Social Work (Step Up) PgDip
Subject and course type
- Social Work
- Postgraduate
This Department for Education Step Up To Social Work programme will give you the skills, training and knowledge to qualify as a social worker with Social Work England in just 14 months.
You are reading:
Provide life-enhancing support
Empower people to improve their lives
Studying this Social Work PgDip in Social Work will give you strong foundations for a career with life-changing impact. Social workers are highly sought after, and this qualification will open opportunities in everything from children’s services and community care to criminal justice and mental health.
While you study, you’ll receive a £21,955 tax-free bursary, which equates to a salary of around £27,000. You’ll graduate with a postgraduate diploma in social work – ready to register as a qualified social worker with Social Work England.
Kingston University has partnered with Achieving for Children, London Borough of Sutton, Surrey County Council, London Borough of Croydon, London Borough of Wandsworth and London Borough of Merton to deliver this programme.
Through a blend of hands-on and University-based learning, you’ll gain a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of social work.
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
Placement opportunities
Outside of the University, you’ll spend time applying your learning on placement. As part of your studies, you’ll complete 170 practice placement days in a local authority.
Sector-leading research
Many of our staff are active in research, often in partnership with NHS Trusts. That means they bring the latest thinking and best practice to your studies. Key social work research activity focuses on everything from risk and child abuse, children’s rights and adult safeguarding to professional education, mental capacity and more.
Course content
You will gain a thorough grounding in the theory and approaches which underpin the professional discipline of social work and develop the knowledge and skills to practise as a social worker.
Year 1
In Year 1, you will develop your knowledge and skills to prepare for your first placement.
Core modules
30 credits
This module runs throughout the first year and focuses on readiness for direct practice. It is an interactive module which includes skills workshops and a high level of involvement from service users, carers and practice educators from partner agencies. You will learn about the role and tasks of social workers and develop professional skills in verbal and written communication. You will have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on written work and on your communication skills. People with lived experience and carers provide simulated interviews in the Practice Learning Suite.
30 credits
This module is a practice placement of seventy days, undertaken in an agency within the statutory or voluntary sector. We organise this placement for you, with the help of our Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership. You will be working alongside qualified social workers and social care staff and provided with learning opportunities. You will be supported and supervised by practice learning staff in your placement setting. You will be expected to evidence your developing practice throughout your placement, which will be assessed against the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
30 credits
This module is designed to provide a general introduction to social work theory, law and policy. The module will enable students to develop theoretical foundational knowledge of social work assessment and intervention, legislation and policy which underpin social work practice. Students will be introduced to key children and adult legislation alongside an introduction to safeguarding and assessing risk which will equip students with knowledge for their first placement.
30 credits
This module will enable you to gain an understanding of human development that is underpinned by the value of difference and diversity. A life course perspective will inform the content of the module, incorporating key theoretical frameworks and research findings. There will be a critical focus on the interaction of social, political, cultural, economic and environmental influences on people's lives. Ideas of normative development, including key milestones in childhood and adolescence, will therefore be underpinned by a critical understanding of structural inequalities, which may affect individual development and perpetuate the difficulties experienced by some groups and communities. Relevance to social work will be highlighted through case studies, targeted reading, and facilitated discussions. Experiential and reflective learning will be promoted through a structured child observation task and reflective seminars.
Year 2
In Year 2, you will build on the knowledge and skills from your first practice placement and learn how to critically analyse social work theory, legislation, and research to inform social work practice.
Core modules
30 credits
This module is a final practice placement of one hundred days, undertaken in an agency within the statutory or voluntary sector. We organise this placement for you, with the help of ourDeveloping Together Social Work Teaching Partnership. You will be working alongside qualified social workers and social care staff and provided with learning opportunities to develop your autonomous practice. You will be supported and supervised by practice learning staff in your placement setting. You will build on your previous placement experience and knowledge and continue to evidence your practice to meet the requirements of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) at the final placement level.
30 credits
This module builds on the learning from SW7047 (Becoming a Social Worker) and further develops critical understanding of law and social policy relevant to child and family social work, together with theories and methods to inform social work interventions. Students will gain an understanding of the thread between law and social policy and how decision making occurs within complex systems where social workers often face competing imperatives. Students will develop a robust awareness and nuanced understanding of theories and methods to navigate this practice terrain. This module will draw on both practice learning experiences (from students' first practice placement) and module material to develop the knowledge and skills required to work collaboratively while ensuring risk assessment, decision making, and interventions are informed by evidence.
30 credits
This module is undertaken alongside the final practice placement of 100 days enabling the integration of research and academic learning with placement learning and experiences. Drawing on students' current practice, this module enables students to further develop their ability to critically analyse how social work models, research, and theories inform planning, assessment, and interventions for ethical social work practice.
The assignments will assist students to evidence Social Work England Professional Standards (SWEPS) and the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) at the standard required for students at the end of their final placement.
Careers opportunities
After you graduate
You’ll complete this course eligible to register as a social worker with Social Work England. Previous graduates have gone on to work in children's services and family support, community care and adult services, adult or youth criminal justice and community, day, residential and health settings. Others have taken roles in mental health, disability, older adults, addictions and forensic services.
You can also use this qualification to work overseas, or even as a route into another programme of study. Development opportunities, training and awards are now established parts of the social work profession.
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.
Teaching and assessment
You will be learning through lectures, seminars and workshops with case studies and group work activities. You will develop your knowledge and skills through simulation activities in the Practice Learning Suite with people with lived experience and practice educators.
You will have two placements, supported by practice educators to enable you to reflect and critically analyse your practice through supervision.
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.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- 29% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
ssessment typically comprises essays, poster presentations and group presentations. Practice will be assessed by a portfolio of evidence of learning in practice including direct observation and reflection.
The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows:
- 55% coursework
- 45% practical
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
For the majority of your teaching, you will be in the University four days a week for this intensive course. Placements are normally full time, Monday to Friday. At the beginning of your placements you will spend time in both placement and university.
To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 14 students and lecture sizes are normally 14. However this can vary by module and academic year.
Fees and funding
Applications for January 2026 are expected to open in February 2025. Information on how to apply for Step up to social work and the fees and support for this course will be listed on the gov.uk website.
Funding support
Interested in studying a Social Work step-up PgDip at Kingston? The following funding support is available:
Starting a postgraduate course at Kingston? You can apply for a loan of up to £10,000. Find out more here.
Kingston University offers a 10% discount on full- and part-time postgraduate degree course tuition fees to our alumni. Visit our alumni discount page to find out more.
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.
Apply online
Check out the Step up to social work website for more information on how to apply.
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.
