COVID-19: Social work and social care - learning to help you in practice

Updated Friday, 14th May 2021
If you're returning to social work or social care practice, or want more knowledge and support to help you in a new setting working with those impacted by COVID-19, OpenLearn has a range of free courses available for you to refresh your knowledge and skills.

All of our courses are free and you can start them when you want to, studying at your own pace. Some of the courses are badged, so you can print a certificate of completion and include the course on your LinkedIn profile.

 

Social work and social care

  • Introducing social work: a starter kit

    This free course, Introducing social work: a starter kit, provides a glimpse into some of the things that social workers do and looks at why and how social work is done. The course is designed for people who might be interested in and curious about social work practice. It will also be a useful initial resource for those who may be thinking about entering the social work profession at some point in the future.

    Learn more to access more details of Introducing social work: a starter kit

  • An introduction to social work

    Do you want to learn more about the social work role and develop your understanding of some of the theory associated with social work practice? This free course, An introduction to social work, begins by introducing key ideas, values, the social work process and the skills needed for social work practice in the UK. You will then move on to look at social work with individuals. Finally this OpenLearn course considers reflective practice.

    Learn more to access more details of An introduction to social work

  • An introduction to social work in Wales

    Please note: this course will close on 16th June 2022. You can continue to study this course up until this date. Respecting the individuality of each person is a central value of social work but, as the term suggests, social work is not only about individual perspectives: it also takes place in a social context. Society, demography, geography, national legislation, national policy, and language all play an important part, both in the lives of service users and carers and in the practice of social work practitioners. This free course, An introduction to social work in Wales, will introduce you to the importance of recognising that social work practice happens in context. In particular, you will learn about what this means for social work in Wales in the Welsh context.

    Learn more to access more details of An introduction to social work in Wales

  • Supporting and developing resilience in social work

    What does it take to become a resilient practitioner in social work? This free course, Supporting and developing resilience in social work, will guide you through some important concepts. An understanding of ‘emotional resilience’ and ‘professional leadership’ will help to guide you through taking a positive approach to problems that arise in social work practice. You will also be introduced to some ideas about leadership in social work practice.

    Learn more to access more details of Supporting and developing resilience in social work

  • Lead and manage change in health and social care

    Change is everywhere in health and social care work and can evoke a variety of emotions, from excitement and eager anticipation, to fear and outright hostility. In this free course, How to manage change in health and social care, you will explore the role of managers in the change process and the skills required for managing and leading change in health and social care work.

    Learn more to access more details of Lead and manage change in health and social care

  • The law and social work in Scotland

    This album tackles the complex relationships social workers experience in the wide spectrum of their work, from those with families affected by social deprivation to those with judges, lawyers and other members of the legal system. The tracks analyse the role of the family in Scottish life in relation to the many voluntary bodies that exist to assist and inform them, and the legal obligations of social workers. Participants from single mothers to solicitors presented their perspectives in a series of frank, informative interviews. This material forms part of The Open University course K207 The law and social work in Scotland.

    Listen now to access more details of The law and social work in Scotland

  • Cyflwyniad i waith cymdeithasol

    Bydd y cwrs byr hwn yn eich cyflwyno i waith cymdeithasol ac yn datblygu eich dealltwriaeth o rai o’r damcaniaethau sy’n gysylltiedig ag ymarfer gwaith cymdeithasol.

    Learn more to access more details of Cyflwyniad i waith cymdeithasol

 

Care and caring

  • Social care in the community

    Social care involves the challenge of supporting people who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to function without assistance or supervision. This free course, Social care in the community, focuses on one important area of social care, home care for older people.

    Learn more to access more details of Social care in the community

 

Communication

  • Effective communication in the workplace

    This free course, Effective communication in the workplace, explores the importance of communication as a skill in the workplace. It aims to increase your understanding of communication skills and to help you to consider how your communication could be perceived by others. You'll cover areas such as verbal and non-verbal communication, written communication and using your communication skills to overcome challenging situations.

    Learn more to access more details of Effective communication in the workplace

  • The importance of interpersonal skills

    To succeed in management you need good interpersonal skills, you need to understand how to deal with other people. This free course, The importance of interpersonal skills, will help you gain an awareness of your own skills and understand that an awareness of the interpersonal skills of others can help us enormously in dealing with the work tasks we are responsible for.

