University of Chichester has Degree Apprenticeship for Social Work approved by HCPC

The University of Chichester is the first provider of social work training to have its Degree Apprenticeship for Social Work approved by the Health Care Professions Council since the publication of social worker degree standards in November last year.

It joins three other providers which have Health Care Professions Council approval and it is the only university south of the Midlands to achieve this.

The University’s BA (Hons) Social Work Degree Apprenticeship (Social Worker) will allow those who work in social care to combine study with work for one day a week over a three-year period. The result is a qualification as a professional social worker and registration with the Health Care Professions Council.

At a time when local authorities around the country report a shortage of qualified social workers, and social workers themselves experience a strain in service provision, the new degree apprenticeship is welcomed by the profession and local government employers – not least because the programme has been created with input from West Sussex County Council.

Dr Kish Bhatti-Sinclair, Reader in Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Chichester, commented: “We have developed our Social Work Degree Apprenticeship programme in consultation with West Sussex County Council. This means that the course is fresh and relevant for the needs of learners and employers who are committed to promoting the underlying concepts, principles, methodologies and skills used in contemporary social work practice. It also means that the course has been designed to address the very real challenges faced by social workers in the 21st century.”

Applications for entry to the Social Work Degree Apprenticeship are open and more information, including options for funding, are available at www.chi.ac.uk/search/course-search/degree-apprenticeships/our-degree-apprenticeships

Degree apprenticeships are growing in popularity and can be for anyone, at any stage in the career. To find out more about degree apprenticeship courses at Chichester visit www.chi.ac.uk/search/course-search/degree-apprenticeships.