Social Work

Social work is a profession suited to people who:

• are passionate about social justice and equality

• are creative, practical and resourceful

• enjoy working with people to achieve positive change

It is an immensely rewarding profession which requires the ability to combine ingenuity, critical reflection and optimism with honesty and realism, in the face of the demanding situations which some service users experience. Since 1918, we have been training Social Workers at the University of Edinburgh to develop exactly this ability. Our programme supports students to build the necessary knowledge, skills and values for social work practice through evidence-informed and practice-focused teaching.

Our teaching is underpinned by professional ethics, informed by current research and benefits greatly from contributions from people who have experience of social work services and our partners in local authority and third sector organisations. We aim to prepare students to navigate the contemporary challenges of social work practice, developing their professional voice to advocate for change at individual, organisational and societal levels.

Successful candidates need to be able to see the bigger picture beyond individual issues, demonstrate an ability to reflect on their own behaviours and thinking, have well-developed social and communication skills, and show a high degree of empathy. Candidates should have some experience of social work/ care, this can be in a personal, paid or voluntary capacity, and demonstrate an understanding of what social work is.

What social work looks like

Good social work combines an interest in people with a rigorous intellectual attitude and the constant search for better methods of helping, supported by research and development.

Social workers support people in difficult circumstances to improve their wellbeing. They provide protection to people who may be vulnerable, and promote social justice.

Working within legal systems and codes of practice, social workers work with individuals, families and communities to enable change. They work in partnership with other agencies to achieve this, including, for example:

• health

• education

• housing

• the police

Studying social work will enable you to think critically about the work that social workers do and to develop:

• skills in assessment, communication in a diverse range of circumstances

• knowledge of how to support people with a diverse range of needs, utilising a range of techniques

• a strong sense of professional ethics

• an understanding of the importance of social justice

• the ability to critically reflect on values and knowledge

• the capacity to manage a challenging, complex workload and competing priorities.

Programme benefits

• Our programme will provide you with an internationally-recognised professional qualification, which will enable you to register as a professional social worker, opening up your employment opportunities in the UK and abroad.

• Our programme is fully accredited by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

• We arrange full-time practice placements with local agencies and organisations for students during Years 3 and 4.

• We are a diverse and international community of staff and students. We work with local and international partners on all of our teaching programmes to ensure that our teaching reflects our commitment to social work values, ethics and social justice.

• The University started providing training for social workers in 1918, and today we are well-recognised as a leading institution in social work training.