Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health (Professional Practice)
Join our community of academics and practitioners to develop your expertise in mental health services for 0-25 year olds. Our childhood, adolescent and young adult mental health pathway will enable you to be responsive to statutory and policy developments in services and interventions offered to children and families....
Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Information about the arrangements the University has put in place for the 2021/22 academic year in response to Covid-19 and the emerging variants can be found here.
Should the impact of Covid-19 continue in subsequent years of your course, any additional and/or alternative arrangements put in place by the University in response will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
- Level Top-Up Pathways
- Study mode Part Time
- Location City South
- Award N/A
- Start date September 2021
- Fees View course fees
- School School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences
Course overview
Join our community of academics and practitioners to develop your expertise in mental health services for 0-25 year olds. Our childhood, adolescent and young adult mental health pathway will enable you to be responsive to statutory and policy developments in services and interventions offered to children and families.
A dedicated team of academic lecturers and clinicians with extensive experience and expertise will facilitate your teaching and learning. Studying this pathway will enable you to identify the incidence and nature of mental health issues, and a multiplicity of interventions and caring approaches offered in these age groups.
Please note that the delivery of this programme in 2020/21 will be fully online in semester one.
What's covered in this course?
The pathway is divided into three separate single modules:
-
Childhood and Mental Health:
Completing this module will enable you to develop your understanding of perinatal mental health, neonatal and early year’s development, and attachment factors impacting on the emotional health and wellbeing of the child. This module will also examine developments in service provision, safeguarding principles, and role of statutory agencies.
-
Adolescence and Mental Health
Completing this module will enable you to examine the incidence and nature of trauma, loss, and abuse. You will also explore risk and resilience factors which influence mental health and wellbeing, community and inpatient services, interventions, and approaches to child and family centred care.
-
Young Adulthood and Mental Health:
Completing this module will enable you to examine the developmental needs of young adults accessing mental health services. This will include; the role of specialist community, inpatient and forensic resources; substance use and abuse provision; and the factors influencing transition to adult care.
This pathway will be taught one day per week between 9am and 5pm and located at our City South Campus.
University based teaching and learning activities will be facilitated by academic and clinical colleagues with extensive experiences.
A range of classroom-based lectures, seminars, group work activities, formative presentations, Moodle based, and self-directed work will be adopted to facilitate your learning.
Personal tutor support will be provided by a member of the module team. Additionally academic support can be accessed from our Personal Development Department on a self-referral basis, and from our experienced library colleagues.
Please note that most modules may be studied as discrete learning units so that your specific learning needs can be addressed without the need to study an entire pathway. If, later, you wish to build upon your studies more modules can be accessed that may be combined to form an award e.g. BSc (Hons), MSc. In other terms, the credits gained from one module may be able to be combined with others to be awarded a degree. For further details, please contact the staff as indicated for the pathway.
Why Choose Us?
- We have extensive academic and clinical experience of offering a programme of child and adolescent mental health modules.
- We have extensive links with local mental health services whose staff have successfully completed the child and adolescent mental health pathway award.
- You'll train with the post-registration educator of the year 2017 (Student Nursing Times Awards)
- We have developed a comprehensive child, adolescent, and young adult mental health pathway which is responsive to the need of these age groups.
- You will have access to an extensive library of books, journals and support staff who will assist you in developing your knowledge and skills.
- You will be offered personal tutor support and additional personal development services from a professional and committed team of staff.
- You will have the opportunity to become a member of a community of practice with other students completing the pathway. This will enable you to share your experiences, share good practice, and reflexively examine your learning.
Fees & How to Apply
- UK students
- International students
Award:
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- TBC
- £720 per 20 credit module
Award:
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- TBC
- £720 per 20 credit module
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Entry requirements
Following the introduction of the 2018/9 regulations students are required to complete a minimum of 100 credits at BCU to be awarded a degree. Therefore students who did not complete their Dip H.E. or 240 credits at the institution will need to complete a 40 credit level 5 portfolio module in addition to 60 credits at level 6.
Students who think this applies to them are advised to contact the Professional Navigators to discuss further.
