Professionals working with children, young people and families are increasingly required to have formal qualifications which recognise their knowledge and expertise in this area. This course is one of a small number of programmes designed to equip you with an understanding of the social, economic, educational, cultural and political issues and barriers facing many children, and the practice skills to enable children and families to overcome them.
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*Please note these modules may be subject to change*
The courses look at the social policy and legislative backdrop in relation to children and families. You will study legislation relating to education, child protection and health. You will gain an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of agencies working with young children and families including children's centres, social services, schools, the police and the health services.
Leading on from this you will gain a good grounding in the importance of multi-agency working and you will study and evaluate models of best practice in this area. An understanding of the importance of diversity is central to the course, and reflection on the impact of difference permeates every aspect of teaching and learning.
Above all else the course is designed to impart practice skills in working with children, young people and families. You will be introduced to a range of practice skills including play therapy, task-centred work, family therapy, sculpting, role play and communication skills.
September
For the three-year honours degree, we usually require successful applicants to:
Please note, all information obtained from the admissions process will be used to judge a candidate’s potential to successfully complete the degree programme.
Experience of working with children, young people or families is essential. Successful applicants are expected to have at least 50 hours of experience at the point of application. This experience may have been gained through placement at school or college or through paid or voluntary work on either a full time or part time basis.
It is helpful if you include the following information in your personal statement:
The task of finding relevant work will obviously be dependent upon your knowledge of local resources. Simply finding out about your local voluntary / statutory resources is very important in itself, and will undoubtedly help you with your future studies. Listed below are a few ideas for finding local information and also the names of a few organisations that may be helpful in obtaining employment:
Finding out about local information: Internet, Library, Citizens Advice Bureau, G.P and Dental surgeries, Local Newspapers
Organisations which may be helpful in finding employment: Community Volunteer Service, local councils, local Social Service departments, Yellow Pages (look under charitable and voluntary organisations), social care recruitment agencies (there are at least five of these who employ unqualified workers) and organisations which help to coordinate all voluntary agencies within a particular town/ region.
If you are under the age of 19, Connexions can help. They have lots of ideas on their website: http://www.connexions-direct.com/index.cfm
Do It is a national database of volunteering opportunities. Their website can be found at: http://www.do-it.org.uk/
V Inspired connects 16 to 25 year olds with volunteering opportunities in England. Their website can be found at: http://vinspired.com
As part of the applications process for Working with Children, Young People and Families, we undertake a screening process which entails not only proof of academic skills but also scrutiny of any personal issues that may indicate that the applicant is unsuitable to work with vulnerable children, young people and families. If you meet our entry requirements you will be sent some confidential declaration forms and asked to provide details of the following: Criminal convictions, Cautions, Reprimands, Pending prosecutions, Bindings over, Finding of fact against you, Injunctions taken out against you for personal violence against others, Disciplinary proceedings against you in paid or voluntary work, Convictions in military courts, Anti-social behaviour orders made against you, Child protection or similar investigations involving you or your household and any other similar events.
Please see the flyer for more information about this degree (PDF) and how to apply
Applicants must be employed in a children and family centre setting and have the support of their employer before applying for the Foundation degree.
We also offer a Foundation degree in Working with Children, Young People and Families, but this has currently been suspended for 2010/1. Please view the website for updates about the availability of this degree for 2011 entry.