You will be a student in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care. The faculty is the key provider of education for health and social care students and employees, and offers a wide variety of educational and research opportunities. 

I hope that this is the beginning of a long association with Canterbury Christ Church University, which will continue after you have completed this course, to support your developing career in the future.

We look forward to meeting you during Welcome Week at the activities that we have planned to prepare you for commencing your social work journey.  It is beneficial for you to attend all activities during Welcome Week as outlined in your timetable. 

Please ensure that you engage with occupational health clearance and DBS processes required by the Admissions Team. Failure to complete this by the time you register on the course may result in you not being able to proceed with your studies. Please also ensure you engage with the Placement Planning Form FoMHSC 2024/2025. 

Pre-Course Task

1. What has led you to study social work? What are you bringing to this next phase of your life/career in terms of prior experiences, values, strengths, learning needs, hopes and concerns?
2. What do you think being a 'professional’ might mean for you? Can you think of a prominent person in social work you have heard about in your research and in your reading? Who is this person, what are they known for and what makes them prominent in social work or for you?

Welcome and Induction

Please ensure you view and engage with your Welcome Schedule.

Visit us in the Health Hub to get your questions answered and have a soft drink and biscuit on us!

In addition to your course welcome activities, you can also join us at our Health Hub, timings below, where we can help you with any questions you may have or direct you to the most appropriate service.

You are now on your own exciting journey, but you are also part of our community where we support each other to grow and flourish at university and beyond. Drop in and stay connected, meet new friends and your peers. Meet and chat to our placements team, academic course administration team and existing students.

Drop in on the 2nd floor of the Verena Holmes building in VH 2.60 during any of the times below:

• Monday 16 September, 12:30pm to 5pm
• Tuesday 17 September, 9am to 5pm
• Wednesday 18 September, 9am to 5pm

Follow us on our CCCU_Health Instagram account to keep up to date with what is happening for students.

Occupational Health  

Students need to obtain Occupational Health clearance to ensure they are fit to practice. You will be prompted via your ‘MyRecord’ to complete a clearance check and directed to an online health questionnaire. You are not required to attend an Occupational Health vaccination appointment as a Social Work student.   

Please note, as a Social Work student you will not be supplied with uniform by the university.  

For enquiries about your occupational health clearance please email cccustudents@ohworks.co.uk or phone 01227 286288.

We would encourage you to review the course structure and module options via your course page before you arrive.

You might find it useful to read the following resources before starting your course:

• You can read Community Care online for social work news.
• Look at The Guardian online for social care news.
• Find out more about guidance for students from Social Work England.
• Being familiar with the Professional Capabilities Framework for social work will support your learning.

Additional suggestions:

• Adams, R. (2010) The Short Guide to Social Work. Bristol: The Policy Press. 
• Barrington, F. (2015) Known to Social Services. East Longmeadow: Faraxa Publishing. 
• Doel, M. (2012) Social Work: The Basics. London: Routledge. 
• Hilton, S. (2015) More Human: Designing a World Where People Come First. London: Penguin Random House. 
• Howe, D., and Hill, D. (2024) A brief introduction to social work theory. London: Bloomsbury 
• Jones, O. (2011) Chavs: The demonization of the Working Class. London: Verso. 
• Pierson, J. (2010) Tackling Social Exclusion. 2nd edn. Abingdon: Routledge. 
• Sissay, L. (2019) My Name is Why, Edinburgh: Canongate Books