Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Social Work

Explore CPD opportunities to develop your professional knowledge and experience.

Supporting your professional progress

Our Masters level Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses can help you to meet the requirements of re-registration or simply improve your understanding of key areas of social work practice, health and social care.

With our courses you can:

• build on the knowledge and experience gained in your qualifying training and professional practice
• enhance your skills and reflect critically on your practice in light of current research and policy
• engage in collaborative learning with peers, developing your confidence in articulating complex ideas and contributing to both academic and professional dialogue
• accumulate academic credits that can contribute towards a full academic award
• choose from a range of modules offered across the University’s Schools and departments
• benefit from learning opportunities shaped by real-world practice issues, expert by experience, and diverse professional contexts

Our courses and awards have been designed for newly qualified and experienced social workers, senior practitioners and managers, as well as those working in children, adult and family contexts (including those in criminal justice, education and health). You are taught and assessed in partnership with academics, professionals and experts by experience.

CPD-accredited learning gives you the critical frameworks you need to develop your practice and reflect on it from an informed position. All learning is evidenced and can support your professional registration and career aspirations.

CPD modules 2025-26

Explore the modules we’re running this year:

• Developing Innovation in Social Work and Social Care Organisations

  This new 30-credit module is for leaders and managers wanting to develop their critical understanding of how to develop, implement and scale up innovation in their organisations and networks. It is based on The Innovate Project and aimed at those working in strategic roles in social work, health and social care.

  the module is taught remotely over seven sessions, all delivered by Professor Michelle Lefevre.

• Observing, Communicating and Engaging with Children and Young People
  

  This 30-credit module is for social workers and other professionals who need to deepen their capabilities for understanding, engaging and communicating with children and young people in complex, contested and sensitive situations.

  There are three intersecting areas of focus:
  - Learning about children and their internal, relational and social worlds through theory and observation
  - Learning about your own subjectivity and use of self
  - Developing capability in engagement and communication with children/young people.

  This module is taught on campus by Professor Michelle Lefevre over six in-person sessions betweem January and June 2026.

• Practice Education 2

  There are 15 and 30-credit versions of this module which enable you to further your knowledge, skills and capabilities to effectively supervise and assess student social workers and others in the workplace. It meets the requirements for Stage 2 of the Professional Practice Educator Standards programme for Social Work (BASW 2022) and successful completion will enable you to gain the credentials to be a Practice Educator in Social Work.

  This module is taught on campus by Rebecca Stephens over six days between September2025 and April 2026.

• Risk and Decision-making: Challenges for Children's Services - Management and Practice

  This 30-credit module is designed for experienced social workers and social care, health and education practitioners.

  You will learn about key perspectives, theory and the evidence base concerning risk and decision-making in Children’s Services in contemporary legal, policy and practice contexts. The focus is on integrating learning with critical reflection and developing risk management practices, as well as tackling role related challenges. 

  This module is taught remotely by Professor Michelle Lefevre and Dr Henry Smith over seven days between October 2025 and March 2026.

• Working with Young People at Complex Safeguarding Risk

  This 30-credit module enables practitioners to develop their knowledge and skills for work with young people receiving services within a diverse and complex safeguarding system.

  You will explore research, theory, and practice perspectives relevant for safeguarding young people within the context of systems that currently exist, whilst critically examining the structural and practical changes necessary for building a system that foregrounds young people’s rights to live safely, to be well and to feel that they matter - where they belong and flourish.

  This module is taught on campus by Professor Kristine Langhoff over six days between October 2025 and March 2026.

• Practitioner Research

  This 15-credit module is aimed at experienced social work, social care, health, police and education practitioners who would like to develop their role through practice-based research.

  You will look more deeply into the ideas and practices of your everyday work and develop your critical reflective research skills to shape best practice. You will identify an issue, challenge, knowledge gap or service need relevant to your professional role for which you, your organisation and/or service users would benefit from further exploration or development.

  This module involves self-directed study supported by on-campus teaching over four days between January and April 2026.

• Work-based Research

  This 45-credit module is for practitioners and managers from a range of agency and community services who are keen to design and undertake a work-role related research project, including those in social work and social care, voluntary organisations, the police, the fire service, probation, health services and other community-based professionals. Applicants are expected to have previous research training, for example through our 15-credit 'Practitioner Research' module (see above).

  You will learn how to conduct ethical, well-formulated research within a local service.

  Teaching is undertaken over one academic year through a combination of four taught sessions and research method seminars aimed at building research skills.

• Professional Learning Review

  There are 15 and 30-credit versions of this module which is designed for practitioners who have already accrued at least 30 postgraduate level credits from free-standing CPD modules. You must be in professional practice or management in social work, or a related field. 

  The module offers an opportunity to review and reflect on previous learning and experience, and to complete an assignment to demonstrate ongoing development of expertise. It particularly suits experienced practitioners needing 15 or 30 credits to complete a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma award.

• Understanding and Engaging in Trauma-informed Practice

  Visit the online course Prospectus for details of this 15-credit, remotely delivered module which will enable you to gain an in-depth understanding of the theory behind trauma-informed practice, along with practical skills that can be applied by both frontline practitioners and those in senior management roles.

• Dissertation

  This 60-credit module is the final module needed to complete an MA course. It is self-directed and designed for practitioners who have already earned 120 postgraduate credits. It offers an opportunity to critically explore a particular issue related to your professional field in depth with a view to developing a leading role in your profession.

  You will be appointed a supervisor and have four supervisory sessions between October 2025 and August 2026.

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How to apply

Please complete the Social Work CPD Application Form: 2025/26 [DOC 162.00KB] and email it to PQCoord@sussex.ac.uk

Fees

Fees are payable after the first day of teaching either via the self-funding route or through the employer sponsored route. Please indicate your preference via the Funding Agreement on the Social Work CPD Application Form: 2025/26 [DOC 162.00KB]. We are pleased to offer a 10% discount to organisations submitting over 15 applications for one module.

• 60 credit Dissertation/MA module: £3175                        
• 45 credit Work-based Research module: £1700
• 30 credit modules: £1175
• 15 credit modules: £750
• 15 credit Practice Education 2 module: £850

CPD Awards

Credits achieved from individual modules can be built towards academic awards as follows:

• 60 credit Postgraduate Certificate in Effective Practice, Practice Education OR Leadership & Management
  *Achieved within 5 years
• 120 credit Postgraduate Diploma in Effective Practice, Practice Education OR Leadership & Management
  *Achieved within 7 years
• 180 credit MA in Effective Practice, Practice Education OR Leadership & Management
  *Achieved within 8 years

Enquiries

For all enquiries regarding Social Work CPD, please contact the CPD Coordinator:
T 01273 872733
E PQCoord@sussex.ac.uk

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More information

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