Working with Children, Young People and Families with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

The starting point for this course is the premise that self-awareness leads to meaningful personal and professional development. Accordingly, this module aims to help you to deepen your understanding of who you are. You will be encouraged to explore your values, beliefs, and emotions, evaluate your own areas of confidence and learn how this influences your personal development, including the development of your future practice.

This module recognises that transitioning into higher education represents a significant milestone in a student's academic journey, signifying a period of personal growth. However, it can also present challenges, as students must adapt to a range of increased academic demands and expectations. The module is specifically designed to support students through this transition by equipping them with essential academic skills and strategies necessary for success in their undergraduate studies. Its primary objective is to provide new students with the necessary tools to effectively manage their studies, enhance their academic writing and research skills, and cultivate their critical thinking abilities.

This module aims to provide an understanding of social justice with a specific focus on the concepts of equality, diversity, and inclusion and its impact on children, young people and families. You will learn about different forms of discrimination and inequality, as well as strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion.

Theories of inclusion, social exclusion, and discrimination will be approached through a critical review of concepts and examination of local, national, and international policy and practice. The role of individual and state responsibilities will feature significantly as you unpick the underlying barriers to equality, diversity and inclusion whilst considering how workers in the sector can promote social justice and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Effective early intervention is at the heart of interdisciplinary practice and can maximise children’s potential in their holistic development. Effective early intervention creates opportunities for social inclusion, participation, and development of key life skills and independence with long-term benefits for education and employment but perhaps also an important quality of life.

Effective early intervention is noted as a set of services to allow intervention to support a child and their family during any possible time in his or her education to prevent or minimise long-term difficulties early. The benefits of effective early intervention are known in the UK when services fail to collaborate, they fail to achieve the maximum potential for these children and families. This type of intervention has a social and emotional foundation for higher levels of well-being and consequently, families have reported confidence in long-term progress when involved.

This module examines the professional practices associated with working with children, young people, and families. Students will professionally prepare themselves to undertake a placement and examine the professional landscape which they will be working within.

During this module, students participate in their first professional placement and critically reflect on their professional experiences during their placement. The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop their practice in workplaces which involve working with children, young people, and families; as well as critically reflect upon how this experience informs their future practice in the sector.

This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 80 hours of Professional Placement as an integral part of your Undergraduate Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your practical skills. Your will also be able to showcase your personal and professional skills, attitudes and behaviours gained from this valuable practical experience.

Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own skills and those of practitioners currently in the field and workplace. You will describe the skills, knowledge and experience in relation to your placement including issues such as advocating for children, families and wellbeing. In addition, you will develop an action plan to support your future development at Level 6 by reflecting on your placement experience. You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+.

This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to reflect on your professional identity including personal and professional development. The purpose of this module is to help you identify and improve your employability skills which will, through the course of your studies enhance your personal and professional skills.

Furthermore, by completing a range of reflective tasks you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of work readiness in relation to roles within the professional field. You will explore the value of employer expectations within the sector, key skills such as confidence, teamwork, networks and relationships, interpersonal skills and professional knowledge.

You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ and the Graduate Plus programme. You will explore roles available within the sector and start to consider the development of your CV.

This module is an introduction to carrying out research projects. As well as developing your understanding of key aspects of research in education, this module will also prepare you for your final research project at Level 6. The module will support you to engage in a critical analysis of contemporary issues and debates in research, policy and practice related to your field of study. You will identify and design a small-scale study, in readiness for your research project module at Level 6.

The module will take you through the key stages in designing a piece of research, including identifying and justifying a suitable research question, conducting a literature review, deciding on appropriate research methods, and considering ethical considerations in research. By the end of the module, you will be able to carry out an extended research project relevant to your degree subject.

This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of the theoretical, legal, and practical aspects of children and young people's rights and identities. Students will explore the impact of social, cultural, and political factors on the formation of children and young people's identities and their access to rights and services. The module covers topics such as children's rights frameworks, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, child protection, safeguarding, and inclusion.

This module will explore safeguarding and child protection including the necessary skills, values and attributes to be a successful professional working with a range of children’s services. You will build on your previous learning by focusing on the roles and responsibilities of professionals in a safeguarding context. This will include key legislation, policy and evaluate processes that exist to support children who have or are likely to suffer significant harm. You will consider discrimination, which affects individual children, young people and families.

This module focuses on understanding and addressing mental health issues specifically related to children, young people, and families. This module aims to equip students with knowledge and practical skills to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in these populations.

It explores various factors that influence mental health during different developmental stages, effective intervention strategies, and the importance of collaboration with families and other professionals. Students will gain an understanding of ethical considerations, cultural sensitivity, and relevant legal frameworks when working with children, young people, and families.

This module explores the transformative potential of learning and its role in empowering individuals and communities. It recognises the existing impact of learning in non-judgmental, facilitative, and supportive contexts, especially in enhancing the power of change for marginalised groups, such as young people and community members. The module focuses on key issues related to informal teaching, learning, and the development of knowledge and skills within youth and community contexts.

Drawing upon the rich traditions of social pedagogy in the UK and internationally, the module examines its historical development and explores contemporary contexts where social pedagogy has become a fundamental practice for professionals. This includes an exploration of digital youth work as an integral part of this field.

In line with the philosophy and aims of the programme, this module will respond to contemporary perspectives and issues affecting children, young people, families and communities. A strong commitment to inclusive values will be reinforced and will empower you to address issues of equality, disadvantage, diversity and social justice to optimise the life chances of children, young people and their families.

