MSW Social Work

In the era of evidence-based health and social care it is vital to be able to evaluate the research evidence that underpins existing practice and the emerging information that shapes service change.

On this module, you will learn to critically explore research evidence in allied health or social work practice and to synthesise, integrate and apply knowledge of the research process to this. In this module, we will use real-life examples from local, national and international researchers to develop your knowledge and skills to be able to find and interpret gaps in the existing body of evidence and to ask appropriate and relevant research questions with an aim of filling these. The work done in this module will develop the subsequent dissertation that you undertake in year-2 of the course.

By promoting evidence-based research this module will encourage working to high professional standards, providing shared governance and accountability of health and social care practice.

The module will include the following content:
1. An overview of the research process.
2. Critical appraisal of the research evidence to assist in the development of research ideas relevant to practice.
3. Evaluation of research designs including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches.
4. Exploration in the importance of research governance and ethics.

Further information

This module explores theories for and of social work; examines knowledge drawn from different discipline and your application to social work; reflecting on models and methods of intervention and review in the social work context. This module will provide you with an advance level understanding of theories and methods drawn from the social sciences and to access and integrate your application to social work. Critical reflection and rationale will be developed to understand the effectiveness of different social work approaches and interventions. The module will support students to acquire critical analysis skills, to produce balanced and evidence-based arguments in relation to social work skills, methods and theories. To enhance the authentic experience of the module, it will incorporate group discussion and exercises, debate, guest speakers including people receiving services and their carers, lectures and videos.

Further information

In this module you will examine and debate contemporary issues in social work. Consideration will be given to the ever-evolving social issues and challenges of socio- political and economic development. Interdependent issues of a global, national and local concern will be examined through the social work lens, to enable and equip you to respond accordingly. Such issues may include global health and economic crises, social identities and identity politics, anti/racism, migration, displacement and implications of war and/or environmental crises. These issues will be examined with relevant interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks such as those related to: trauma, loss, grief, cultural humility, extreme poverty and issues of invisibility of certain individuals, groups and/or populations and social death. It is in this context that you will consider the social work principles and values from the national and international codes of practice. You will explore ethical and moral dilemmas from inter-personal and interprofessional contexts. You will consider how you can maintain social work standards whilst developing your professional competence, confidence, and leadership, when working in uncertain times and ambiguous circumstances.

Further information

This module offers the student an opportunity to lead and conduct a detailed research study in a profession-specific area relevant to health and social care practice. It involves critical evaluation of primary or secondary data, discussion and conclusion of the findings/results, including research limitations, presentation and synthesise evidence-based arguments to inform professional practice; education or policy. Examination of the ethical implications and reflect on the limitations of the completed research study. The skill required to synthesise the work for a potential publication facilitates the student to meet all the learning outcomes.

Where primary data collection is to be undertaken as part of a existing research project, the supervising lecturer will normally be responsible for gaining ethical approval before the module begins to ensure this process does not cause delays in your study. However, you will be expected to critically discuss the ethical implications of your research.

Topics will include:
Roles and responsibilities of students and their supervisor: the Dissertation Module Handbook contains information on getting started; literature searching and critique; managing references,
how to present and construct an article for a professional journal; identifying the gaps in the literature, time-management and reflection on process and progress; Dissemination of study findings and limitations in a format appropriate for the professional discipline.

Further information

This module offers the student an opportunity to lead and conduct a detailed research study in a profession-specific topic relevant to health and social care practice.

Building on the research protocol submitted in year 1, this module involves collation and critical evaluation of primary or secondary data, discussion and conclusion of findings, including a reflection on the research limitations, culminating in presentation and synthesise of evidence-based arguments to inform professional practice, education or policy.

The module submission will be in a format analogous to a research paper, developing the skills required to synthesise the work to the scope and length of a potential publication facilitates the student to meet all the learning outcomes.

Further information

This module aims to introduce you to key concepts relating to the management and delivery of services as well as allowing you to develop a personal development plan for your transition into professional life. The module addresses the core themes of leadership and entrepreneurship, looking for you to consider innovative solutions to challenges faced within services and consider how these might be implemented. In doing this, the module aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills to lead change in the future.

Topics will include:
Leadership and management – theory and practice; Collaborative leadership; Organisational aims, strategy and values; Policy, standard and strategy implementation; Private, public and voluntary sector organisational objectives; Transforming roles; Entrepreneurship; Social enterprise; Reflexivity and flexibility in services; Implementing and managing change within services and organisations; Service-user and stakeholder involvement in service design and implementation; Creating a business plan; Project management and resource management; Workforce development; Conflict management and resolution; Challenging others to produce positive outcomes; Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice; Whistleblowing; Transitioning service-users and staff between different of changing services; Reflective practice; Personal, professional and academic development planning; Global/international perspectives.

