Department of Social Work and Social Care

Kingston University is one of the leading providers of social work and social care education within London and the UK.

We offer both pre-registration courses (accredited by Social Work England) and courses for registered social workers to continue their professional development.

We also offer a course in social pedagogy, Working with Children and Young People: Social Pedagogy, which is endorsed by the Social Pedagogy Professional Association (SPPA).

Every member of the teaching staff has substantial practice experience in social work. In addition, many are actively involved in social work research, presenting regularly at conferences and publishing in books and journals. We draw on the wealth of experience provided by our professional contacts, people with lived experiences and carers who feed into the design of our courses and provide teaching and supervision to enrich your learning. We have strong links with the NHS, education and healthcare providers and social services, and we also offer classic postgraduate programmes alongside research and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities.

We also host regular conferences and seminars. Speakers at these events are leading national and international researchers, policy-makers and commentators, who are invited to deliver talks on issues of topical and contemporary importance. These events are CPD-certificated and open to all staff and students at Kingston University, staff in local social services in the statutory, voluntary and private sectors, and to people with lived experiences, carers and their organisations who assist with the University's social work education programmes.

Partnerships

Our Developing Together teaching partnership with local authorities and voluntary agencies creates a leading social work education community, shaped by academic research and frontline practice.

Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership

Facilities

Social Work Skills Lab

The skills lab is a purpose-built facility where social work students have the opportunity to learn and to practise key social work skills.

Social workers undertaking continuing professional development courses develop their assessment and intervention skills and other skills such as mentoring, teaching and providing reflective supervision.

What's available?

The skills lab is divided into several sections including:

  • a seminar/case conference room for a maximum of 20 people
  • a simulated living-room and front door to assist in developing skills relating to home visits
  • five interview rooms simulating work environments
  • a control room with two-way mirror and viewing monitors
  • all rooms have fitted cameras and microphones so that activities can be recorded.

A flexible, creative space

The skills lab has been designed to be a multi-functional space which allows flexible use. The furniture is all portable and can be changed according to the simulated activities required.

The small rooms can be used for practising communication skills and simulating supervision sessions.

The large room can be used as a teaching or seminar room and can be set up as a simulated case conference room or duty desk.

Participants have the opportunity to engage in creative skills development activities and benefit from live supervision and feedback from the recorded material.

Research in the Department of Social Work and Social Care

Many of our staff are research active, often in partnership with NHS Trusts.

Social work research activity focuses around several key areas:

  • risk and child abuse;
  • children's rights;
  • learning processes and partnership approaches in professional education;
  • management of child protection systems;
  • safeguarding adults;
  • mental capacity;
  • effectiveness of community-based responses to crime; and
  • evaluation of practice education.

We conduct much of our social care research and consultancy either in partnership with or on behalf of the social service, voluntary sector and probation agencies

Research