Course structure
You can choose to study this programme as a complete pathway award (full or part-time) or as a standalone module, dependent on your individual need and the needs of your organisation. All programmes offer a convenient part-time format to fit around home and work commitments
Pathway awards in Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health can lead to:
- Module only Professional Practice Level 6
- Module only Professional Practice Level 7
- BSc Professional Practice
- BSc (Hons) Professional Practice
- Grad Cert Professional Practice
- PG Cert Professional Practice
- PG Dip Professional Practice
- MSc Professional Practice
How to apply
Complete the online application form via the link above, including the name of the pathway or module you are enrolling onto.
Course in Depth
Degree (Level 6)
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):
Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: Grad Cert / BSc Professional Practice (Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental)
20 credits
Welcome to the ‘Childhood and Mental Health’ module. This is the first of three modules you can choose to study at level six focusing on the holistic health and wellbeing of the neonate/ child/ adolescent and young adult within the context of the family and society. This module aims to provide you with a flexible, supportive, and theory-practice led framework of learning which intends to foster and develop your awareness and critical analysis of a range of perinatal, child development and attachment theories, risk and resilience factors influencing the physical, emotional, social, cultural and sexual health of the child.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
20 credits
Welcome to the ‘Adolescence and Mental Health module. This is the second of three modules you can choose to study at level six as a stand-alone module or in combination with the other modules focusing on the emotional and mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults within the context of the family and society. This module aims to provide you with a flexible, supportive, and theory-practice led framework of learning which intends to foster and develop your awareness and critical analysis of trauma, loss, or abuse and the immediate and longer term effects this can had on the emotional and mental health of children and adolescence.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
20 credits
Welcome to ‘Young Adulthood and Mental Health module. This is the third of three modules you can choose to study at level six as a stand-alone module or in combination with the other modules focusing on the emotional and mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults within the context of the family and society. This module aims to provide you with a flexible, supportive, and theory-practice led framework of learning which intends to foster and develop your awareness and critical analysis of the complex mental health needs of older adolescents/ young adults, and the factors influencing successful transitions and care pathways to a comprehensive range of mental health care pathways.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
Year 2 Pathway Award (BSc Only) – Exit Award: BSc (Hons) Professional Practice (Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental)
20 credits
This module is for all healthcare practitioners if you want to enhance your understanding of evidence based practice to help improve your patient/client/service-user care. The aims of the module are to develop both your understanding of the importance of best evidence in practice, and your ability to locate, evaluate, and use best evidence in developing aspects of practice.
Good reasons to study Evidence-Based Practice: Clinical practice does not remain static but changes frequently. As a healthcare practitioner you must be able to justify and rationalise your practice to ensure quality care is provide and maintained. To ensure best practice is sustained you, as a practitioner, need to understand the concepts of evidence based practice and how to apply these concepts to your area of practice.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
20 credits
This module is aimed at healthcare practitioners who wish to negotiate learning of a bespoke topic. Under the guidance of facilitators, you will be able to direct your learning and identify relevant learning opportunities that you feel enable you to learn more about a specific field of study.
The subject area within this module is student led with guidance and facilitation from designated academic and practice support. You will identify an area of study that you would like to critically review and evaluate and which promotes your clinical development. A significant proportion of the module is based around negotiation with academic and clinical facilitators to identify extended areas of study and opportunities that are possible to enhance your progression towards completion of the study.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the List of Additional Optional Modules * for Year 2.
