In a historic milestone, University College Birmingham’s Department of Social Work is celebrating a sensational outcome, having received a ‘recommendation for approval with no conditions and no recommendations’ for their courses, following a final inspection by Social Work England.

The Social Work England inspectors highlighted the strength of the department’s relational culture, noting the exceptional integration of student, staff and Expert by Experience (EbE) partnerships, alongside the implementation of innovative assessment strategies. 

“We are absolutely delighted that both our Social Work Degree Apprenticeships have now been approved by Social Work England,” said Dr Gemma Hunt, Head of Social Work - School of Health, Life Sciences and Education.

“It was a very proud moment to hear that the inspectors had recommended approval of both courses, with no conditions and no recommendations.”

Summarising the visit in their report, inspectors praised the department’s collaborative approach to working with employers, Experts by Experience and learners. Their comments included:

• that across all six standards areas, every standard was met with no conditions applied
• employers were involved in “co-producing the course design and delivery model” through SPRINT events
• that people with lived experience are involved in “developing modules, reviewing assessments and course delivery"
• there is a clear focus on “integration of theory and practice”, using case studies, simulation and problem-based learning
• equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded throughout the curriculum, including attention to decolonisation.

Last September, the government’s Adult social care workforce skills survey (England) highlighted that 46% of respondents said ‘they had found it difficult to recruit individuals with the necessary skills to meet the needs of service users in the last 12 months’; the student-centred design and sector-leading practice positions University College Birmingham as the leading national benchmark in social work education, reflecting our commitment to high-quality, real-world-ready professional training, inclusive practice and meaningful partnership with communities.

“This is a really positive outcome for both our students and the University,” Gemma added. 

“The report highlights the quality of the learning environment, the strength of our partnerships, and the support in place to enable apprentices to succeed. 

“For our learners, it provides confidence that they are undertaking a programme that is well-designed, rooted in contemporary social work practice, and reinforces our dedication to delivering high-quality social work education.”

Find our more about our Department of Social Work courses.