All students must successfully complete at least 200 days (usually six to seven hours a day) of assessed practice before being awarded the social work degree.
The social work degree prepares students to work in a wide range of settings. To qualify, you'll need to have experience in at least two practice settings with at least two user groups. You must also have experience of statutory social work tasks involving legal interventions. These are normally based in local authorities who have the statutory responsibilities for legal interventions.
If all this seems outside of your experience to date, don't worry: before starting your first placement, you will take part in assessed preparation to ensure you are fully prepared when you undertake practice learning. This training varies across higher education institutions but includes an opportunity to shadow an experienced social worker and the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of the experience of service users.
