Habilitation Work – Working with Children and Young People – Top Up Degree - BSc (Hons)

Habilitation workers are specialists in the practical and emotional aspects of visual impairment for children and young people. This BSc (Hons) Habilitation Work course is designed to provide rehabilitation workers with the knowledge and skills to enable children and young people to become as independent as possible, in relation to practical life skills.

Birmingham City University is currently the only university to offer a Habilitation programme to qualified Rehabilitation Workers in the United Kingdom.

What's covered in the course?

Working with children and young people differs greatly from working with adults with a visual impairment, as they are generally learning skills for the first time, not re-learning a task that they already know and understand.

You will explore key issues of child development, in relation to understanding the medical and functional implications of children growing up with a visual impairment.

The course is a blend of face-to-face teaching, supported with considerable interactive online materials and resources through the Universities Virtual Learning Environment - Moodle. Practice competencies will need to be demonstrated through a dedicated 20 day habilitation practice placement.

Executive members of Habilitation VI UK have been involved with the design and writing of the programme and they will deliver the majority of face-to-face lectures.

Skills and simulation workshops will encourage you to consider key issues when working in habilitation work practice, and we can offer you a wide range of placement opportunities in a large number of educational settings who support children and young people with a visual impairment.

Successful completion of this qualification (together with your original Rehabilitation Work qualification) will enable you to apply for registration with Habilitation VI UK as a registered qualified specialist Habilitation Practitioner. This will also provide you with dual qualification status and the ability to work with individuals of all ages.

Why Choose Us?

• We are currently the only university to offer a BSc (Hons) Habilitation Work programme to qualified Rehabilitation Workers
• This course has been running for over 20 years’ – we are highly experienced in providing training for rehabilitation workers
• Your employability will be enhanced within your individual work setting
• The curriculum has been designed with the National Quality Standards for the Delivery of Habilitation Training (Mobility and Independent Living Skills) for Children and Young People with Visual Impairment
• The course is delivered by professional tutors who are rehabilitation and habilitation specialists
• Lectures and seminars will be carried out in our brand new £41 million City South Campus
• You will also learn from visiting lecturers who are nationally recognised for their expertise and specialist lecturers from a variety of professions, for example, optometry
• Part of the course is delivered in a real-life setting at a school, where you will observe/work with children with a visual impairment

Where will I study?

You will be based at our brand new £41 million City South Campus in Edgbaston, located just five minutes from Birmingham City Centre. Here you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities such as a skills rooms and training kitchen, to support your developing and understanding of the subject.

There will be opportunities to observe practice and work with children with severe visual impairment at a local school.

Applications to study on the BSc (Hons) top-up course will be made directly to the admissions team. The course starts in February each year and applications will be accepted continually. Applications will be reviewed at the end of each calendar month and applicants will subsequently be contacted by the admissions tutor. Applicants wishing to apply for individual modules will complete the same process.

UK students

For those students who do not hold one of the above but have evidence of a level 4 certificate: for example,

• Rehabilitation Officer Certificate
• Mobility Instructor and Technical Officer Certificates

These candidates will be required to submit a CPD portfolio (worth up to 60 credits) and successfully complete the level 5 (15 credit) module ‘APL/Advanced Writing Skills’ module with an associated profile of experiential learning worth up to 45 credits in advance of an offer being made.

All prospective candidates should have good working knowledge of Grade 2 Braille (equivalent of Lesson 22 in the RNIB Braille Primer).

Students who need to upgrade their Braille knowledge to encompass Unified English Braille will find supportive learning and teaching resources available on the Birmingham City University Moodle pages.

Additional programme requirements

Portfolio Guidance

You can apply directly to join this course using the University online application link.

Successful applications will lead to an interview. These can be conducted via telephone although we recommend that you visit the campus.

To support your application and your prospects for being successful at selection please consider the following suggestions: 

• Consider carefully how you will be able to commit to the course especially if you are in full time employment. You will need to consider course attendance, practice placements and observational days, independent study and your other life commitments.
•  Observe a habilitation Worker (Visual Impairment) in your local area to learn more about the profession.      
• Read more about the profession, for example, use web searches.

Application process

Applications to study on the BSc (Hons) top-up course will be made directly to the admissions team. The course starts in February each year and applications will be accepted continually. Applications will be reviewed at the end of each calendar month and applicants will subsequently be contacted by the admissions tutor. Applicants wishing to apply for individual modules will complete the same process.

