The PG Cert Professional Social Work Practice is a well-established route to academically accredited continuing professional development. It reflects a long and fruitful partnership with health and social care employers within the Northeast region to co-produce a flexible, unified framework which supports workforce planning and development, and enhances practitioner employability in advanced roles. The programme offers a broad range of topics which can be studied to support and recognise continuing professional development, and some regional employers use particular modules as benchmarks of career progression.
All modules can be undertaken on a stand-alone basis and are worth 20 academic credits - please note, you can explore and apply for our modules via the list below.
Some modules are exclusively for qualified social workers, whilst others reflect the multidisciplinary nature of social care and can be studied by different professional groups (see the individual modules below for details as to who can do which modules).
Social workers who achieve 60 academic credits over three relevant modules within a 3 to 5 year timescale are awarded the Post Graduate Certificate in Professional Social Work Practice.
All modules are practice-based, and are designed to help practitioners demonstrate a greater mastery of the complex and specialised knowledge and skills needed to meet service user needs. All modules are studied at post graduate level 7. Learning accredited at this level requires a more sophisticated analysis of research and practice, employing advanced skills in critical reflection, and in making professional judgements and key decisions. The programme’s academic lecturers have a wealth of practice experience in in statutory, voluntary and private organisations, and their current research activity across specialist areas of practice informs teaching and supports students to embrace evidence-based approaches. Experts by lived experience are involved in design and delivery so that students have opportunities to develop understandings of the views and perspectives of the people with whom they practice.
This module will enhance your knowledge, and ability to analyse and reflect on complex situations within the safeguarding children role. It will also develop your ability to consider the importance of effective multi-disciplinary and interagency safeguarding practice. Learning on the module will help enhance capability to undertake key elements of effective safeguarding practice including communicating with children, multi-disciplinary and interagency practice and managing the personal and professional interface.
Taught sessions provide opportunities to engage with academic staff, expert professionals and current researchers to develop practice to a more sophisticated level required for social workers engaged in safeguarding practice on a day-to-day basis. Knowledge regarding contemporary concerns will be further enhance and updated. In group discussions and through directed learning, students will relate learning to their particular professional context and critically reflect on their own practice, ethical dilemmas and value issues arising in safeguarding practice with children and families.
This is a Module which has a combined Portfolio Component and assignment submission Component where with a Portfolio students are required to demonstrate post-qualified practice across the PCFS alongside academic evidence of critical reflection and learning from practice, practice analysis and complex analytical skills.
This module will enhance your knowledge, and ability to analyse and reflect on complex situations within the safeguarding children role. It will also develop your ability to consider the importance of effective multi-disciplinary and interagency safeguarding practice. Learning on the module will help enhance capability to undertake key elements of effective safeguarding practice including communicating with children, multi-disciplinary and interagency practice and managing the personal and professional interface.
Taught sessions provide opportunities to engage with academic staff, expert professionals and current researchers to develop practice to a more sophisticated level required for social workers engaged in safeguarding practice on a day-to-day basis. Knowledge regarding contemporary concerns will be further enhance and updated. In group discussions and through directed learning, students will relate learning to their particular professional context and critically reflect on their own practice, ethical dilemmas and value issues arising in safeguarding practice with children and families. T
his is a Module which has an assignment only submission where students are required to demonstrate learning alongside evidence of critical reflection and learning from practice, practice analysis and complex analytical skills.
Research is an essential part of social work, health and social care. It would be an important experience for practitioners to acquire the relevant research knowledge and skills and integrate them with their practice. This course therefore aims to facilitate practitioners ability to design and carry out an applied work-based study.
The course tutor will provide the guidance and support for developing the knowledge and skills, e.g. literature searching, critical appraisal of research evidences, developing research design, conducting data analysis, and discussion of findings, necessary for conducting the work-based study. A plan of online and tutorial contact will be negotiated between practitioner and tutor. Upon completion of this course, practitioners will be equipped and supported to develop as evidence-based practitioners.
This module is designed to help you build on and develop your existing knowledge and practice to an enhanced level. This module will facilitate your critical review of the wider context in which the abuse of vulnerable adults takes place. You will develop contemporary knowledge in the area of safeguarding adults to progress your professional development and enhance employability and career development. In this module you will learn and demonstrate your ability to apply research- based evidence and theoretical approaches to strengthen problem solving skills within practice.
You will also gain insight into different professional roles within the safeguarding arena and how to undertake your role within different contexts. The assessment is designed to enable you to reflect upon and evaluate your own practice and demonstrate expertise in your specialist area.
This module will develop and enhance your critical understanding of trauma as it impacts on both children and adults and support a range of new and existing strategies and/or interventions that can be used to work in a trauma informed way. Trauma informed approaches are evidence-based and can be integrated into many existing models of intervention and practice across disciplines and agencies. Consequently, examined is how a trauma-informed approach can complement strengths-based and relationship-based practice and contribute to the values-based approach that underpins professional practice.
