This free course, Introducing social care and social work, will introduce you to different social care and social work practitioner roles. It will develop your understanding of the context in which social care and social work takes place in the UK.
Social work and social care practitioners have a vital role in supporting and protecting people in society. There are many services that work with people of all ages and for varied reasons. This includes children, young people and their families; older people; people experiencing mental health distress; and people with learning or physical disabilities.
The course is designed for people who are interested in and curious about social care or social work practice, or who might be thinking about working in these professions in the future. The activities within the course will help you think about practitioner roles, your own and other people’s identities, skills of reflection, and the legal framework that guides practice.
This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course K123 Foundations for Social Care and Social Work Practice.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- identify the roles of social care practitioners and social workers
- understand what shapes people's identities and why this is important in social care and social work
- recognise the importance of care and protection in social care and social work
- explain why knowing about the law is important to social care and social work practice.
First Published: 13/06/2024
Updated: 13/06/2024