Social workers carry out essential work in helping people who are struggling to manage their lives, by helping them to tackle their interpersonal difficulties and improve their wellbeing. They also work to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm. Social work is a demanding but rewarding career and social workers handle highly varied and often difficult circumstances. You could be looking after people with mental health issues, looked after children, carers and adopters, refugees and asylum seekers or offenders. A career in social work can make a significant contribution to the community providing valuable support where it is needed most. 

The UK government is keen to raise the profile of the role that social work plays in the community and to boost professional standards. To practice, you must be registered with Social Work UK and qualified at degree level. Our full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) course at Level 5 provides the perfect stepping-stone to top up your qualifications to a degree. 

The course covers all the essential issues you will need to understand to provide you with a firm foundation in social work including:

• Law, policy and ethical practice in health and social care   
• Demonstrating professional principles and values in health and social care practice  
• Mental health and well-being: a whole-person approach  
• Fundamentals of evidence-based practice  
• The organisational context of social and community work  
• Effective reporting and record-keeping in health and social care services  
• Youth and community work.