Durham University Student Social Workers in Solidarity

It is extremely concerning to see social work being threatened by a research intensive university just as the evidence base for social work needs strengthening.

Je signe et persiste

I completed my degree at Sunderland University however many of my Social Work colleagues completed their degree at Durham. No believe it to have an excellent reputation.

Social Work is a necessary service to support and protect the most vulnerable in society. It is essential to fund centres of excellence which challenge and improve services.

This is not a good decision.

This is consistent with the universities ignorance to the consequences of its actions. In a time where it has already shown to be happy cutting courses and displacing them that it doesn't see as directly benefitting them in a financial way. This sets a dangerous precedent for the university and it clearly does not see the huge implications this decision will make. As a student on a course that has its last year of intake in the upcoming year, I send all my support to yourself, your coursemates and all those involved.

A sad day for social work if this excellent course should have to close.

As a former student that graduated from the Masters in Social Work course I am deeply saddened by the university's stance. Since graduating I have worked as a child protection social worker and feel that the course prepared me well for this challenging career. With the government currently trying to undermine social works autonomy by making us accountable to the education secretary, whilst at the same time separating social work education from universities by starving them of funding it is essential that universities like Durham take a stand. Please don't give up on the Masters in Social Work it's more important now than ever.

Having graduated from the Social Work MA course in 2015 I strongly feel that this is an excellent course that deserves and needs to continue to provide the quality training to workers in the profession.

Absolutely disgraceful to cut social work courses. You should be ashamed Durham.

For people like my Lee-Lee who fight the good fight and work their selfless asses off x

These are brilliant courses and I have seen first hand (in my capacity as a Durham Law student working in pro bono partnership) how diverse the intake for these programmes are and how successfully students are partnered with local placements and projects. I feel that such a vocational and diverse programme is something that Durham University has historically lacked and while I understand that tactically academia is and probably should be the focus- I feel that these existing programmes should be considered a strength and asset to be developed.

The teaching in this department is first class. The course is vital in a time of cuts to services and not enough social workers, surely the university can be more innovative?

I stand with all the students. This programme should not be abolished just because it is not profitable for the university. Only very few programmes are profitable. This is about education for a profession that needs the best and brightest to stand for those in need in their communities. Social Work is needed now more than ever.

Fostering good social workers takes a team of people nurturing and supporting students to be the best communicators, the best professionals, able to work under the toughest of conditions, yet keeping that all important human touch, empathy. I struggle to empathise with the people proposing this. Please reconsider. Not just for your community. For you, your family, your neighbour, may one day need a social worker.

The proposal to close the MA in Social Work will be a concern to many who have known the good work of the staff on this course and to all those students (and others!) who have benefited from this provision.

At a time when other universities are investing in social work programmes and research Durham's decision is baffling.

As the rhetoric of the right wing proganda continues to impact on our deprived communities we need informed social workers to be the voice of the poor and marginalised, Reconsider Durham!

Social workers are needed in Durham too

This is one of many universities that is abandoning true academics in favour of the bottom line. A lack of long term thinking, how depressing.