Social work (post-qualifying) credit-bearing short course
Subject and course type
- Social Work
- Postgraduate
- Short course
Are you a qualified social worker or healthcare professional looking to advance your skillset? Boost your knowledge and experience by studying individual postgraduate modules to suit your career needs.
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Advance your Social Work practice
Studying this Social Work qualification at Kingston University could give you the knowledge and skills to take on senior and leadership roles.
The programme contains modules designed to equip you for jobs like team leader, workforce development manager, service manager, principal social worker and more.
During the course, you’ll learn from practising social workers, who will bring theory to life with their front-line experiences. Both carers and people with lived experience contribute to assessment and quality assurance on this programme, making sure the content aligns with current workplace and community needs.
All modules in this programme include practical application, and are available to take as standalones. That means you’ll gain academic credit towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or a postgraduate award such as an Advanced Social Work MA.
You’ll develop your practice through a flexible approach, applying your learning to real-world settings and learning from experts in their field.
Teaching will incorporate recent changes in social work education and regulation, including the Chief Social Workers' Knowledge and Skills Statements and the requirements of Social Work England.
You will need to complete:
- 60 credits for the PgCert
- 120 credits for the PgDip
- 180 credits for the MA, including a research project
Why choose this course
While you study, you’ll benefit from top quality teaching at Kingston University. Not only are we ranked Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, we’re also top in London for Social Work (Guardian University Guide 2025).
The Skills Lab
A portion of your learning will take place in our purpose-built Social Work Skills Lab, where you can develop professional assessment, intervention, mentoring, teaching and supervision skills.
The Skills Lab is a flexible, multi-functional space. It’s perfect for developing your creative and communication skills, as well as receiving feedback and simulating a range of environments. In the Lab, you’ll find a series of spaces fitted with cameras and microphones to record all activities. They include:
- A 20-person seminar/case conference room
- A living-room and front door to simulate home visits
- Five interview rooms simulating work environments
- A control room with a two-way mirror and viewing monitors
Kingston is No.1 in London for Social Work (Guardian University Guide 2025).
Course content
You can choose from a variety of modules. There are specialist modules for social workers and allied health professionals, who want to develop their knowledge and skills. Social work practitioners can also build their academic credits towards a Masters in Advanced Social Work. There are also specific modules for practice education.
Modules
List of modules
30 credits
On the successful completion of this module, you will be awarded the title of BIA which will allow you to practise as a BIA, and undertake assessments to determine if a person is deprived of their liberty and if that deprivation is lawful and appropriate.
Assessment for this module requires you to complete a 3,500-word essay based on a selected practice case study that enables you to demonstrate an applied knowledge of the legislative framework of the codes of practice and case law related to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
Please note: This module is only available for those in the following professional groups, who must have at least two years post-registration experience at the point of starting the module (Mental Capacity Regulations (2008)). This includes:
a) approved mental health professionals;
b) social workers registered with the Social Work England;
c) first level nurses, registered in Sub-Part 1 of the Nurses' Part of the Register maintained under article 5 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (e);
d) occupational therapists registered in Part 6 of the register maintained under article 5 of the Health Professions Order 2001(c); or
e) chartered psychologists who are listed in the British Psychological Society's Register of Chartered Psychologists and who hold a relevant practising certificate issued by that Society
30 credits
This interdisciplinary module aims to address current issues in safeguarding by providing students from different disciplines and agencies opportunities to learn together and develop a better understanding of collaborative approaches to safeguarding those at risk across the life course.
The module will take a holistic safeguarding approach and promote local authorities' national agenda a ‘Think Family' approach, referring to the need for children's, young people's, and adults' practitioners to identify wider family needs which extend beyond the individual they are supporting.
This module is taught over 5 days and will promote joint learning with all students attending days 1 and 2. On days 3 and 4 you will be able to take the option to explore a child- or adult-specific safeguarding topic, then return to the wider group on day 5 to share your learning and present ideas for formative feedback on your assignment plans.
The assignment requires you to submit an essay that demonstrates how you have applied the knowledge gained from this module to a case from your practice. This will enable you to demonstrate your understanding and consider how you can embed the learning gained from this module into future practice.
30 credits
This module provides an opportunity for students to undertake, under academic supervision, work-based projects and gain credit for this work. The work-based learning approach assumes self-directed and autonomous learning. The module develops the student's own critical reflection skills and to work as a mature self-directed student. Learning outcomes and the method of working will be agreed jointly by the student, module leader / academic supervisor and workplace mentor. The assessment strategy is based upon the principle that work based activities can be used to generate critical reflection and learning outcomes. The assessment submission can take a variety of forms such as reports, essays, discussion documents, and practice analysis.
30 credits
This module aims to equip students to mentor, coach and assess colleagues at post-registration levels. It promotes critical evaluation of theoretical, professional and policy approaches to mentoring, coaching and holistic assessment of professional practice. The knowledge, understanding, values and skills necessary for mentoring and assessing professional practice in social work and related settings are examined. Students are assisted to develop strategies and techniques to enhance their skills in mentoring, coaching and assessment of professional colleagues in different contexts in practice settings. Students are required to mentor, coach and assess colleagues as part of the practicum for this module and provide a report to evidence their critical analysis and appraisal of their developing practice.
30 credits
This module equips registered social workers to undertake the responsibilities of a Stage 1 Practice Educator (Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Students who complete this module successfully will be able to supervise, teach and assess social work degree students up to, but not including, the final assessment prior to qualification. At this stage, they may contribute to the last placement but not take full responsibility for assessment or act as the practice educator on a day-to-day basis. Students undertaking this module are required to undertake a practicum which entails acting as a Stage 1 practice educator to a degree in social work student on a first placement (70 days).
