Valuing Diversity and Widening Participation: The Experiences of Access to Social Work Students in Further and Higher Education

Abstract

Social work is one of the success stories of Access to Higher Education. University departments of social work along with nursing and the allied health professions, recruit more former Access students than any other areas of study. This paper explores the experiences of Access students prior to and during their experience on a particular university social work programme in the light of the government's agenda for widening participation in higher education and the introduction of the new degree in social work.