research is grouped according to the following research themes:
- Professional Knowledge and Methodologies
- Policy and Practice across the Lifecourse
- The Pedagogy of Professional Education.
A recently completed Social Work research project was the Consultation of Carers for the National College of Social Work. The consultation was carried out between May and October 2010 to identify the views and values of carers. It also sought to identify the degree of involvement carers would like to, and should, have in the future development of the college.