Black minority ethnic students navigating their way from access courses to social work programmes: key considerations for the selection of students

This paper explores the experiences of predominantly black minority ethnic students navigating their way from further education access courses to BA Social Work programmes. It discusses tensions associated with balancing academic and professional entry requirements for social work education with principles of social justice enshrined in policy initiatives to widen participation to higher education and to the professions for those from less privileged social backgrounds. Drawing upon findings from the author‟s doctoral study, she argues that entry to social work education is not without problem for some black minority ethnic students. Building upon recommendations from a recent Social Work Task Force report, she calls for abolition of the UCAS tariff system to facilitate admission criteria giving equal weighting to academic skills, life course experiences and related "softer skills" denoting personal suitability for social work.

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First published online 6 April 2011