BA Social Inclusion

About the Course

The issue of Social Inclusion, and how to tackle the Social Exclusion of disadvantaged groups in society, remains high on Welsh, UK and European political agendas and has become increasingly recognised as an important area with its own educational and research requirements.

BA Social Inclusion programme is a unique programme that embodies the continuing centrality of Social Inclusion in Social Policy and professional practice. Social Inclusion, now recognised as a field in its own right, draws its body of theory from Social Policy, sociology and psychology. However it is not just about theory. The principles of inclusive practice are embedded into the programme. Through observational placements, you will have the opportunity to gain insight into working with groups and individuals, reflecting on your own values and that of the organisation you are observing.

When you are studying on the BA Social Inclusion programme you will also engage in current debates, such as:

  • Why do women dominate the caring professions?
  • In the current economic climate, how can we continue to strengthen our communities and ensure they are sustainable?
  • How can we provide inclusive and quality care for the elderly in an ageing population?

In response to the complex nature of this subject, four clear pathways are offered to students. All pathways embody a sound grounding in social inclusion explored through the interplay between social theory, social policy and professional practice.

The new pathways within the programme will be:

  • Additional Needs

This pathway will focus on the broad range of groups and individuals who may require additional support through their life course, including mental health, additional learning needs and people in challenging life situations, such as domestic violence or refugees. This pathway will allow you to explore the policy and good practices aimed at addressing these needs, and equip you with the skills and knowledge to take up a career in a wide range of settings that provide services for people with additional needs.

  • Communities, Families and Individuals

This pathway will allow you to explore the relationship between individuals, families and their communities, and the role these relationships play in Social Policy, social justice and inclusion. The pathway embraces the Welsh Government agenda about sustainable community development, and how social exclusion is best challenged through strengthening communities and families, and therefore will equip you with knowledge and skills within an area that is of fundamental political significance, looking at debates such as citizenship and human rights. This pathway will enable you to work with individuals and groups in a variety of voluntary and public sector services, social enterprise or even private sector services.

  • Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care remains an extremely popular choice for anyone wishing to work with children and young people or adults, either as professional social workers or the many opportunities that occur within the NHS, National and Local Government. This pathway will give you the opportunity to explore issues central to the provision of health and social care in a changing world. You will engage in current debates, such as the challenges of providing care in to an ageing population, debates of increasing concern to policy-makers and providers.

  • Inclusive Education (Flexible Route Level 6)

Education is a major concern of Welsh and UK Governments. Inclusive Education is the bedrock of Welsh Education Policy, aimed at breaking the relationship between poor educational achievement and social disadvantage. There is also increasing evidence that lifelong learning, and education in formal and informal settings, has a role to play in strengthening communities. This pathway will explore these contemporary debates, and equip you with the knowledge about Welsh Policy and inclusive practice to help you get the best out of a career in education. As this pathway is only offered at Level 6 students who join this course are normally drawn from Foundation Degrees, such as the School of Social Justice and Inclusion’s FdA Inclusive Studies for Teaching Assistants. However candidates with similar awards may also be considered for this route.

Award
BA (Single Honours)

UCAS Code
L491

Language Choice
English
Welsh

Course Length
3 years full-time
Part-time study available

Entry Requirements

The usual entry requirement is 180 UCAS points. However, all applicants are judged on an individual basis, and we welcome mature applicants who wish to return to study.

Career Opportunities

Evidence indicates that these are the skills and graduate attributes offered by BA Social Inclusion are highly valued by employers.  Although it is not primarily a vocational programme, it prepares students to move in a vocational direction, and graduates of the degree have secured employment in a range of positions including:

  • Social Worker (following professional qualification)
  • Health Care Assistant
  • Voluntary organisation or social enterprise worker
  • Probation Officer
  • Education Officer: Local Education Authority
  • Teacher (following PGCE)
  • Support Assistant for disabled people
  • Support Assistant in Elderly Care Home
  • Language and Numeracy Assistant
  • Teaching Assistant
  • Learning Coach
  • Child Care Officer
  • Family Aide
  • Fostering Service Project Worker
  • Equality Advisor for private business

Employment details

The central core of BA Social Inclusion is to highlight the link between theory, policy and professional practice, therefore as a graduate of this programme you will not only gain an intellectual understanding of social inclusion, but have a practical insight of the factors required to create an inclusive environment. Most modules have an observational activity at their core and this allows you to reflect on what you have learned in lectures and relate that to inclusive practice.

Department

School of Social Justice and Inclusion

Campus

Carmarthen Campus

Typical modules

  • Key Concepts in Social Inclusion
  • The Caring Society
  • Mental Health and wellbeing in Children and Young People
  • Understanding Additional Needs
  • Globalisation, Sustainability and The Changing World
  • Lifelong Learning and Community Development
  • Hot Topics
  • The Reflective Practitioner
  • Equality and Disability in Education
  • Contemporary Issues: Children and Young People
  • Contemporary Issues: Old Age
  • Advocacy and Person-centred Planning
  • Reflective Practice and Professional Development
  • Values in the Workplace
  • Individuals and Families: Living in the Contemporary World

Key Features

  • Observational placements
  • Visits to projects dealing with social inclusion
  • Guest Speakers, including local politicians and professionals working in the field of social inclusion
  • Current debates and latest subject knowledge
  • Personal project work
  • Research-active lecturers
  • Possible overseas exchange in Europe and USA

Why study at this University?

