PG Certificate Practice Education & Leadership (Social Services)
ApplyKey facts
- Start date: September or January
- Study mode and duration: 12 months part-time
Placement: 80 to 100 day placement in Semester 2
4th in Scotland for Social Work (CUG, 2026)
Study with us
- enhance your career as a Social Worker and become a qualified Practice Educator
- professionally aligned with the requirements of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
- develop the skills to provide high-quality, value-based support and supervision to Social Work students in practice learning settings, ensuring consistent learning experiences
- focus on leadership and reflective supervision
- access to a vast library of books and academic journals
- flexible study designed to fit around work and professional commitments
The Place of Useful Learning
UK University of the Year
Daily Mail University of the Year Awards 2026
Scottish University of the Year
The Sunday Times' Good University Guide 2026
Why this course?
This programme is designed for professionals who want a flexible, engaging, and practice focused route to becoming a Practice Educator and progression in a Social Work career. The programme is designed to fit around your existing work and personal commitments.
Our blended approach to teaching and learning combines meaningful on campus teaching days with structured self directed study. You’ll benefit from access to a library of online learning materials and dedicated support from our research-led academic team, ensuring that your learning is fully connected to your real world practice.
As well as being encouraged to critically reflect on your own practice, strengthening your self-awareness and leadership skills, you’ll undertake a practical module where you will directly supervise social work students on placements. This applied approach means you can explore real scenarios, test new skills in practice, and immediately integrate insights back into your professional environment. This makes the programme relevant, practical and directly beneficial to the people and communities you support.
What you'll study
The Postgraduate Certificate in Practice Education and Leadership (Social Services) involves studying 60 credits at SCQF level 11. It comprises three taught modules studied across two semesters, two modules in semester one (worth 10 and 20 credits) and one module in semester two (worth 30 credits).
You will be expected to commit at least one half-day per week to your studies during teaching semesters. You will be expected to attend an induction session at the beginning of semester 1, plus 11 teaching days on campus (8 days in semester 1, 5 of which are consecutive; 3 days in semester 2).
Placement
During Semester 2, you’ll put your Semester 1 learning into practice by undertaking the compulsory practical module Supervision and Assessment in Practice. You will assume the Practice Educator role, where you will oversee and support all stages of social work students on placement in a social work setting. Social Work student placements will be 80 to 100 days, depending on the student’s programme of study.
You will be supported by a Practice Assessor who will provide you with a minimum of 3-weekly reflective supervision and support sessions. Plus, you will have three recall days on campus.
Leadership in Practice Learning (10 credits)
This module aims to equip you with the knowledge, skills and values necessary to become an effective and ethical leader. In doing so, you’ll be supported to critically evaluate key theories and models of leadership with a focus on promoting inclusive, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and anti-discriminatory practice across a range of organisational, inter-professional and practice-learning contexts.
This module consists of one induction day and 5 days consecutive teaching days on campus.
Indicative dates for January 2027 intake: induction day 20 January and teaching days 25 to 29 January.
Indicative dates for September 2027 intake: induction day 15 September and teaching days 20 to 24 September.
Promoting Learning in Practice Settings: Theories, Frameworks & Contexts (20 credits)
This module aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of a range of theories, models and strategies to critically evaluate and inform the Practice Educator role in promoting learning for social work students. You’ll examine the various contexts in which learning occurs in placement settings and explore strategies to work collaboratively and effectively to address diverse learning needs.
This module consists blended teaching with self-directed learning to be completed each week and 3 teaching days on campus.
Indicative campus dates for January 2027 intake: 3 March, 24 March, 7 April.
Indicative campus dates for September 2027 intake: 27 October, 17 November, 1 December.
Supervision & Assessment in Practice Learning (30 credits)
This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to integrate and apply learning from previous modules of the PGCert in Practice Education and Leadership (Social Services) to develop skills, values, knowledge and competence in directly supervising social work students. You will be required to undertake a practice educator role with a social work student in a social work setting and to oversee and support all stages of the placement.
Learning & teaching
Teaching is highly interactive and rooted in experiential learning. Through seminar based group activities, role play, and reflective exercises, you’ll explore complex practice scenarios in a supportive environment. You’ll be encouraged to critically reflect on your own practice, strengthening your self-awareness, supervision and leadership skills, and deepening your professional confidence.
Assessment
Modules are assessed by various methods including presentations, essays and reflective assignments.
The Supervision and Assessment in Practice Learning placement module is assessed by two direct observations, a review of a supervision folder and a written reflective case study.
Entry requirements
| Academic requirements | You must hold a recognised social work qualification. |
|---|---|
| Relevant work experience | A minimum of two years’ post-qualifying social work experience is normally required, including experience of supporting the learning and development of students, colleagues or staff within a social work or social services setting. |
| Professional suitability | Registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). If you are not currently registered with the SSSC but want to attend this programme as part of the return to practice requirements, then please contact us to discuss. If you are doing this whilst in full-time employment, we will require confirmation from your employer that you will be given time for your studies, attend on-campus sessions and be given time to supervise a student. |
| English language requirements | Please check our English language requirements before making your application. |
Fees & funding
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually.
The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year. This cap will apply to fees from 2026/27 onwards, which will not increase by more than 10% from the previous year for continuing students.
| Scotland | £3,367 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £3,367 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| Additional costs | If you are not able to supervise a Social Work student within your workplace on the Supervision and Practice Learning module, there may be additional travel costs associated with the placement. These will be variable, depending on the workplace in which the Social Work student is undertaking their assessed practice placement. PVG Scheme (Protection of Vulnerable Groups)You will be responsible for covering the cost of your PVG application:
Certificate of Good Conduct (CoGC)If required, you must also cover the cost of obtaining a CoGC or Police Certificate. Fees vary depending on the country and issuing authority. For full details, please visit our PVG & CoGC Requirements page. |
| Available funding | Partial funding is available via the Scottish Social Services Council. This funding must be applied for during the 2026/27 financial year (April 2027 and March 2027). |
Careers
After completion of this programme, you will be able to register as a Practice Educator and have the knowledge, skills and values required to support, supervise, facilitate and assess social work students in practice learning settings. It will also prepare you to apply for leadership roles in the Health and Social Care sector.
Apply
Start date: Jan 2027
Practice Education and Leadership (Social Services)(January)
Contact us
Prospective student enquiries
Contact a member of our team on LiveChat between 10am and 4pm (GMT)
Telephone: +44 (0) 141 444 8600
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