This module is designed to address three main SiSWE learning foci: Units 4, 5, 6

Further information

In this module you will explore how the law defines the duties and powers of social workers.
The nature of legal authority, the application of legislation in practice, statutory responsibility and conflicts between law, policy and practice. The module provides an overview of the origins of law, the Scottish legal system, and key social work legislation across Children and Families, Criminal Justice and Adult Services. The legislation is examined within the context of the codes of practice for social service workers and an understanding of human rights, including people’s rights to privacy and to govern and determine their own lives and outcomes. The module will ask you to reflect upon the ways in which the law may be an instrument for both empowerment and oppression, and the ethical debates related to the central tensions of care, control and risk inherent within the social work role. The module is based clearly upon an appreciation of the ways in which a critical understanding of the legislation is both necessary and useful in day-to-day practice.

Further information

Practice Placement 1: Part A: Readiness for Practice, assesses your readiness to undertake direct practice. This part of the module aims to facilitate the development of your personal and interpersonal communication skills for you to apply in practice. You will be provided with a range of practical guidance, support and knowledge to develop your capabilities against the regulatory body (SSSC) Codes of Practice, and the Standards in Social Work Education. This is in accordance with the Standards and audit for practice learning opportunities.

Part A, builds on your learning from the theoretical modules in term 1, specifically ‘Legislation, policy and ethical frameworks’, ‘Working with children families and communities’ and ‘Social work theories and methods’.

Part A, assures that you acquire and can apply a working knowledge of the SiSWE and the SSSC Codes of Practice.


The module delivery will be supported by people receiving services and/or their carers, who will assist you in developing appropriate communication and engagement skills. Learning and feedback from Part A of this module will assist you in completing your learning profile for Part B of this module.

12. Module Content
This module, Practice Placement 1: Part B: practice placement, provides you with an opportunity to undertake 85 days practice placement to demonstrate your capabilities against the regulatory body (SSSC) Codes of Practice, and the Standards in Social Work Education. This is in accordance with the Standards and audit for practice learning opportunities.

Part B of this module includes 85 day assessed social work placement. You will be placed within a carefully selected placement agency, which could be within a range of settings. These may include: Local Authority teams, third sector organisations, schools, primary health and/or residential settings.

This placement will be selected based on your learning profile to date, taking into an account your previous social care experience.

Further information

This module complies with requirements of the Scottish Social Services Council, (Standards and audit for practice learning opportunities) for students undertaking assessed practice with people receiving services and their carers.

This module includes 85 day assessed social work placement, which will be a different specialism than Social Work Placement 1. You will be placed within a carefully selected placement agency, which could be within a range of settings. These may include: Local Authority teams, third sector organisations, schools, primary health and/or residential settings.

You will have an allocated case load, providing a range of learning experiences. Your practice will be supervised by Practice Educators, who, have either attained a recognised qualification in assessing Social Work Students in Practice Placements or are in training themselves. If your Practice Educator is in training, they will also have a Practice Accessor assessing their own practice. Some Practice Educators may be “off-site”, which means they will not be working in the agency where you are placed. If this is situation for you, you will be supported by on-site Link-workers, who will be responsible for day-to-day supervision and contribute to your assessment. Practice Educators have responsibility for overseeing and selecting suitable work for you in liaison with yourself and your placement agency. Your Personal Development Tutor will have an overview of your learning needs and assigned work through the Practice Learning Agreement which is written and agreed at the beginning of your placement.

During your practice placement you will be compiling a portfolio of evidence which will be accessed, alongside three direct practice observations.

This module is designed to address all six SiSWE Standards and incorporates the Code of Practice for Social Workers.

You have to complete the full 85 days before you can submit your portfolio for assessment.

Further information

12. Module Content
This module considers the changing and sometimes global nature of public protection across the lifespan. The module examines the common principles of different forms of public protection, the socially constructed nature of abuse, and challenges the thresholds for the involvement of the State in private and family life. It draws comparisons with the responses of other jurisdictions and explores ‘new’ situations of abuse, such as facilitated by modern technologies. The module takes a more complex approach to risk by addressing situations where people may be both vulnerable and present risks to others, and considers different models for professional responses, including the possibility for harm to be caused by professional intervention.