The module will be interactive, engaging and challenging with a range of guest speakers contributing, designed to promote your independence and confidence to enable you to be an advocate for children, young people and families and an agent for change. The module is highly responsive to changes and developments and will provide you with an in depth understanding of how issues may impact your work in your chosen field.

This optional module aims to provide you with an overview of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in a UK context.

The focus of this module is for you to consider the impact SEND can have on child’s / young person’s (0-25) personality, their learning opportunities, and potential barriers, which they might have to face both in the education system and in the wider society. This module offers a unique approach to understanding the child / young person as a learner and the impact of a SEND on the individual and their family. This module hopes to develop your thinking and perceptions of SEND through different models, towards recognising the impact of the condition upon the person as an individual. This will expand your thinking with a positive impact on your practice, enabling you to consider ways of developing an approach which considers the wider impact of SEND and recognises the role and challenges faced by families.

This module hopes to equip you with confidence as your understanding of learners with different/various needs develop. You will be able to identify strategies to increase engagement in the learning process regardless of the learner’s age or ability.

This module enables and supports you to conceive, plan, and conduct a small-scale research project that attends and adheres to key ethical principles, in an area relevant to your programme of study.

This module encourages you to engage in independent and collaborative critical analysis of contemporary issues and debates in your research focus area, in policy and in practice. You will be provided with an opportunity to clarify your understanding of key research terms, as well as to consider the link between epistemology, methodology and methods, and the impact that your own personal philosophies have upon the design of your study.

Historically, advocacy, activism and social movements have attempted to address a wide range of social problems and influence social change and policy. This module aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to advocate, engage in activism, and create social change for children, young people, and families.

You will explore the principles of advocacy, activism and social movements, understand the legal and policy frameworks that shape social change, and develop effective communication skills to engage with different stakeholders. You will also examine the challenges and opportunities of working with diverse groups and the importance of cultural competency in advocacy and activism.

By the end of the module, you will have an understanding the processes involved in advocacy and activism and how they can influence social change.

This module will focus on family-centred practice in diverse contexts. To set the scene you will explore what a family is.

You will look at traditional and more recent family structures and investigate why these changes have occurred both nationally and globally. A range of traditional and modern parenting styles will be discussed and how these approaches can influence family dynamics. International and national policy will be considered and how this can impact on family-centred practice.

You will contemplate what we mean by a diverse context and explore the challenges that families may face. A number of different factors that can also affect families will be analysed to support you in your practice on placement. Relevant theory and research will underpin your analysis.

Reflective practice is essential for those working as interdisciplinary practitioners within education, health, and social work. As interdisciplinary working becomes more common, finding shared ways of reflection on practice is becoming more and more important. You will develop your understanding of theories of reflective practice and be able to relate these to your work experience within an interprofessional context.

You will deepen your understanding of how an ability to reflect on our own experiences is an important tool for development of understanding of self in the context of experience, which can lead to improvement in practice or a transfer of excellence in one area to another thereby improving your professional practice.

You will be supported to develop your ability to recognise and reflect on development opportunities in practice which will be a vital transferable skill throughout your future career. To successfully complete this module, you will need to have undertaken work experience in an area that is relevant to interprofessional working.

This module aims to critically examine and challenge the colonial legacies embedded within children, young people, and family work. It focuses on decolonising practices, reclaiming marginalised voices, and empowering communities.

Students will explore the historical and cultural contexts that have shaped traditional approaches in these fields and develop a deep understanding of the impact of colonisation on the lived experiences of children, young people, and families. Through engaging with diverse perspectives and alternative frameworks, students will learn to apply decolonising principles and practices in their work, fostering inclusive and empowering environments.

This module focuses on equipping students with the necessary skills to provide effective support and promote emotional wellbeing among children, young people, and families. Students will explore various techniques and approaches to enhance emotional wellbeing, develop a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by these populations, and gain practical skills to support individuals and families in managing their emotional health.

The module emphasises the importance of creating a supportive and empowering environment, fostering resilience, and collaborating with families and professionals to maximise positive outcomes.

This module will explore the theoretical and practical aspects of anti-racist practice within the context of childhood, youth, and community work. The module will examine the impact of systemic racism on young people and communities, and critically evaluate the role of practitioners in promoting social justice and equality.

Students will develop a critical understanding of the complexities of race and racism and will explore strategies for addressing racism in their practice. The module will also focus on the development of inclusive and anti-oppressive practice and will examine the challenges of working with diverse communities.

Professional placement is an integral part of your undergraduate degree. The purpose of the professional placement allows you to see how the theory is put into practice and at level 6 to put the theory into practice yourself to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market within an interdisciplinary professional context.

Furthermore, by completing the professional placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect on your own professional skills development within the workplace. You will benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance. The module is assessed via a portfolio of work to document and evidence your experience throughout the placement. The credits awarded following successful completion of the professional placement module will count towards the classification of the final award.

Formative feedback will be provided on at least one occasion prior to the final submission of the portfolio where a submission of your portfolio will be reviewed. The portfolio submission will include a poster or reflective artefact to enable you to evaluate concisely your professional journey and the graduate attributes you have gained throughout the placement experience. You will be expected to reflect on your current skills, behaviours, and attitudes within a professional environment and demonstrate how the professional placement has served to enhance these.