Practice Education PGCert

Study level: Postgraduate
Closeup of a blonde young female wearing a blue scarf

The Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in Practice Education has been designed to build on these established provisions and to facilitate the development of experienced and expert practitioners in social work.

Year of entry

2023-24

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Part-time
Online/Blended

Duration

2 years part-time

Course code

HLST173

Start date

September 2023
January 2024

How to apply
Book an Open Day
Download a prospectus
Ask a question

Course overview

The aim of this course is to give practicing social workers the opportunity to enhance their career prospects via gaining a postgraduate level qualification.

The programme is designed to equip you with the knowledge, values and skills required to gain both stage 1 and 2 of the PEPS (Practice Educator’s Professional Standards) and assess others in the workplace.

globe decorative icon

Global ready

An international outlook, with global opportunities
human silhouette teaching in front of blackboard

Teaching excellence

Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field
Resume icon displaying a paper and pen

Employability

Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeed

Why you should study this course

  • Designed to give you the opportunity to develop your practice, extend your range of skills and enhance your critical reflective skills with the aim of improving service delivery.
  • Intended to be a key vehicle for social workers to gain an academic award at the same time as meeting their CPD, which is required by the current regulator.
  • Study part-time, allowing you to work towards your post-graduate certificate while in employment.
  • Opportunities may also be available within the faculty to progress your studies beyond the Postgraduate Certificate to a full master’s degree (subject to successfully completing the PgCert and application).
  • A course team with expertise in working with learners who are mature, from diverse backgrounds or have a range of individual learning needs.

What you'll study

The curriculum of this course is shaped by a number of requirements in social work practice, some of which are specific to the practice educator role. This includes the relevant levels of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), the Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) and more directly, the Practice Educator’s Professional Standards (PEPS).

Modules

  • This module aims to develop your professional social work practice. You will engage with your employers in a year of assessed and supported learning while applying knowledge, skills and theory to your own practice. This reflective practice will be encapsulated within the assessment, which requires you to submit a nationally recognised portfolio that critically assesses your own practice.

    Optional

  • This module is Part 1 of two which aims to prepare you to act as enablers of others’ learning by developing knowledge of theories, concepts and processes of practice education in the context of an explicit value base. You will develop knowledge and skills in relation to:

    • organising opportunities for the demonstration of assessed competence/capability in practice
    • enabling learning and professional development in practice
    • managing the assessment of learners in practice.
    • mentoring and supporting learners and colleagues in contemporary care settings

    This module (part 1) will enable you to begin to achieve the Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS 1) for social workers. Part 2 will enable you to fully meet PEPS 1.

    It is a requirement of the PEPS that you are social workers with at least two years of experience.

    Optional

  • This module is Part 2 of two modules that aim to prepare you to act as enablers of others’ learning by developing knowledge of theories, concepts and processes of practice education in the context of an explicit value base. You will develop knowledge and skills in relation to:

    • continue to organise opportunities for the demonstration of assessed competence/capability in practice
    • continue to enable learning and professional development in practice
    • continue to manage the assessment of learners in practice.
    • mentoring and supporting learners and colleagues in contemporary social work settings

    This module (part 2), alongside the successful completion of 7000SW (part 1) will enable you to achieve the Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS 1). The module Practice Teaching and Education (70001SW parts 1 and 2) will enable you to fully meet the PEPS 2.

    It is a requirement of the PEPS that candidates are social workers with at least two years of experience.

    Optional

  • This module aims to build on your ability to manage professional learning processes at pre- and post-qualifying level in social work environments. You will critically examine their role as a Practice Educator, critically reflect on your knowledge of relevant theory and models of learning, methods of assessment, and develop strategies for supporting professional development and capabilities within an explicit value base. This module builds on the PEPS 1 (covered in module 7000SW and 7018SW) of the Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) for social workers and enables you, as a registered social worker, to supervise final placement social work students and begin to meet PEPS 2.

    It is a requirement of the PEPS that candidates are social workers with at least three years' relevant work experience and qualified for two years.

    Optional

  • This module aims to build on learning from 7001SW, and continue to enhance your ability to manage professional learning processes at pre-qualifying level in social work environments. You will continue to critically examine their role as a Practice Educator, critically reflect on your knowledge of relevant theory and models of learning, methods of assessment, and develop strategies for supporting professional development and capabilities within an explicit value base. This module builds on the PEPS 1 (covered in module 7000SW and 7018SW) of the Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) for social workers and enables you, as a registered social worker, to supervise final placement social work students and fully meet PEPS 2.

