University of the Year

The University of Chester’s social work department has truly embedded itself in the local community, ensuring those around it directly benefit from social work.

The department prides itself on involving people with lived experience of social work in its programmes, and encourages students to support a range of local services, such as foodbanks and carers centres. During the pandemic, students developed a project to support homeless people to have a hot meal and change of clothes. The importance of these close local links is reflected in the University’s excellent employment statistics, with many students opting to remain working in the area after completing their studies.

Students also benefit from a passionate and supportive team of staff, many of whom are actively involved in research. Social Work England recently praised the research environment offered by the University, which is clearly having a positive impact as a number of students have been published in peer reviewed journals.

Perhaps the most telling though is the feedback from social work students, who described the University as a place they felt ‘respected, heard and understood’ and the experience on offer as ‘unbelievably positive’ and ‘nothing other than exceptional’.

Supported by Coventry City Council.