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Accessibility statement
An image to illustrate Foundations for social care and social work practice module
Are you interested in social care or social work in Northern Ireland? This module helps expand your understanding of how to work with others while developing your knowledge of the key skills required for working within social care and/or social work. Learning and practising these skills is a requirement of this module. It is a compulsory element of this module that you are either working in a social care setting or have a confirmed voluntary role in an appropriate setting to study. K123 is an alternative version of this module for students in England, Scotland and Wales.
This key introductory module will develop your understanding of key social care and social work skills. Throughout the module, you’ll cover the following topics:
Block 1 – Contextualising social care and social work
You’ll be introduced to the role and purpose of social care/social work and the role of the social care professional. You will explore what it means to live and work in our society and consider different people’s lived experiences.
Block 2 – Engaging with people
You will look in detail at communication skills, how to build rapport and actively listen to the life experiences of the people you are working with. You will explore the ways in which you may need to be creative and responsive to the specific communication needs of others.
Block 3 – Reflecting on our practice
You’ll look at anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice - examining how we respond to discrimination, oppression and structural disadvantage. You will explore the importance of diversity in human identity and experience and consider ethical principles and values in practice and their impact on practice.
Block 4 – Assessing needs and risks
You’ll look at the role of assessment planning and intervention in social care/social work, including an introduction to your role in risk assessment and safeguarding, personalisation, and care planning. You will also consider evaluating outcomes of social care and social work interventions.
Block 5 – Being a professional
Finally, you’ll look at what it means to be a professional, including leadership, continuing professional development and personal development planning. You’ll explore emotional intelligence, wellbeing and the importance of resilience and self-care. The block concludes by looking at moving on to the next stages of your studies and/or career.
In addition to passing the assessed tasks for this module, which cover a variety of topics and require you to reflect on your learning throughout, you are also required to:
If you plan to study towards a social work qualification, please note that passing Foundations for social care and social work practice (KZNI123) does not lead to automatic entry onto a social work degree course. For more information, visit our Social Work degrees.
By completing this module you will learn:
You'll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module. They'll help by:
Module tutors will also support a forum, allowing students to post and respond to comments and reflections throughout the module.
Course work includes:
All study materials are provided. The main mode of delivery of the teaching is through the module website, which includes:
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
KZNI123 is a compulsory module in our:
KZNI123 is an option module in our:
Foundations for social care and social work practice starts once a year – in February.
This page describes the module that will start in February 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in February 2030.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no formal entry requirements for this module. However, you will need access to a social care/social work setting to complete your verified practice learning. This can include voluntary work or through your employing agency.
You should be living in Northern Ireland so that you can attend the five mandatory workshops in person.
Studying the BA (Hons) Social Work (Northern Ireland)
To study this module as part of a social work degree, you must:
Your sponsoring agency will provide you with appropriate practice learning opportunities. Sponsoring agencies should speak to an adviser for further information.
Studying social work is demanding; if you would like to discuss the suitability of the module or to register, please contact us.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying KZNI123 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
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Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.
Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2027. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
This module will next start in the 2026/27 academic year and will open for registration on the 25th of March.
This module will next start in the 2026/27 academic year and will open for registration on the 25th of March.
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