Page last updated 26 September 2025

Introduction

Social work changes lives. Our Social Worker apprenticeship enables you to train, while undertaking your current role, to become a qualified social worker. Develop the knowledge and skills to support and protect people in some society's most challenging situations.

Why study the Social Worker apprenticeship?

Our practical Social Worker apprenticeship offers the grounding you need to become a skilled social worker, with the professional skills, knowledge and experience to help you stand out. It's challenging but rewarding work, where you'll be taking an active role in addressing pressing social problems.

Students who go on work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Through studying our apprenticeship, you'll access a direct route to gaining valuable social work practice experience. You'll undertake 170 days on placement through our links with a variety of partner agencies. Gain exposure to a variety of social work roles in either statutory, voluntary, private and independent organisations.

Why UWE Bristol?

Based in a vibrant and diverse multi-cultural city, UWE Bristol provides the backdrop to your social work education. The city provides a unique learning experience and a range of opportunities for social work students, supported by practitioners working in a variety of social care settings.

You'll be taught by experienced and enthusiastic staff, most of whom are registered social workers and all bring a wide range of practice knowledge and research interests. The apprenticeship is also supported, through a HUB group, by service users, carers and people with lived experience of using social work services. The HUB group's contribution is central to the teaching and learning on this apprenticeship.

Benefits to your employer

Degree apprenticeships are a flexible and practical way for your employer to invest in staff career development and address any potential skills gaps in your workplace. Your organisation will also have the full support of our experienced academic community, drawing on our strengths and expertise in social work and our wider business network.

By retaining your talent in-house, your employer will benefit as you gain the skills, tools and confidence to make an even greater contribution to your workplace. You'll have access to the latest research, giving your workplace access to new ideas and developments in this ever-changing field.

Personalised virtual tour

There's no need to visit us in person to explore our facilities and campuses. Take a personalised virtual tour and discover it all for yourself from wherever you are.

Take a virtual tour

Careers

After completing your degree, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with Social Work England, allowing you to practise social work in England. Your Social Work degree will provide you with the basis for a rich career which can take you in a wide variety of directions.

You'll be qualified to work with adults or children in numerous roles and sectors including statutory teams, hospital social work, and voluntary sector organisations. Our students often find work with the organisations they've trained with on placement.

Our award-winning Careers Serviceoffers support in developing your career.

Read more about the impact you could make as a social worker on the British Association of Social Workers website.

Listen to our current students talk about their experience of studying BSc(Hons) Social Work at UWE Bristol.

Course details

Content

The structure and content of this new course is currently under review and subject to final UWE Bristol approval. It will be published on this page as soon as possible.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

You'll learn through formal lectures, seminars, project work, enquiry-based alongside individual self-directed study, and assignments. We offer this range of teaching methods to cater to the wide range of student preferences and needs.

Our staff have a wide range of practice, research and teaching experience in health and social care and bring this expertise to the classroom. This ensures our curriculum is current and relevant to the changing and evolving nature of social work practice.

Teaching from the HUB group of service users, carers and people with lived experience forms a vital and essential part of our curriculum and teaching. This ensures you'll learn from those directly involved with the social work profession and apply this knowledge to your practice placements.

In addition, we're always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance your learning experience. For example, we use virtual reality technology to support teaching to gain insight into the experience of a service user who has experienced psychosis and mental health issues.

Our experienced team will help you explore and understand:

Psychological and sociological theories for understanding individuals, families, groups and communities.
Law, policy and communities, and how the legal, social and organisational context shapes what social workers do.
How research can inform your practice.
Best practice, including how to think critically and creatively in complex situations, and how different professions can work together to provide better services.

In addition, reflecting on your own experiences as well as those of others will be a key part of helping you develop as a well-rounded and skilled social worker.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Assessment

You'll be assessed through a mix of written assignments, presentations and completing online portfolios while on placement. We may use reflective diaries and progress files.

You'll conclude your apprenticeship with an End Point Assessment.

Learn more about assessments.

Features

Professional accreditation

This course is currently seeking approval by Social Work England, the regulator of social work education and practice in England.

When you complete this degree, you'll be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker with Social Work England. You'll need to do this to practise social work in England.

See Social Work England's register of approved courses.

In your first post-qualifying year of practice your employer may organise an Assessed and Supported Year in Practice (ASYE) to provide extra support as you begin your career.

Study facilities

You'll benefit from student support throughout the apprenticeship. You'll also have 24/7 access to IT support, whether you're on campus or at your workplace.

If local to UWE Bristol, you'll have the opportunity to use our modern facilities for practical skill building.

Life

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Sustainability

It is embedded in our culture, teaching and research.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Entry

Typical offers

Tariff points: 112
GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
English Language Requirement:
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 with 6.0 in each component.
A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required. See also, the additional information about guided learning hours under the entry requirements header below.
Access: No specific subjects required.
Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required. We accept the IB Career-related Programme in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
T Levels: No specific subjects required.

Entry requirements

To be an apprentice, you must be employed in a role that is relevant to the skill, trade or occupation you're being trained for. As part of your commitment to the apprenticeship, you'll have to complete at least six hours per week of off-the-job learning activity within your normal contracted working hours, which is supported by your employer.

We use the UCAS Tariff system to make offers to applicants. You can use the UCAS Tariff Calculator to convert your qualifications and grades into points.

If you have studied qualifications at a higher level, for example qualifications such as a Degree or PG Diploma, this would potentially be considered instead of UCAS Tariff Points. Please contact UWE Bristol Admissions if you need further clarification.

Applications from individuals with considerable relevant work experience, will be considered on a case by case basis.

Before you start your course, you'll be required to complete:

an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check
a Health Check (your employer will be required to share your Occupational Health Clearance with UWE Bristol).

Guided Learning Hours

For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.

How to apply

Employed

If you're interested in applying and have the support from your employer, speak to your line manager and/or HR team in the first instance for approval. Your employer will contact us so we can send you an application link.

Unemployed

If you're not employed, you can use the following tools to find an apprenticeship vacancy with an employer:

Employers

Get in touch with us to speak to a partnership manager and discuss how we can support you.

For further information:

For course-specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Leader.

For all other enquiries, please contact higher and degree apprenticeship hub apprenticeships@uwe.ac.uk or call +44 (0)117 32 84888.

Read more about Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

Higher/Degree Apprenticeship Social Worker (Integrated Degree)