    Learn more to access more details of The importance of interpersonal skills

  • Key skill assessment: communication

    Communication is part of everyone's life. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively orally, visually and in writing underpins nearly everything we do. This free course, Key skill assessment: communication, will help you recognise your strengths as well as the areas where you could improve. In developing and assessing your communication skills, you will learn to recognise, adapt and use your skills confidently and effectively in different situations and contexts.

    Learn more to access more details of Key skill assessment: communication

  • Play families: Using toys to open up communication with your child

    Children can communicate well using toys to express themselves. Use this activity with your child so that they can open up about how they are feeling. 

    Take part now to access more details of Play families: Using toys to open up communication with your child

 

Aging and supporting older people

  • Population ageing: a global health crisis?

    This free course, Population ageing: a global health crisis?, focuses on two major issues of our time – ageing societies and global health. It provides you with an introduction to ageing societies and their implications for global health – implications which are only just beginning to be fully understood. The course will help you to deepen your understanding of ageing societies across the globe and the different components of the concept of global health. You will also explore the ways in which population ageing is often framed as a crisis and begin to develop your own ideas about the implications of population ageing.

    Learn more to access more details of Population ageing: a global health crisis?

 

Diversity and difference

 

Mental and emotional health

  • Making sense of mental health problems

    Over the past century there has been a radical shift in responses to people who experience mental health problems. In this free course, Making sense of mental health problems, you will learn about how key perspectives in the field have made sense of mental health problems. By directly relating key perspectives to a case study, you will reflect on how the medical perspective, psychological perspective and social need perspective come to make sense of mental ill-health.

    Learn more to access more details of Making sense of mental health problems

  • FREE Mental Health Tips and Resources

    The last 2 years have seen people's mental health and wellbeing tested like almost never before. Concerns over health, isolation, family, finance, careers and education have affected us all in one way or another, so it's vital we all take the time to consider our own mental health and wellbeing, as well as those around us. Here are some FREE resources to do just that...

    Read now to access more details of FREE Mental Health Tips and Resources

  • How to do counselling online: a coronavirus prima

    This course will help you understand the range of technology-based counselling types and make you aware of key technological, legal, ethical and clinical considerations for safe and effective online counselling.

    Learn more to access more details of How to do counselling online: a coronavirus prima

 

 

Study a free health care course

  • COVID-19 nursing and healthcare: learning to help you in practice

    If you're returning to practice to support the NHS, NHS in Scotland, NHS Wales or Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, OpenLearn has a range of free courses available for you to refresh your knowledge and skills.

    Read now to access more details of COVID-19 nursing and healthcare: learning to help you in practice

    Article

    Level: 1 Introductory

 

Take your social work and social care career further

  • Try a Day in the Life of a Social Worker

    Could you manage 24 hours as a social worker? A Day in the Life... provides you with the opportunity to step into a social worker's shoes and to experience a 'typical' day in the office

    Take part now to access more details of Try a Day in the Life of a Social Worker

    Activity

    Level: 1 Introductory

  • Stress and rewards: My life as a social worker

    What's it really like being a social worker? Ellen Parker - one of the team shadowed for Protecting Our Children - shares the highs and lows.

    Read now to access more details of Stress and rewards: My life as a social worker

    Article

    Level: 1 Introductory

  • My career goal: Social care

    You can change lives by using your personal skills to aid those in need. Your communication skills, resilience and empathy are key assets when working in social care, a crucial societal structure that matters to everybody.

    Read now to access more details of My career goal: Social care

    Article

    Level: 1 Introductory

  • Social care, social work and the law

    The law and aspects of the legal system have a massive impact on the lives of social workers, from defining policy and procedure to the actual process of day-to-day working. This album presents an encompassing and engrossing look at the interaction between legal and social teams, and how different professions and groups interact to ensure equality and representation for all members of society. Not only do these discussions offer an insight into the justification and implementation of policy, they also provide illumination onto the realities and experience of working with vulnerable and disadvantaged people. This material forms part of The Open University course K269 Social care, social work and the law (England and Wales).

    Listen now to access more details of Social care, social work and the law

    Audio

 

 

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