Student Placement Allocation Process
BA Social Work and MA Social Work
Details of the process for allocating you a placement can be found below. Placement provision is subject to change across the lifetime of the course as providers may change their placement offer for reasons
beyond the university's control. New areas may be added and existing areas may become unavailable.
The placement allocation process involves many different people, both inside and outside the University. The table below illustrates the full process, including who is responsible for what aspects of the allocation and placement confirmation process. All relevant forms and documents are also available here.
The Professional Placements Team will keep students updated via PEMS regarding placement allocations.
Placement information - how students can find out more about their allocated placement
General information about the area can be found on the Placement Providers section of this website. Profiles of information and guidance to help students to prepare for their allocated Practice Based Learning placement can be found on PEMS.
Students - You can link to PEMS here using your SHU single sign on login to find out more about your placement. Please refer to the Student Quick Guide to PEMS (PDF, 134KB) for information about how to use PEMS.
Providers - If you are using PEMS to share information about placement learning, please ensure that you have read and adhere to GDPR as set out in the PEMS Privacy Notice (PDF, 210.3KB). You can link to PEMS here. Please use your PEMS login.
Exceptional circumstances and your placement allocation - Placement Allocation Change Policy
Please follow the links in the Placement Allocation Process description for information about the Placement Allocation Change Policy if you need to request a change to your placement allocation in exceptional circumstances.
BA Social Work Practice (Degree Apprenticeship)
All placements on the BA Social Work Practice (Degree Apprenticeship) are arranged by the employer.
The timeline for placements is outlined in the Degree Apprenticeship in Social Work Course Handbook.
Statutory and non-statutory Social Work
Statutory and non-statutory work experiences can be different in various sectors where Social Work is practised. The document below provides a brief description of the differences the student may experience while on placement .
Supervision and Assessment on Placement
Students will be supervised and assessed during their placement learning experiences by Practice Educators and Work Based Supervisors. Practice Educators are experienced Registered Social Workers who have completed an appropriate course of preparation for the supervision and assessment of students of social work followed by a development period under the guidance of a mentor, as required by the social work profession.
The university provides annual updates for Practice Educators to support their continuing professional development in the role.