The syllabus will explore the complexity of trauma, and how factors such as personal history, family circumstances and cultural norms and practices can all contribute to how trauma is understood and experience by individuals. You will have an opportunity to self-assess where you feel you are situated on the continuum of being trauma-aware through to being trauma-informed.
As an opportunity to develop and/or further enhance your existing knowledge of trauma-informed care, you will further learn and demonstrate your ability to critically apply research-based evidence and theoretical approaches to strengthen problem-solving skills within your existing approach to practice.
This module offers health and social care professionals the opportunity to develop and enhance their professional competence in relation to working with people whose mental capacity is in question and understanding the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The teaching and learning involved seeks to develop understanding not just of mental capacity as an area of specialist knowledge and skills, but of the various professional roles and distinct contributions of those within the multi-disciplinary environment and the collaborative nature of these roles needed to achieve a holistic assessment of the individual. Key areas of focus will be the Act’s framework for assessing capacity and making best interest decisions on behalf of those unable to make decisions for themselves and understanding the concepts of capacity and best interests and their contested nature.
You will develop knowledge and skills that will enhance your ability to evidence your decision making in relation to capacity. You will improve your ability to critically ‘manage’ the balance between autonomy and risk for individuals with their professional accountability and duties of care. Building knowledge of the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act in a practice context. Human rights and ethical decision making in the practice context will be a key focus, along with working collaboratively with carers, advocates and other professionals.
This module is approved by Social Work England as a course of education to support the development of the advanced practice skills required to practice in the specialist, advanced role of Best Interests Assessor (BIA) within the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This is a complex area of practice and an emerging field of knowledge and research. The syllabus supports you to develop the specialist knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with service users who lack the capacity to make decisions about their care or treatment, and who may be deprived of their liberty in hospital or care home settings. On successful completion of the module you will demonstrate the advanced practice skills prescribed by the Mental Capacity (Deprivation of Liberty: Standard Authorisations, Assessments and Ordinary Residence) Regulations 2008 including:
This module is designed to help you build on and develop your existing knowledge and practice to an enhanced level. This module will facilitate your critical review of the wider context in which the abuse of vulnerable adults takes place. You will develop contemporary knowledge in the area of safeguarding adults to progress your professional development and enhance employability and career development. In this module you will learn and demonstrate your ability to apply research- based evidence and theoretical approaches to strengthen problem solving skills within practice.
You will also gain insight into different professional roles within the safeguarding arena and how to undertake your role within different contexts. The assessment is designed to enable you to reflect upon and evaluate your own practice and demonstrate expertise in your specialist area.
The application process for the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Social Work Practice has three stages:
If you are being sponsored by your agency
You must get clearance from your agency representative who can confirm your agency will sponsor you on the module (ie they will meet the cost of the module)
The agency representative will e mail your details to the university admissions team on nsapplicantservices@northumbria.ac.uk
The admissions team will send you a link to access the application form
To help you complete the application form read the guide you will also be sent. Read through this before you start as it makes clear there are several sections you do not have to complete as a Social Work PQ applicant.
To complete the application successfully you will need your professional registration number with your professional body (if you are an applicant who has to be registered ). Your application will not be processed until these have been provided so it is vital you include them when submitting your application.
Your application must be submitted by the deadline indicated on the module schedule that your agency rep should have given you. Late applications can only be negotiated in exceptional circumstances via your agency representative. This is to ensure that once your application has been processed there is sufficient time for you to enrol onto the module and for the university to set up appropriate administrative and IT systems for you.
If you are self funding a module
Email the university admissions team on nsapplicantservices@northumbria.ac.uk
Advise them you intend to self fund your module and request they send you the application link
Complete the application and submit
Once your application has been processed you will receive an e mail offering you a place on the module. At this point you must go onto the university website and go onto the student portal. Accept your place on the module
Enrolment on the module is a different process to making the application. Approximately a month prior to the start of the module you will receive an e mail with instructions on how to enrol. Do this as soon as you get the e mail as this will then give you access to your module and all the university sites. If being sponsored by your agency, they should have provided you with a sponsor letter to upload at the point you enrol. If they have not done so please check with them that they have sent a sponsor letter to the university to cover your module costs.
You must be enrolled onto a module to attend so dealing with this straight way gives time to sort out any problems should they occur.
If you do not receive those instructions, please contact NSBackOffice@northumbria.ac.uk
If you have a problem with the password, you have been provided with ring IT on 0191 2274242
Your enrolment instructions will be sent by e mail so please ensure you notify the university of any changes you may have of e mail address. It is also worth noting that sometimes university emails go into your spam file, so if you have not received your enrolment instructions check your spam file as they may be in there.
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