Safeguarding MSc - Module / MSc / PgCert / PgDip
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This exciting programme enables multi-agency professionals to learn in a lively and dynamic environment, to advance safeguarding knowledge and skills. The aim of this course is to bring real and positive change to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults, through developing personal, professional and organisational capacity to evaluate wide-ranging interventions in diverse contexts.
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Part Time
- Award Module / MSc / PgCert / PgDip
- Start date September 2025, January 2026, April 2026
- Fees View course fees
- Subjects
- Location Online Learning
This course is:
Overview
This exciting programme enables multi-agency professionals to learn in a lively and dynamic environment, to advance safeguarding knowledge and skills. The aim of this course is to bring real and positive change to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults, through developing personal, professional and organisational capacity to evaluate wide-ranging interventions in diverse contexts.
What's covered in this course?
On this course, you will gain in-depth knowledge and critical awareness of the legal, ethical, and practice issues which underpin safeguarding practice for children, young people and adults across the life-cycle. You will develop critical leadership and research skills, helping you to analyse and apply a range of safeguarding theories to protect and support people in diverse settings and contexts.
You will explore topics such as:
- The legal, ethical and professional practice issues surrounding safeguarding
- Contemporary themes and key issues within the current safeguarding agenda
- Vulnerabilities, thresholds and risk assessment within safeguarding vulnerable people
- Complex multi-agency safeguarding casework and interventions including socio-economic influences, resilience, and the complexities of working with a culturally diverse community
- Findings and learning from research, serious case reviews, rapid reviews, SARs (Safeguarding Adults Review), inquiries, reports and literature applied to theory and practice
- Theories, styles, principles and processes of leadership that impact upon safeguarding
Why Choose Us?
- The first established Master’s programme in the West Midlands to equip/develop staff in multi-agency safeguarding context.
- We foster close partnership working with one of the largest community NHS Trusts and with independent, charitable and other public sector service providers.
- The course is led by highly experienced academics and practitioners, who can help you to advance your professional goals.
- The course meets Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements to develop a multi-agency and a research-informed, skilled safeguarding workforce.
- Our graduates develop and sustain new safeguarding roles in health, education, criminal justice, and the independent sector.
- You will study in a cross-disciplinary manner, benefiting from our expertise in a range of areas - including health, education and social work.
- You will explore significant safeguarding issues identified and addressed by multi-agency experts in the region and beyond, showcasing lessons learned for best practice.
OPEN DAY
Join us for a Virtual Open Event where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, meet our subject academics and learn more about postgraduate finance, all from the comfort of your own home.
Next Event: 5 February 2025
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
UK students
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You will need evidence of successful completion of accredited Level 6 study (Degree) or evidence of recent Level 6 study. If you have not studied to level 6 but would benefit from the course and modules you may still apply, as individual applications will be considered on a case by case basis. You may also have completed complex studies equivalent to level 6 study. You may require your manager’s support and funding evidence before enrolment onto the course. You may need 'Recognition of Prior Learning'. (RPL) is the process through which students can be admitted with credit to BCU postgraduate courses through the formal recognition of prior certificated learning (RPCL) or prior experiential learning (RPEL). Students seeking admission with prior learning based on RPCL or RPEL should contact the course lead in advance. RPL only takes place prior to entry. |
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: Module
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway:
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 9 months
- £860 per 20 credit module
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway:
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 3 years
- £860 per 20 credit module
Award: PgCert
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway:
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 1 year
- £860 per 20 credit module
Award: PgDip
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway:
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 2 years
- £860 per 20 credit module
Award: Module
Starting: Apr 2026
Pathway: Safeguarding Vulnerable People
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 9 months
- £860 per 20 credit module
Award: Module
Starting: Jan 2026
Pathway: Safeguarding: Beyond Recognition
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 9 months
- £860 per 20 credit module
Award: Module
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Safeguarding: Contemporary Issues in Safeguarding
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 9 months
- £860 per 20 credit module
Award: Module
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Safeguarding: Law, Ethics and Professional Practice
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 9 months
- £860 per 20 credit module
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
PG Cert
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 60 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of addressing key contemporary safeguarding issues.
