Learn what it takes to work in social care through a university degree

For some social care roles, especially the registered professional, social work or counselling careers, university degrees are seen as an incredibly popular entry qualification. University degree courses provide aspiring healthcare professionals with a mix of academic learning and practical skills that create a solid foundation which they can build on with practical experience.

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Take your social care journey to the next level with a university degree

There are several different degree options that come under the umbrella term of social care. Some, such as the registered professional roles (nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, etc) have a clear route through university - aspiring professionals would undertake a university degree, and once qualified and registered with the specific regulatory body, would be able to work as a qualified professional in social care. For more information on the university options for these careers, we’d recommend checking out the relevant pathways. In this section, we’ll be focusing on some of the other areas relevant to social care - namely social work and counselling.

One pathway into social care would be through a social work degree. This is the degree that’s designed to help students develop the skills needed so that after graduating they can apply to become a registered social worker. Incorporating a mixture of academic learning with placements within the community, the university pathway in social work is expertly balanced to equip students for a future in social work and the social care sector.

Another option to pursue is a counselling degree. This offers the opportunity to pursue a career in counselling, which can have possibilities in both the public and private sector. At some institutions, a counselling degree is considered to be a joint honours degree. This means it’s combined with another career or subject pathway, allowing the applicant a broader range of teaching and career opportunities.

What’s it really like?

Studying social care related degrees will have some challenges, just like any other university degree. However, just like many different health and social care careers, there’s plenty of rewarding moments.

Social work is a critical part to how our society works to deliver care. For full-time students, social work degrees will last for three years, and will cover a mixture of topics to account for the variety of real-life situations that they might encounter later down the road. Social work degrees are run in different universities, and part-time courses are available, too. These will have fewer contact hours per week (the time spent learning with academic staff), and the course will be spread out longer, taking around five to six years to complete.

Social work is a challenging career - so it’s no surprise that a social work degree isn’t easy, but don’t worry, there’s plenty of support on offer. Like many health and social care courses, a social work degree has both academic and practical aspects to it.

The academic element of the university degree will involve typical aspects of any course - you may write reports and essays, attend lectures and seminars, and take part in research projects.

The practical aspect of the course focuses on providing you with realistic experience. Likely to be experienced in the second and third years of the course, work-based placements will help students develop their skills in real situations.

Counselling degrees will have a very similar structure to social work. However, depending on the university, some counselling degrees may have little to no placement opportunities. So, it’s worth taking this into consideration if the prospect of a placement is something you really want to experience.

FAQS

There are so many routes into social care that allow people from different backgrounds that it’s important to consider which possibilities are best for you. Whether it’s registered professional roles such as nursing or occupational therapy, social work and counselling, or support roles, it’s important to take into considerations your interests, passions, and how you prefer to work and study.

Within social work, once qualified you are able to work within adult or children’s social care. Within the council these are two different departments and require slightly different skills. No different qualification is required for either one however for those deciding to study a social work degree, it is important to keep in mind throughout the course the differences and think about which you may prefer. This will be helpful when graduating and applying for roles as you can specialise in what best suits you.

If the university pathway seems like the ideal training route for you, it’s important to know a few important facts.

When applying via UCAS, remember to keep in mind the application deadline. Social work degrees follow the same date as other courses, and will likely be towards the end of January. As with all other degrees, you will also need to submit a personal statement.

In order to ensure that students are making the correct choice when it comes to their application, universities may request that aspiring social care professionals take part in an interview. These are important to universities, as it’s a way of understanding why you would be a suitable candidate. At the same time, it’s a perfect opportunitiy to showcase your interest and passion for the career or subject. Interviews can vary in how they’re delivered, but there are some main common themes. Often, they’ll ask questions to uncover what it is you like about the subject, and who you are as a person.

Interviews can differ in their content and structure - some could be a group interview, others may be on your own, or even a series of mini-interviews. Although something like this can be a fairly new experience and a little nerve-wracking, it’s an opportunity to just be yourself, and show why you want to pursue this career.

There are plenty of videos and websites that will give you a taster of interview questions, and whilst it’s good to take some time to review these, it’s equally important not to over-prepare. Ultimately, the interviewers want to find out more about you, rather than the opinions of others.

From April 2022, all applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the course, or provide valid proof of medical exemption. Health and social care professionals are subject to the UK government’s vaccine mandate, meaning that all people working in health and social care settings are required to be vaccinated.

Achieve your goals with a degree qualification

Social care related degrees provide the necessary qualification to progress in this area of health and care, but they will provide you with an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of many individuals.

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Learn what it takes to work in social care through a university degree

Take your social care journey to the next level with a university degree

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Achieve your goals with a degree qualification