This module is only available to registered social workers with two or more years' more post-registration practice experience. It is targeted at social worker/experienced social worker level.
30 credits
This module equips registered social workers to undertake the responsibilities of a Stage 1 Practice Educator (Practice Educator Professional Standards, PEPS) of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Trainees who complete this module successfully will be able to supervise, teach and assess social work degree apprenticeships up to, but not including, the final assessment prior to qualification. At this stage they may contribute to the last placement, but not take full responsibility for assessment or act as the practice educator on a day-to-day basis.
Trainees will attend five teaching and learning days in the university and at external employer partner settings during this module, which are normally interspersed by their undertaking an experiential practicum during which they act as a Stage 1 practice educator for a social work degree apprentice undertaking their first practice placement. Some learning will be delivered in hybrid form, with recorded sessions and online group work constituting part of the teaching and learning sessions. The module aligns with the requirements for the BA (Hons) Social Work Apprenticeship Integrated Degree Programme.
All trainees must be responsible for providing a first practice placement for social work degree apprenticeships of no less than 70 days.
This module is only available to registered social workers with two or more years' more post-registration practice experience. It is targeted at social worker/experienced social worker level.
30 credits
This module equips registered social workers to undertake the responsibilities of a Stage 2 Practice Educator (Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Students who complete this module successfully will be able to supervise, teach and assess social work degree students up to and including the last placement and to work with ASYE candidates. In effect, these practice educators will have the authority and capability to recommend, on the basis of appropriate evidence, that the social work students are fit to practise at the point of qualification. The module includes practice assessment.
This module is only available to registered social workers with three years or more post-registration practice experience and who have completed Practice Educator Stage 1 or equivalent. It is targeted at experienced social worker level.
60 credits
This module is required for students undertaking studies at masters level and is normally taken after achieving PG Diploma Level. The module will provide students with the experience of utilising principles of research and academic writing and thus demonstrate the intellectual skills learnt on the course. Students are expected to critically review research and to evaluate the evidence underpinning their own practice. The module will provide students with the opportunity to implement the knowledge and skills developed during the previous modules by conducting research focused on a topic of their choice related to their area of practice with the support of a research supervisor. The module will enhance students' presentation and publication skills as the assessment includes writing an abstract, oral presentation and writing an article suitable for publication in a peer reviewed journal.
Career opportunities
You’ll complete this course with the expertise needed to take on senior leadership and management roles. Potential jobs could include team leader, workforce development manager, service manager and principal social worker. Some graduates have even gone on to undertake further research, scholarship and doctoral studies.
Links with business and industry
Throughout the course, you’ll benefit from Kingston University’s Developing Together teaching partnership with local authorities and voluntary organisations. The partnership creates a leading community of social work education, academic research and frontline practice.
Partner organisations include:
- Achieving for Children
- Croydon Adult and Children's services
- Kingston Adult services
- Merton Adult and Children's services
- Sutton Adult and Children's services
- Richmond & Wandsworth Adult services
- Wandsworth Children's services
- NSPCC and Welcare
- Surrey Children's services
- South West London
- St George's Mental Health Trust
Teaching and assessment
This course offers a flexible professional development pathway to assist qualified social workers in meeting capabilities and standards of practice that are consistent with the role of experienced and advanced practitioners.
It incorporates core elements relating to social work education and professional regulation, such as the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Work (PCF) and standards for continuing professional development set by Social Work England and the Chief Social Workers' Knowledge and Skills Statements.
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking and preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS – the online virtual learning platform.
As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.
Contact hours may vary depending on your modules.
Assessment can include presentations, essays, critical reviews, online quizzes, posters, portfolio of practice, assessed practice, projects and a 'capstone' project that will enable you to produce an account of original research that is suitable for publication in a refereed journal.
The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows, though depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose:
- 100% coursework
Please note: the above breakdown is a guide calculated on core modules only. Depending on optional modules chosen, this breakdown may change.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
1 – 3 days a week depending on module choice.
Fees and funding
Fees for 2025/26 modules
- Practice Education Stage 1 (SW7010) £1,994 (*free for partner agencies)
- Practice Education Stage 2 (SW7011) £1,994 (*free for partner agencies)
- Best Interest Assessor (BIA) (SW7035) £1,994*
- Final Research Project (SW7016) £3,427*
- Individual-based Learning Project (SW7025) £1,994*
- Mentoring and Coaching in Professional Practice (SW7044) £1,994*
- Safeguarding Across the Life Course (SW7038) £1,994*
*Discounted price is available for teaching partnership agencies. Contact us for more information.
All modules are worth 30 credits except Final Research Project (SW7016) which is worth 60 credits.
Fees for 2024/25 modules
- Practice Education Stage 1 (SW7010) £1,994 (*free for partner agencies)
- Practice Education Stage 2 (SW7011) £1,994 (*free for partner agencies)
- Best Interest Assessor (BIA) (SW7035) £1,994*
- Final Research Project (SW7016) £3,427*
- Individual-based Learning Project (SW7025) £1,994*
- Mentoring and Coaching in Professional Practice (SW7044) £1,994*
- Safeguarding Across the Life Course (SW7038) £1,994*
*Discounted price is available for teaching partnership agencies. Contact us for more information.
All modules are worth 30 credits except Final Research Project (SW7016) which is worth 60 credits.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Apply for this course
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
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Social work (post-qualifying) credit-bearing short course
- September 2025 - part time attendance - Apply now
Practice Education PgCert (Stage 1)
- February 2025 - part time attendance - Apply now
Choose your modules
Please select your modules by completing this form: Kingston University Social Work and Social Care Postgraduate Modules 2024-25.
The processing of your application will be delayed if your module choice form is not supplied. If you are paying your own fees you can submit your application without additional documents.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.