This module is designed to address four main SiSWE learning foci: Units 1, 2, 3, 4

Further information

This module will offer students a comprehensive theoretical and practical insight into working with people who are at risk, learning the best practice guidelines for assessing and managing risk, and how to do this through inter-agency working.

Students will develop skills in risk formulation and intervention/care/management planning through using a real case file to explore the risk and protective factors that are present, and through working within their field-specific ‘best-practice’ guidelines and then across the disciplines held within their class group.

Topics delivered within the module will include:
Theoretical and practice of risk assessment; Key risk assessment measures; Case files; Risk management; Practical skills in risk management; Risk management planning; Strategic interventions, treatment and rehabilitation; Validity of outcome measures and formal evaluation; Risk communication; Psychology of risk communication; Communication of risk assessment to different stakeholders; Intra-professional and Inter-agency working; Psychological aspects of human decision making; Biases and common errors in decision-making in judgement; Judgements and decisions made during risk assessments; strategies to reduce risk of biases; Thresholds for intervention.

Further information

This module explores public protections within historical and comparative and global perspectives. The module examines the common principles of different forms of public protection, the socially constructed nature of abuse, and challenges the thresholds for the involvement of the State in private and family life. The module presents practitioner’s discipline-specific risk management and the tensions sometimes arising from differing priorities. The module takes a more complex approach to safeguarding and risk by addressing situations where people may be both vulnerable and present risks to others, and considers different models for professional responses, including the possibility for harm to be caused by professional intervention.

Further information

This module will examine theoretical frameworks in relation to risk, risk assessment and risk management. The module will explore and consider ecological and solution-focused approaches to assessment. Ecological and environmental factors will be examined to underpin a holistic assessment process including, vulnerability, poverty, neglect and social exclusion across the lifespan. Protective factors and resilience will also be considered in the context of individual’s well-being, child protection and adult safeguarding concerns.

Consideration will also be given to inequalities in social care. The module will reflect upon the impact of issues that may affect parenting capacity, such as learning disability, mental health, domestic abuse and substance use.

The use and evaluation of current assessment tools will also be incorporated to support the assessment process for people receiving services to enable both, a solution-focused and person-centred assessment.

Legislation, policy, and codes of practice for social workers will be examined to demonstrate how they underpin social work assessment.

Further information

This module complies with requirements of the Scottish Social Services Council, providing direct, assessed practice with service users. You will be placed within carefully selected placement agencies across a wide range of settings, from Local Authority teams to third sector organisations, schools, primary health and residential homes for older people. Placements may include settings where you are working in integrated Health and Social Care teams and/or alongside students from the MSc Physiotherapy or MSc Occupational Therapy programmes. You will have an allocated case load, providing a range of learning experiences. Practice is supervised by Practice Educators, who have attained a recognised qualification in assessing Social Work Students in Practice Placements. Where Practice Educators are “off-site”, they will be supported by on-site Link-workers, who will be responsible for day-to-day supervision and contribute to the assessment. Practice Educators have responsibility for selecting suitable work for you, in liaison with you, your Practice Tutor and agency management.

You can find comprehensive details about the allocation process, what is involved in being on placement and how you will be assessed, in the Module Handbook.

This module is designed to address all six SiSWE Learning foci.

Further information

This module will provide you with the opportunity to reflect further upon your placement experiences and to deepen your understanding and enhance your skills in relation to work with users of services who may be vulnerable to or present risks and where there are tensions between the demands of care and control. In particular, you will be asked to explore, reflect upon, and make productive use of the emotions that arise when engaging with service users in situations concerning conflict and risk. A variety of different practice situations with a range of service user groups will be considered in terms of an understanding of their different communication needs and the legal, theoretical and evidence base which shape and guide social work assessment and intervention.

This module is designed to address all 6 main SiSWE learning foci: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Further information

This module will give you the opportunity to develop and practise communication skills (verbal, non-verbal and symbolic) and to develop skills in self-awareness, self-reflection, and personal resilience. Specific frameworks/approaches relating to children, vulnerable adults and marginalised groups will be explored. Recognising that you are beginning to develop your professional identity as a social worker and an understanding of your own and others’ roles. This will include reflecting on your personal values and how they underpin your social work practice. You will consider the use of self and issues of power and difference in communication with people receiving services and their carers and between practitioners within multi-disciplinary teams. You will explore a number of different theories and methods of communication, such as motivational interviewing, solution-focused approaches, systems approaches and crisis intervention, and their application. This module is an introductory module in working with children and families and communities and is precursor to the Safeguarding and Public Protection module delivered in year 2.

Further information