All Foundation phase students will study the following -

Academic Skills
This module does not carry credit points, but is designed to enable learners to employ effective academic and study skills in relation to their proposed course of study in higher education. The module will assist students to develop communication, information technology, and personally appropriate study skills. Students will be supported to review their own preferred approaches to study and to develop routines and strategies which will enable effective reading, note taking, planning and time management. This module will be used to introduce Personal Development Planning in order to encourage students to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning.

Preparation for Practice
This 30-credit-point module is designed to enable students to experience introductory practice in a range of community and social care settings. This will enhance their practical experiences of working with people and demonstrate fitness to practice for the intermediate phase. The module will evidence students initial skill level of working with people and provide opportunities to particularly focus on enhancing their communication skills.

Social Workers are required to use a wide range of practical skills in their day to day work activities. The module will introduce students to a range of key skills which underpins social work activity in all settings. Students will then be encouraged to make links between values issues and social work skills. This module aims to introduce students to the practice skills that strengthen models of interventions.

Law in Social Work
There has been a growing awareness of the need to strengthen and prioritise the training profile of law in social work training. An understanding of the construction of English law and its relevance to the practice of social work, particularly in relation to the protection and care of children and vulnerable adults, is critical. It is felt therefore that practising social workers should be informed regarding how law is constructed within political and legal systems. Practicing social workers need to ensure that they are competent in their knowledge and interpretation of “safe practice”. This module carries 15 credits.

Values and Ethical Social Work
This 15-credit-point module introduces the student to key social work values and principles to which they are required to adhere, and endeavour to bring students to a sophisticated understanding of how these values can be evidenced in their personal practice. Reflecting critically on themselves and their prior experiences that influenced their current values and attitudes is a key part to this process. Students will be expected to contribute fully and honestly to group discussions and exercises whilst being aware that some colleagues will be operating on a different level of understanding than themselves.

Human Development and Life Span Transitions (1)
This 15-credit-point module provides an understanding of psychological and social development, emphasising significant factors which shape human lives in unique ways. This module will introduce learners to theories of understanding human behaviour within social, environmental and psycho-social development perspectives, with a focus on birth, children and adolescents.

Human Development and Life Span Transitions (2)
This 15-credit-point module continues to build on theories and perspectives introduced in Human Development and Life Span Transitions (1). The focus of this module is on adults, family formations and older persons' transitions.

Theories in Practice
Social workers practice their profession within a complex modern society that presents as many different problems and issues as there are people. In order to make sense of these social problems workers need ways of understanding, and making sense of these situations. Theories are central in assisting social workers to make sense of the diverse needs and problems a person may experience within their environment.

This module attempts to raise the students’ level of awareness about the importance of ‘thinking theoretically’ and the application of theory to social problems. It will provide opportunities for students to apply different theories to practice, to develop their theoretical knowledge and discover effective methods of social work intervention. This module carries 15 credit points.

IT Skills for Social Workers
Qualifying social workers are required to be competent in a range of IT skills relevant to social work practice. The Department of Health requirement is that social workers will have achieved ECDL or equivalent prior to qualifying. This 15-credit-point module has been developed to support learners in obtaining equivalent IT training.