Applicant visit days or telephone meetings will be offered to prospective applicants. These sessions will provide the opportunity to visit the Faculty, engage in talks about the content and delivery of the course and meet with tutors. 

Please apply directly to the University.

Download the following documents to apply online:

• Application form
• Guidance for applicants
• Reference form
• Accreditation of Prior Achievement information

Tel: +44 (0) 121 331 5500
Email: AlliedHealth.admissions@bcu.ac.uk

Additional costs

The following expenses may be incurred depending on your individual circumstances:

• Cost of travel to and from University when attending block learning weeks.
• Cost of hotel accommodation attending University for block learning weeks.
• During attendance at University for block learning weeks you will need to purchase meals and refreshments.
• Specialist equipment will be available for practice during your block learning weeks within our specialist resource rooms. It may be useful for you to have some equipment for your personal practice such as a long white mobility cane.
• One of the course modules includes days to be spent at a local school where you will observe and work with children with a visual impairment. You would need to cover the costs of travel to and from the school.
• The books on the reading list are available at our library and some of you will find it beneficial to purchase your own copy for reference.
• Practice placements and observational days will require you to pay travel and any other expenses. 

All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.

Find additional costs for your course

The course is a blend of face to face teaching blocks, independent study and work-based learning placements.

• Face to face teaching blocks
• Independent study
• Practice placements and observational days
• Assessment

Face to face teaching blocks

Teaching is organised into four week-long blocks for the full time course option and two weeks per year for the two year part time option. These intensive Group Learning weeks (GL weeks) give you the advantage of uninterrupted training in a convenient form. This allows you to travel to Birmingham from all over the UK to attend teaching weeks. During these weeks many students stay in local hotel accommodation.

There will be interactive classroom based lectures, group discussions, debates and presentations that may range from the application of theoretical concepts to the study of practical habilitation programmes. Due to the nature of the role, you will experience many practical teaching sessions through simulation activities in order to ensure that you are adequately prepared for practice.

In addition, during these weeks, you’ll have the chance to take part in the following activities:

• Skills practice time in our resource rooms and training kitchens.
• Group sessions.
• One to one tutorials.
• Library research sessions.
• IT support and training.
• Support with academic writing.

The part time study route is recommended for individuals in full time employment.

Independent study

When away from University, we recommend you have at least one or two study days per week. This is to allow dedicated time for independent study and observation of practice days.

All the course and module information can be accessed and downloaded from our virtual learning environment called, Moodle.  Moodle is updated with useful information, key resources, assessment briefs and forthcoming teaching resources. You can interact with other students via online forums to discuss module content and to ask general questions to course tutors. Your assignments will also be submitted through Moodle.

Practice placements and observational days

You will complete a 20 practice placement days towards the end of your course. This is so that you can demonstrate your competence in delivering Habilitation services of a high standard.

Throughout the course you will also complete 10 observations of practice days. This is the opportunity to shadow and learn from experienced practitioners who are delivering a range of different service for children and young people with a visual impairment.

Assessment

You will be provided with detailed assessment instructions through dedicated face-to-face assessment briefing sessions and written assessment documents.

The course team use a broad mix of assessment methods to reflect the types of work students will be doing in practice. These include:

• Written assignments
• Placement portfolios
• Viva voce (oral question and answer exams)
• Case study analysis
• Presentations

Accreditation or professional associations

Successful completion of this course enables you to apply for Qualified Habilitation Specialist   status through Habilitation VI UK (Formerly Mobility and Independence Specialists in Education – the voluntary professional body)

The course is recognised by the Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network (RWPN). You will be given free membership of this organisation whilst you are studying on the course. This will allow you access to their online resources and a discounted entrance fee for the Birmingham City University and RWPN national conference.

Placements

Ten days of observations of practice and the final placement are crucial aspects of the course. Observational days enable you to observe and learn from a wide range of experts who provide children and young people services. These might include habilitation workers, qualified teachers for the visually impaired and optometrists. These days are threaded throughout the course.

The practice placement is for twenty days towards the end of the course. You will be linked with a school or specialist team to deliver habilitation services. You will have a mentor from the service provider and support from the habilitation team at BCU. Placements are the opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and skills. They are the perfect way to demonstrate your fitness for practice.

More about our placement opportunities...

OpportUNIty

OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.

It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.