This module aims to facilitate your advanced learning and critical appraisal of contemporary safeguarding issues, and analyse how statutory and non-statutory agencies and services can work together to safeguard adults, children and vulnerable young people. It considers current safeguarding topics which have attracted high media attention and examines different agency interventions, good practice and failings, and how this knowledge can be applied to learning lessons for the future and to current best safeguarding practice.
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of understanding and analysing working with multi-complex safeguarding cases and the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of people.
This module aims to equip you with an in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness when working with complex safeguarding cases. It aims to stretch your thinking and analysis of safeguarding practice beyond your knowledge of basic ‘recognition and referral’ in safeguarding work.
This module feeds into the MSc Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of examining the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of people and accumulative risks.
This module is designed to help you become a knowledgeable and skilled practitioner who is confident to carry out your specific responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable people within your role. The module examines the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of adults, young people & children including accumulative risks with an emphasis on key known vulnerabilities.
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of equipping you with an up to date, in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the legal, ethical, and practice issues which underpin practice in both adult, young people and child safeguarding.
This module aims to facilitate your open and transparent critical appraisal of the legal, ethical and professional practice issues and frameworks surrounding the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, young people and children. It provides you with the opportunity to consider the safeguarding legalities and processes, and critically evaluate how legal and statutory interventions protect vulnerable people from harm.
PG Dip
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of addressing key contemporary safeguarding issues.
This module aims to facilitate your advanced learning and critical appraisal of contemporary safeguarding issues, and analyse how statutory and non-statutory agencies and services can work together to safeguard adults, children and vulnerable young people. It considers current safeguarding topics which have attracted high media attention and examines different agency interventions, good practice and failings, and how this knowledge can be applied to learning lessons for the future and to current best safeguarding practice.
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of understanding and analysing working with multi-complex safeguarding cases and the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of people.
This module aims to equip you with an in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness when working with complex safeguarding cases. It aims to stretch your thinking and analysis of safeguarding practice beyond your knowledge of basic ‘recognition and referral’ in safeguarding work.
This module feeds into the MSc Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of examining the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of people and accumulative risks.
This module is designed to help you become a knowledgeable and skilled practitioner who is confident to carry out your specific responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable people within your role. The module examines the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of adults, young people & children including accumulative risks with an emphasis on key known vulnerabilities.
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of equipping you with an up to date, in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the legal, ethical, and practice issues which underpin practice in both adult, young people and child safeguarding.
This module aims to facilitate your open and transparent critical appraisal of the legal, ethical and professional practice issues and frameworks surrounding the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, young people and children. It provides you with the opportunity to consider the safeguarding legalities and processes, and critically evaluate how legal and statutory interventions protect vulnerable people from harm.
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 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.
MSc
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of addressing key contemporary safeguarding issues.
This module aims to facilitate your advanced learning and critical appraisal of contemporary safeguarding issues, and analyse how statutory and non-statutory agencies and services can work together to safeguard adults, children and vulnerable young people. It considers current safeguarding topics which have attracted high media attention and examines different agency interventions, good practice and failings, and how this knowledge can be applied to learning lessons for the future and to current best safeguarding practice.
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of understanding and analysing working with multi-complex safeguarding cases and the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of people.
This module aims to equip you with an in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness when working with complex safeguarding cases. It aims to stretch your thinking and analysis of safeguarding practice beyond your knowledge of basic ‘recognition and referral’ in safeguarding work.
This module feeds into the MSc Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of examining the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of people and accumulative risks.
This module is designed to help you become a knowledgeable and skilled practitioner who is confident to carry out your specific responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable people within your role. The module examines the wider complexities and socio-economic factors and dynamics which impact on the safeguarding of adults, young people & children including accumulative risks with an emphasis on key known vulnerabilities.
This module feeds into the MSc in Safeguarding programme philosophy aim of equipping you with an up to date, in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the legal, ethical, and practice issues which underpin practice in both adult, young people and child safeguarding.
This module aims to facilitate your open and transparent critical appraisal of the legal, ethical and professional practice issues and frameworks surrounding the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, young people and children. It provides you with the opportunity to consider the safeguarding legalities and processes, and critically evaluate how legal and statutory interventions protect vulnerable people from harm.
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 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 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.