*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
20 credits
Postgraduate (Level 7)
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):
Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: PG Cert Professional Practice (Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health)
20 credits
Welcome to the ‘Childhood and Mental Health’ module. This is the first of three modules you can choose to study at level seven focusing on the holistic health and wellbeing of the neonate/ child/ adolescent and young adult within the context of the family and society. This module aims to provide you with a flexible, supportive, and theory-practice led framework of learning which intends to foster and develop your critical appraisal and evaluation of a range of perinatal, child development and attachment theories, risk and resilience factors influencing the physical, emotional, social, cultural and sexual health of the child.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
20 credits
Welcome to the ‘Adolescence and Mental Health module. This is the second of three modules you can choose to study at level seven as a stand-alone module or in combination with the other modules focusing on the emotional and mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults within the context of the family and society. This module aims to provide you with a flexible, supportive, and theory-practice led framework of learning which intends to foster and develop your critical explanation and interpretation of trauma, loss, or abuse and the immediate and longer term effects this can had on the emotional and mental health of children and adolescence.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
20 credits
Welcome to the Young Adulthood and Mental Health module. This is the third of three modules you can choose to study at level seven as a stand-alone module or in combination with the other modules focusing on the emotional and mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults within the context of the family and society. This module aims to provide you with a flexible, supportive, and theory-practice led framework of learning which intends to foster and develop your critical appraisal, interpretation, evaluation, an synthesis of the complex mental health needs of older adolescents/ young adults, and the factors influencing successful transitions and care pathways to a comprehensive range of mental health care pathways.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
Year 2 Pathway Award - Exit Award: PG Dip Professional Practice (Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health)
20 credits
This module explicitly addresses students’ personal and/or professional development with a view to enhancing competence for service improvement in a rapidly changing health and healthcare environment. Through a flexible provision, students are inspired to reflect critically upon their individual learning needs as well as their organisations’ practices, to appraise and apply concepts from the literature on leadership, to issues of relevance for their role, organisation and overall programme of study.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
20 credits
This module specifically addresses the broader programme aims related to “pursuing excellence” and “practice-led, knowledge applied” through a flexible provision that encourages students to develop their research ideas, enabling those on various Health MSc programmes to satisfy their individual learning needs, whilst contributing to their area of study.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the List of Additional Optional Modules * for Year 2.
*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
20 credits
MSc
Year 3 Pathway Award – Exit Award: MSc Professional Practice (Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health)
Option 1
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete the following CORE module (totalling 60 credits):
60 credits
This triple module forms the final bridge between the award of a Postgraduate Diploma and a Health MSc related to a named award. It provides the student with the opportunity to complete a piece of work around a chosen topic in order to demonstrate competence in the planning, execution, analysis and evaluation of a Research Project, a Systematic Review or Project Management. It involves 600 hours of study. The focus is on facilitating the student's independent, critical study in their academic discipline or area of professional practice. It will also serve those who wish to embark on Doctoral studies in the future.
Option 2
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete the following CORE module (totalling 40 credits):
40 credits
This double module provides the student with the opportunity to complete a piece of work around a chosen topic in order to demonstrate competence in the planning, execution, analysis and evaluation of a Research Project, a Systematic Review or Project Management. It involves 400 hours of study. The focus is on facilitating the student's independent, critical study in their academic discipline or area of professional practice. It will also serve those who wish to embark on Doctoral studies in the future.
In order to complete this route a student must also successfully complete at least 20 credits from ‘this list of additional optional modules* for Year 1 and Year 2.
*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
20 credits
Degree (Level 6)
Pathway Level
Modules completed
Exit Awards
Postgraduate (Level 7)
Pathway Level
Modules completed
Exit Awards
Student Nursing Times Award Winner
Post Registration Education Provider of the Year
Facilities and Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.
We boast up-to-date, innovative facilities that simulate the real situations that medical staff may come across.
These resources are essential in offering students a hands-on introduction to health and social care practice. Much of our teaching is carried out within our state-of-the-art, £30m Seacole Building, which houses cutting-edge facilities.
Take a virtual tour of our skills suites at Seacole
In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, we work hard to ensure that students learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. These include the only mock operating theatre in an English university and a cutting-edge radiography virtual clinical training facility, virtual ward and virtual case creator.
Virtual Case Creator
For pre-registration nurses and midwives, Virtual Case Creator software contains a range of scenarios to let you experience birthing situations and decide on appropriate interventions in a safe environment.
Hospital Ward
Our mock wards enable you to get a feel of what a ward is really like before you head out for your first placement. They contain ‘Sim Men’, which are demonstration dummies that develop ailments, allowing you to treat them as you would a real patient and build your confidence in reacting to the changing needs of patients.
The Hospital Ward can be adapted from a low care to high dependency care environment with the necessary monitoring equipment.
Part of the package is our SIM baby, SIM man and Mega code kid. There are also nursing manikins for fundamental skills teaching and various equipment to support essential skills teaching, such as blood pressure monitoring venepuncture and cannulation equipment.