  • This is one of the only courses of its kind to be offered in Wales and England
  • Placements are designed to cater for your individual interests and career aspirations.
  • Pathways allow you to specialise and enhance your employability
  • The Student Experience

Programme Specification

The Main Educational Aims of this programme are to enable you to:

  • Draw on a wide range of intellectual resources, theoretical perspectives and academic disciplines to illuminate understanding of the issues of Social Inclusion and the contexts in which these take place.
  • Engage with a broad and balanced knowledge and understanding of the principal features of Social Inclusion within organisations in national, regional and global contexts.
  • Explore issues of social inclusion, rights and responsibilities in relation to additional needs, health and social care, and communities, families and individuals.
  • Recognise that tensions exist between the reality and the ideal of inclusion
  • Recognise the impact of different theoretical positions and political discourses on the provision of Social Policy.
  • Recognise the increasing importance of sustainability to social justice and inclusion.
  • Acknowledge, accept and understand the values and interests of others, by taking account of their normative and moral positions.
  • Engage with fundamental research concerning the aims and values of Inclusion in society.
  • Appreciate the challenging nature of social theory, policy and practice.
  • Interrogate and explore a diverse range of contexts of Social Exclusion.
  • Adopt appropriate problem solving skills which enables them to assess outcomes of interventions used to tackle social exclusion.

Programme Outcomes

The Learning Outcomes of the modules in the programme will enable students to demonstrate:

Knowledge and understanding of the field

  • an awareness of the underlying values and principles relevant to Social Inclusion;
  • knowledge of the diversity of human and social needs nationally, regionally and globally and of social policies and welfare institutions which exist to meet them;
  • the ability to identify relevant theoretical and research based primary and/or secondary sources and to use these appropriately in their study to extend their knowledge and understanding;
  • knowledge of some of the more significant sources of data about social inclusion and a critical grasp of the main research methods used to collect and analyse the data;
  • an understanding of interdisciplinary approaches to Social Policy and social inclusion;
  • an understanding of person-centred and multi-agency approaches to professional practice;
  • an understanding of the importance of inclusive education, in formal and informal settings, to personal and social development;
  • an understanding of how contemporary social problems have emerged and of Social Policy responses;

Application

  • a basic ability to analyse concepts, theories and issues of policy in a systematic way;
  • a developing ability to identify and reflect on potential connections between each of the aspects of subject knowledge and their application in policies and contexts;
  • an ability to accommodate new principles and understandings, including suggesting the way forward and potential changes in practice;
  • an ability to draw on theories of social inclusion and apply these to best professional practice;

Reflection

  • an ability to reflect on their own value system;
  • an ability to question concepts and theories encountered in their study;
  • an understanding of the significance and limitations of theory and research;

Transferable Skills

  • the ability to communicate in speech and writing using relevant specialist vocabulary;
  • an ability to use ICT for their study and other appropriate situations;
  • an ability to interpret graphical and tabular presentation of data and to collate and present numerical data;
  • an ability to work effectively as part of a team, carrying out allocated roles and fulfilling agreed responsibilities;
  • an understanding of and an ability to articulate their own preferred learning styles and strategies and manage their development to organise an effective work pattern including working to deadlines;
  • an ability to process and synthesise empirical and theoretical data in addressing tasks and formulating possible actions.

This programme has been designed as a sound preparation for students who wish to enter professions working in a diverse range of fields within society (for example: teaching, health and/or social care, educational settings, probation service, voluntary organisations,  social enterprise,  youth support, community education, police services).

The programme is designed to enable students to develop a range of skills which transfer easily to the world of work.  These include:

  • Communicating effectively
  • ICT
  • Problem-Solving
  • Researching, preparing and delivering presentations
  • Making effective use of visual aids
  • Working collaboratively or as part of a team
  • Working to deadlines

Further Information

Assessment methods

There are no exams!  We believe that examinations are not an effective method for assessing a course that integrates theory, policy and practice.  Therefore we use methods that encourage you to engage with the multi-dimensional nature of social inclusion, and draw on this understanding to reflect on and adopt inclusive professional practice. The assessments methods we use help embed the fundamental values of inclusive practice and highlight the importance of self-reflection. These methods also aim to develop transferable skills important to the workplace, such as ICT, data collection and analysis, and working as part of the team.  The methods include:

  • Assessed seminar presentations
  • Reflective diaries
  • Placement case studies
  • Portfolios
  • Videocasts
  • Written Reports

Learning and Teaching methods

This course will:

  • Draw on a wide range of intellectual resources, theoretical perspectives and academic disciplines to enhance understanding of the fundamental values and issues around the social inclusion agenda;
  • Interrogate and explore the diverse range of contexts, and multi-dimensional nature, of social exclusion;
  • Appreciate the challenging nature of social policy, theory and practice;
  • Recognise that tensions exist between the reality and ideal of social inclusion;
  • Adopt appropriate problem solving skills which enable students to critically assess the outcomes of policy interventions used to tackle social exclusion.