Course aims
This course is designed for multi-disciplinary professionals from social care, health, police, education, voluntary and charitable organisations, private hospitals and other organisations with an interest in safeguarding children, young people and adults.
Safeguarding is a rapidly changing and multi-complex area of practice which attracts continual media interest and attention. It is underpinned by a plethora of legislation and guidance which can often leave professionals both bewildered and overwhelmed and is one of the main focus areas for the inspection of services and organisations. This programme aims to equip you with an up to date, in-depth knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the legal, ethical, and practice issues which underpin practice in both adult, young people and child safeguarding, while critically analysing the wider safeguarding agendas with an emphasis on applying theory and learning in order to enhance professional practice.
The course aims to combine learning in adult, young people and child safeguarding in each of the modules in order for practitioners to understand the intricate links between the vulnerabilities and outcomes of all people who require safeguarding interventions.
It aims to:
- Equip you with critical insight and understanding of key legal, ethical and professional issues which underpin safeguarding practice when working with vulnerable people.
- Bring multi-disciplinary practitioners together to acquire and share in-depth learning, knowledge and critical awareness of contemporary safeguarding issues which attract high levels of media attention and apply learning from research, reports and enquiries to practice.
- Facilitate joint learning and appraisal of how agencies can work together to meet the needs of multi-complex vulnerable people across differing cultures and diversities.
- Build on knowledge and critique the complex multi-faceted aspects of vulnerability in order to risk assess, and apply best practice in safeguarding vulnerable people.
- Develop and apply key learning from research, literature, reports, enquiries and serious case reviews and apply critical knowledge to practice areas.
- Enable analysis of, and critically apply sound leadership and research skills in safeguarding with an over-riding emphasis on multi-disciplinary learning and working.
Assessment breakdown
The modules are assessed via non-invigilated written assignments and invigilated assessments.
Employability
Enhancing your employability
This programme would meet CPD requirements for many staff across all agencies and contribute to a better informed workforce and ‘fill a gap’ in the adult educational market.
The programme fosters inter-agency working – a key safeguarding priority as well as giving students a formal qualification in Safeguarding, enabling them to demonstrate an ability to study safeguarding at Masters level.
This course will contribute to your employability for roles with an emphasis on safeguarding, for example lead roles for safeguarding within organisations as well as meeting CPD requirements for staff.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
Our Nursing and Midwifery courses are based at our City South campus in leafy Edgbaston.
We’ve spent £41million expanding our facilities at City South. These facilities offer hands-on practical experience, replicating the spaces you will come across in professional practice.
In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, we work hard to ensure that you learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. Alongside physical spaces such as a mock operating theatre and wards, we also make use of online and virtual technology, such as our virtual ward and virtual case creator.
See more of our skills facilities at City South
Centre for Skills and Simulation
The Centre for Skills and Simulation offers a range of different spaces which replicate situations that you will encounter in practice. These include hospital wards, an operating theatre and a home environment room.
Our mock wards enable you to get a feel of what a ward is really like before you head out for your first placement. The hospital wards can be adapted from low care to high dependency care environment with the necessary monitoring equipment.
The home environment room is the perfect space for teaching communications skills and allows us to simulate a community setting for our students. It is particularly useful for mental health nurses, learning disability nurses and midwives.
Simulation Manikins
We have several Simulation men (SIM men) and simulation babies (SIM babies) which are 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 manikins contain software which replicates real symptoms, and can manipulate indicators such as blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism. SIM man can even ‘talk’ to the students as they are treating him, to add another dimension to learning.
Computer Facilities
The Seacole building has two open-access IT Suites which offer PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. There is also an IT Helpdesk for quick and easy help with your computing or internet issues.
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.
In addition to desktop PCs, we also offer a laptop loan facility, allowing students to borrow a laptop for up to six hours while on campus.
Our staff
Melanie Mills
Senior Lecturer and Course Lead, MSc Safeguarding
Melanie is a registered social worker with over twenty years post-qualifying experience in an array of settings. Melanie brings her clinical knowledge and expertise to her role as course lead for MSc Safeguarding. She is passionate about generating enthusiasm and building on knowledge in the diverse field of safeguarding in order to improve the...
More about Melanie