New beginnings
On Tuesday 6 October 1908, the University of Birmingham welcomed students to its new one-year social studies course for the first time, marking the beginning of the UK’s longest-running social work programme. Initially advertised as training for social and philanthropic work, it was the first university course in the country to grant aspiring social workers full student status.
Built upon years of study weekends and evening activities, this pioneering initiative laid the foundation for professional social work education, an approach that continues to evolve and shape the future of social care today.
Social work at Birmingham was founded as a partnership between the newly established university and the city’s voluntary and community sectors. This collaboration ensured that academic training was firmly rooted in practical experience, a principle that remains central to the programme to this day.
A civic mission: Learning from the community
At the turn of the 20th century, social reformers sought new ways to address poverty and inequality.
The Birmingham Settlement was established in Aston, Birmingham in 1899 as a neighbourhood response to the poverty and disadvantage of individuals and families struggling with the rapidly changing social and economic conditions of a growing and industrialising city. From its inception, the Settlement Committee built strong links with the University.
Settlement houses emerged across the UK to provide support in low-income areas and to learn more about the realities of poverty. They involved groups of educated people living in a large house in poor areas of many UK cities, getting to know the poor as friends and neighbours. In Birmingham, the movement was led by a women's settlement, making a massive difference to local communities and also creating new career opportunities for a new generation of women who wanted to use their skills and ingenuity to pioneer new responses to social needs.
Through direct engagement with the community, these women learned about the realities of poverty and explored the most effective ways to respond. This hands-on experience laid the foundations for the formalisation of social work as a discipline. Many future leaders of the welfare state, including Clement Attlee and William Beveridge, were involved in settlement houses, demonstrating their lasting impact on British society.
The importance of research
While passion and commitment were vital, early social reformers in Birmingham quickly realised that these alone were not enough. Understanding the complexities of industrial cities required research and theory to inform effective interventions. In response, the university worked with the city's civic infrastructure to develop training opportunities, which later became the qualifying social work programs that are still delivered today.
This fusion of academic study and real-world experience set a precedent for social work education in the UK.