Skills Practice and Care Enhancement facility
The SPACE (Skills Practice And Care Enhancement) learning facility lets you further practice the skills taught in class, at your own pace and convenience.
It is fully stocked with the specialist items and equipment needed for procedures such as taking blood pressure, giving an injection, abdominal examination of a pregnant woman and caring for ill babies in an incubator.
Biomedical Laboratories
We have recently installed new laboratory facilities to help you explore understand the scientific principles underpinning many of our courses. The physiology laboratory is equipped to help you learn about the way the human body works by performing investigative experiments. The biomedical science laboratory is undergoing an upgrade over the summer and will allow you to learn about anatomy, cellular processes, immunology and enzymology in a hands-on way that links directly to day-to-day health care.
Simulation Manikins
We have several Simulation men (SIM men) and Simulation babies (SIM babies) which are leading edge, anatomically correct manikins used for teaching specific techniques such as advanced adult and paediatric life support skills, acute and high dependency clinical skills, first aid and communication skills.
The SIM men and SIM baby manikins are complete with software, which is used to replicate real symptoms, and are enhanced by the manipulation of for example blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism. SIM Man can also “talk” to the students which adds another dimension to their use in teaching clinical skills and in simulation exercises.
Mary Seacole Library
The Seacole library, based at City South Campus, is one of the UK's largest specialist health education libraries. The state-of-the art facility offers an extensive range of range of information and reference materials set out in a relaxing environment, conducive to studying. There are comfortable seating areas, group study areas, a silent study area and private study rooms.
The Seacole building houses a large open access IT Suite which comprises of 96 PCs, full colour printers, photocopiers and scanners. Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:
- Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
- Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
- Microsoft Office software
- Research and statistical software
- Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home
Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.
The IT Suite offers extended opening hours and is supported by a specialist Open Access Assistant during term time. In addition to the open access PCs within the IT Suite, there are 12 networked student PCs available within Seacole library.
Our staff
Paul Millwood
Senior Lecturer
Paul has worked in mental health nursing and nurse education for 34 years, with his time in practice being spent in community and specialist forensic mental health settings for children and adolescents. Following completion of his mental health and adult nurse training in the 1980s, Paul worked in a number of senior clinical nurse specialist roles before being appointed as a Senior Lecturer in 2004 at Birmingham City University. He also completed the ENB specialist practitioner award in child and adolescent mental health nursing at Birmingham City University.
Within this period Paul has also completed an MSc in addictions counselling (Birmingham University 2000-01), an M(Ed) completed at Birmingham City University in 2003/4, and is currently in the process of submitting his PhD for external examination. Paul's thesis has examined the professional socialization experiences of a group of mental health student nurses and the factors influencing the centrality of care in this process.
As a Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University Paul was appointed as the pathway leader for the child and adolescent mental health nursing program in 2008. Since this time he has developed a range of teaching and learning resources focusing on child and adolescent mental health, and developed close links with clinicians engaged in this specialism.
Paul is the lead for the Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Pathway for post-qualifying students.
More about PaulEnquiries
Enquiries
For all course enquiries please contact the Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Pathway Leader, Paul Millwood on:
- 0121 202 4543
- paul.millwood@bcu.ac.uk
International Enquiries
If you are an international student please contact the international office for more information on entry requirements:
- Tel: +44 (0)121 331 5389
- Email: international.enquiries@bcu.ac.uk
Professional Navigator
The Professional Practice Programme consists of a selection of modules that can be studied on their own or as part of an award. For help in deciding which modules to study or your outcome award please contact our Professional Navigators on navigator@bcu.ac.uk
All students must be engaging in an appropriate mental health context one day per week.
What award you exit the programme with is dependent upon the amount credits you enter the programme with.
To gain a BSc / BSc (Hons) you must have the equivalent of a Dip HE or 240 credits of which at least 120 are at Level 4 and a 120 are at level 5 as recognised by this university.
To gain a Graduate Certificate / Diploma you must have a relevant Bachelors degree (Ordinary or Honours) or 300/360 credits of which at least 60 are at level 6.
The Advanced Diploma Professional Studies Award will be suitable for you if you do not have the prerequisites for any of the other awards.