News

The first wave of 2,340 students enrolled on the new three-year social work degree will start the course this week, marking the beginning of the biggest shake-up in social work training for a decade.

Students have begun enrolling at Middlesex, Teesside, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Central Lancashire and Chichester universities, although the majority start in early October.

Universities and colleges running the social work degree will receive a share of £1.28m from the General Social Care Council to establish a skills laboratory. Each of the 71 institutions will get £16,000 to simulate a social care setting by using audio and video technology to integrate classroom and practice learning.


It is hoped the laboratories will help students develop and practice their professional skills by enabling them to critically evaluate their communication and problem-solving abilities.

Health minister Stephen Ladyman said the government was investing £21m in social work education this year, which would rise to more then £81m by 2005-6.