Law for Social Work (L5092)

30 credits, Level 4

Spring and summer teaching

This module provides introductory knowledge of the legal rules that underpins social work practice, and (building on the Contexts of Social Work course) explores the ways in which law and social policy interact to provide a broad framework for assessment and intervention. You will also explore the relationship between law and social work values, and reflect on the ways in which legal rules support practice that is both lawful and ethical.

Lectures will introduce core knowledge, such as the workings of the English legal system, and the powers and duties of social work in relation to children and families, mental health and adult social care. You will pursue small group e-learning exercises and guided independent reading to consolidate your understanding, before applying the legal rules to case scenarios discussed in class under the guidance of the tutor.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 44 hours of contact time and about 256 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2023/24. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses:

• Social Work BA