    It is a requirement of the PEPS that candidates are social workers with at least three years' relevant work experience and qualified for two years.

    Optional

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

The course is delivered on a part-time basis studied over a two-year period to try and meet the needs of social workers who wish to study alongside their professional practice as part of their continuing professional development.

The course is planned to be delivered using a blended learning approach of both classroom teaching (taught at the Coventry University main campus in Coventry) and will be taught over the following methods:

  • Online discussions
  • Online tasks
  • Project work

The strategy is also designed to enable you to be critically reflective in your own work setting and to be able to recognise not only your own development needs but the development needs of your team or service and of pre-qualifying social work students. This involves a transition from initially supported and guided study to more independent and self-directed study.

This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Request further information about part-time study.

Teaching contact hours

The teaching hours will vary by module, however, the expected total would be 31 hours of seminars, 5 hours of tutorials, 12 hours of lectures plus 125 hours of self-guided study and 426 hours of work-based learning.

The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2022/2023 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on-campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include:

  • Supervision notes
  • Direct observation
  • Presentations
  • Written assignments
  • Nationally recognised portfolio

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International Experience Opportunities

You will be required to work collaboratively, and this may provide opportunities for development of intercultural competencies in the diverse student population that we usually expect to access this course. One of the key course learning objectives is that you develop a global perspective of both the theory and practice and so the development of a critical understanding of global issues will be embedded in specific modules.

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any international opportunities and that any such opportunities referred to on this webpage may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details2.

Entry requirements

Please note that most applicants for this course are sponsored by their employers. This means you will need to contact your learning and development team/relevant department before any application.

For further information about the course and how to apply, please contact Amanda Fitchett on ac0159@coventry.ac.uk.

Applicants must hold a professional qualification in social work and be registered with the relevant regulator and be working as a social worker in the UK.

All applicants will normally have two years post qualification experience in order to comply with the requirements of the Practice Educator Professional Standards.

Applicants to the PgCert Practice Education will be required to supervise a social work student/learner, sourced by the University and its partners, for the modules Mentoring, Supervision and Assessment in Practice and Practice Teaching and Education.

Accreditation for prior learning (APL) and Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning AP(E)L as in accordance with University regulations will be considered. The Regulations are as set out in paragraphs 7b.3.2 and 7b.3.3 of the regulations for taught postgraduate courses.

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Visit our International Hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall (with at least 5.5 in each component area)

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Chat with us

Fees and funding

2023/24 Tuition fees

Student Full-time Part-time
UK £3,533 part time total fee Not available
International £5,650 per year Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

As this course is taken as a blend of online and in-person teaching, a large portion of it will use our Aula online teaching platform. This course is also part of the faculty of Health and Life Sciences and therefore any in-person teaching will take place in our school buildings4.

Aula is an online teaching resource, allowing you to interact with online lectures, receive detailed feedback quickly on all assessments and communicate to your fellow students in an online learning community.

Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Show that you have developed your social work practice
  • Show that you have a comprehensive and critical understanding of the requirements of the Practice Education Professional Standards (PEPS) Stage 1 and their application to the theoretical underpinnings of adult learning and the supervision and assessment of others
  • Demonstrate skills and knowledge aligned with the relevant levels of the Professional Capabilities Framework and the Knowledge and Skills Statements
  • Evidence a critical understanding of practice education paradigms, an awareness of ethical dilemmas and a consolidation of your learning around anti-oppressive practice when working with students and newly qualified social workers (NQSW)
  • Show that you have developed a comprehensive and critical understanding of the requirements of the Practice Education Professional Standards (PEPS) Stage 2 and their application to the theoretical underpinnings of adult learning and the supervision and assessment of others.

All students on this course will already be in employment as qualified social workers. However, the course aims to enhance employability through a variety of initiatives including providing opportunities to further develop transferable skills (e.g. communication and assessment skills, leadership and mentoring skills). These skills help develop the qualities needed for employment in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative in complex and unpredictable professional environments.

You will also have access to employability support and can be given assistance with writing CVs and job applications upon request.

How to apply

  • Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University. 

    1Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

    2UK and international opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

    3Tuition fees

    The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

    For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

    4Facilities

    Due to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2023/24 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

You may also like

Coventry University (Coventry) A group of students and a teacher sat around a table

Social Work MA/PGDip
Coventry University (Coventry) Group of students in a recreation area talking to eachother

Advanced Adult Social Work PGCert
Coventry University (Coventry) Brunette young female wearing a white top explaining something to a blonde lady

Advanced Child and Family Social Work PGCert

Your next steps

Student life
Accommodation
Fees and funding