Social work placements
Experience that builds your confidence and workplace readiness.
Develop your experience
Designed to help you develop the essential skills needed in your career, placements are an important aspect of social worker training.
Your placement will provide you with practical experience to meet the standards for qualifying for professional practice in:
- diverse communities
- local authorities
- volunteer work
- social enterprises
Discover more information about our placements
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What to expect from your placements
You’ll be required to complete two placements while studying.
In your first year, you’ll have a 70-day placement, and then a 100-day placement in your second year.
While on placement, you’ll develop:
- knowledge of the social work role and how it works as part of the healthcare sector.
- your understanding of how theory can be applied to your social work practises.
- your skills to meet the Social Work England Professional Capabilities Framework.
- real-world experience by shadowing and working alongside social workers, gradually building up your caseload.
At the end of each placement, you’ll complete written assessments based on your reflections on your time on placement.
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Making the most of your placements
Before starting your placements, you might want to:
- plan which goals you’d like to accomplish or skills you’d like to develop.
- research your placement organisation and its specialisation to prepare effectively.
While on placement, consider:
- taking notes to capture key learnings.
- actively engaging by stepping out of your comfort zone and asking all the questions you need.
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Placement support
During your placement, we’ll support you in multiple ways:
- You’ll be assigned a placement tutor, one of our academics, who will be on hand to support you.
- You’ll have regular supervision meetings with them where you can discuss your cases.
- You’ll have access to programme support tutors who can advise and guide you on a range of challenges you may face.
Social work student testimonial
“Throughout this course, I've been prepared very well for my placements. Each unit aligns with real-world readiness, linking theory to practice.”
“Throughout this course, I've been prepared very well for my placements. Each unit aligns with real-world readiness, linking theory to practice.”
Frequently asked questions
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Are placements compulsory?
Yes, they’re compulsory and an integral part of the course, because:
- they support you to develop the skills needed in a practice setting.
- placements develop your knowledge and understanding of the social work sector.
- they give you an understanding of the role of a social worker.
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Do I need to apply for my placements?
No, you don’t need to apply for your placements.
You’ll first undertake a skills development plan. This will take place over 30 days where we use our specialist facilities and technology to develop your core skills.
We will then use this to match you with one of our partnership organisations.
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Do I get paid while on placement?
No, however, some funding may be available from NHS Social Work bursaries.
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Where will my placements be located?
Placements are usually located within a maximum of 1.5 hours from your home address.
We have ten local authority partnerships in Greater Manchester including:
- Manchester
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Stockport
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What types of placements are current students on?
We currently have students in a variety of placements ranging from a number of charitable and voluntary organisations where you might work with people from diverse communities and backgrounds.
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What types of placements are current students on?
We currently have students in a variety of placements ranging from a number of charitable and voluntary organisations where you might work with people from diverse communities and backgrounds.
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How am I matched to a placement?
We match you to placements based on your learning needs. Before you start, your practical learning sessions, you’ll complete a skills development plan this will help us identify areas you may need to develop.
Discover the facilities available to you
