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Foundations for social care and social work practice

Are you interested in social care or social work in Northern Ireland? This module helps expand your understanding of how to work with others while developing your knowledge of the key skills required for working within social care and/or social work. Learning and practicing these skills is a requirement of this module. It is a compulsory element of this module that you are either working in a social care setting or have a confirmed voluntary role in an appropriate setting to study.

This module is subject to approval by the regulatory body. K123 is an alternative version of this module for students in England, Scotland and Wales.

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

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Module

Module code

KZNI123

Credits

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
60

Study level

Across the UK, there are two parallel frameworks for higher education qualifications, the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (FHEQ) and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). These define a hierarchy of levels and describe the achievement expected at each level. The information provided shows how OU module levels correspond to these frameworks.
Level of Study
OU SCQF FHEQ
1 7 4

Study method

Distance Learning

Module cost

See Module registration

Entry requirements

See Entry requirements

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What you will study

This key introductory module will develop your understanding of key social care and social work skills. Throughout the module, you’ll cover the following topics:

Block 1 – Contextualising social care and social work
You’ll be introduced to the role and purpose of social care/social work and the role of the social care professional. You will explore what it means to live and work in our society and consider different people’s lived experiences.

Block 2 – Engaging with people
You will look in detail at communication skills, how to build rapport and actively listen to the life experiences of the people you are working with. You will explore the ways in which you may need to be creative and responsive to the specific communication needs of others.

Block 3 – Reflecting on our practice
You’ll look at anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice - examining how we respond to discrimination, oppression and structural disadvantage. You will explore the importance of diversity in human identity and experience and consider ethical principles and values in practice and their impact on practice.

Block 4 – Assessing needs and risks
You’ll look at the role of assessment planning and intervention in social care/social work, including an introduction to your role in risk assessment and safeguarding, personalisation, and care planning. You will also consider evaluating outcomes of social care and social work interventions.

Block 5 – Being a professional
Finally, you’ll look at what it means to be a professional, including leadership, continuing professional development and personal development planning. You’ll explore emotional intelligence, wellbeing and the importance of resilience and self-care. The block concludes by looking at moving on to the next stages of your studies and/or career.

In addition to passing the assessed tasks for this module, which cover a variety of topics and require you to reflect on your learning throughout, you are also required to:

1. Complete a minimum period of 10 verified practice learning days in a social care/social work setting.
It is a requirement that you have work-based learning arrangements in place before enrolling for this module. A manager or appropriate person in your social care/social work setting must verify this practice learning has taken place – they are signing to say that you are ready or prepared for further practice if/when you continue to train as a social worker and undertake longer assessed placements. To carry out this practice experience, you may be asked to provide a current AccessNI Check certificate. If you don’t have a certificate and one is required, it will be your responsibility to negotiate and fund it. At the end of you verified practice learning, you will be required to complete an e-portfolio of work. This is mapped against the standards required for practice in the nation within which you work.

2. Actively participate in five face-to-face workshops each lasting six hours.
You’ll be required to participate in all of the workshops as they build towards the tutor-marked assignment tasks and e-portfolio. These act as the link between the module materials that you study and your ongoing practice learning experience in the workplace. There is a minimum requirement of 80% attendance at these workshops. If you are unable to attend you tutor group workshop, you will be able to attend the same workshop on an alternative date with a different group. Please note that you are required to demonstrate 100% engagement with workshop activities and so if 20% attendance is missing, the equivalent compensatory activities will need to be completed.

If you plan to study towards a social work qualification, please note that passing Foundations for social care and social work practice (KZNI123) does not lead to automatic entry on to a social work degree course. For more information, visit our Social Work degrees.

 

You will learn

By completing this module you will learn:

  • the professional standards and ethical codes relevant to social care and social work in each nation of the UK
  • about the development of the key roles of social care and social work with individuals, families, groups and communities
  • main areas of knowledge, skills, values and processes underpinning social care and social work, that will enable you to apply them to practice and/or case study examples
  • awareness of professional identity across the UK and internationally
  • key digital and information literacy skills and reflective writing.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

Throughout your module studies, you’ll get help and support from your assigned module tutor. They’ll help you by:

  • Facilitating your regular workshops to bring the module materials to life; this will include facilitating discussion, setting small group work tasks and activities and encouraging you to share and reflect on examples from your own work experience and practice.
  • Marking your assignments (TMAs) and providing detailed feedback for you to improve.
  • Guiding you to additional learning resources.
  • Helping you to consolidate your learning and consider practice in your nation and locality
  • Supporting you to collate the evidence for your e-portfolio
  • Providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content.
  • Facilitating discussions between your fellow students, in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Module tutors will also support a forum, allowing students to post and respond to comments and reflections throughout the module. TMA sessions will be delivered by the module team and will be recorded in order to ensure everyone has access to the information provided.

 if you want to know more about study with 快猫视频 before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

Future availability

Foundations for social care and social work practice starts once a year – in February.

This page describes the module that will start in February 2025.

We expect it to start for the last time in February 2030.

Regulations

As a student of 快猫视频, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our website.

Course work includes:

5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
No examination


Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this module However, you will need access to a social care/social work setting to complete your verified practice learning. This can include voluntary work or through your employing agency.

You should be living in Northern Ireland so that you can attend the five mandatory workshops in person.

Studying the BA (Hons) Social Work (Northern Ireland)

To study this module as part of a social work degree, you must:

  • have registered for the honours degree in social work in Northern Ireland or have declared it as your qualification intention
  • be sponsored by your employing agency
  • be currently working in a practice context.

Your sponsoring agency will provide you with appropriate practice learning opportunities. Sponsoring agencies should speak to an adviser for further information.

Studying social work is demanding; if you would like to discuss the suitability of the module, or to register, please .

Register

Start End England fee Register
25 Jan 2025 Sep 2025 拢3636.00

To register for this course - see 'Entry requirements'. Registration closes 09/01/25
This module is expected to start for the last time in February 2030.

To register for this module, please refer to the entry requirements and contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service (online registration is not available).

Additional Costs

Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

快猫视频 Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient &/courses/modules/kzni123/39;pay as you go&/courses/modules/kzni123/39; option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that 快猫视频 works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

  • Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
  • Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Joint loan applications

If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.

As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.

Read more about .

Employer sponsorship

Studying with 快猫视频 can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

More than one in ten OU students are sponsored by their employer, and over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. 

  • Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
  • You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.  

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module. 

We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron. 

Mixed payments

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an .


Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2025. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University&/courses/modules/kzni123/39;s fee policy, visit our

This information was provided on 01/11/2024.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

  1. be resident in England
  2. have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
  3. have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you&/courses/modules/kzni123/39;ve started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we&/courses/modules/kzni123/39;ll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you&/courses/modules/kzni123/39;re unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don&/courses/modules/kzni123/39;t worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

  • monthly payments through OUSBA
  • part-time tuition fee loan (you&/courses/modules/kzni123/39;ll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

All study materials are provided. The main mode of delivery of the teaching is through the module website, which includes:

  • a week-by-week study planner
  • module-specific materials
  • audio and video content
  • assignment details and submission section
  • online tutorial access
  • regular facilitated face-to-face workshops

Computing requirements

You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.

Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.

To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.

It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying KZNI123 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our .