Unit information: Applied Social Science and Law in 2011/12

Unit name	Applied Social Science and Law
Unit code	SPOLM5108
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. Liz Lloyd
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

This unit is designed to provide social workers with relevant knowledge of social science theory and research, and to enable them to understand the legal basis of social work practice. The unit will provide the opportunity for a range of social problems with which social workers are faced in practice to be examined from the standpoing of key social science disciplines. Students will examine contemporary British social structures and social problems (e.g. poverty and social exclusion), recent British social policy, and developmental psychology. And they will gain a grounding in the legislative underpinnings of social work with children, families and young people, adults, and people with a mental illness.

The unit aims:

• to provide students with a critical understanding of central concepts of the relevant applied social sciences, and their relevance to social work;
• to explicate some of the central findings about society and human development and their relevance to social work;
• to examine the legal basis of social work practice, and to give particular attention to situations where coercive measures may be required, including compulsory action to place a child or adult in a place of safety or secure environment.
• To familiarise students with debates in key related disciplines, and their impact on social work practice.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to demonstrate:

• Critical understanding of the central concepts relevant to understanding human behaviour and human relationships;

• Critical appreciation of research and theory concerning the social problems that impact critically on social work practice;

• The ability to be critical users of research;

• An understanding of the fundamental legal provisions relevant to social work with children, young people and their families, adults, and other users of social work services such as people with a mental illness.

• An ability to apply these legal principles to individual case examples.

• An ability to draw appropriately on the research and theory from relevant disciplines in support of evidence-informed assessment and intervention in social work and social care.

Teaching Information

Lectures supported by seminar group discussions.

Assessment Information

1. Examination in Law (2 hrs). 2. 2000 word assignment aimed at testing students’ understandings of social problems that social workers are required to address. Both are summative assessments, and each will assess the relevant learning outcomes. Both must be passed to complete the unit successfully and each assessment will contribute 50% towards the overall mark for the unit.

Reading and References

Adams, R. (2002) Social Policy for Social Work, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Beckett, C. (2007), Human growth and development. London: Sage Publications.

Brayne H. and Carr H. (2008), Law for Social Workers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 10th ed.

Brammer A. (2007), Social Work Law. Harlow: Pearson, 2nd ed.

Cree V.E.(2000), Sociology for social workers and probation officers. London: Routledge.