FdA Working with Children, Young People and Families

Course Details

What will I Study?

Year 1 Modules 

 

Personal, Professional and Academic Development 
This module develops your knowledge and understanding of the personal, professional and academic development required to work with children, young people and families.  

 

You’ll study topics such as:   
Study skills   
Academic and reflective writing  
Delivering presentations   
Referencing   
Self-assessment and action planning   
Evidence-based practice   
Literature searching   
Exploring evidence critically  
Research processes 

 

Preparing for Practice with CYPF 
This skills-focused module equips you with a range of skills and knowledge to help you work effectively in a range of settings, supporting work with children, young people and families. Each weekly session on campus will be supported with a PowerPoint presentation and a range of pre and post-session activities - including videos, reading materials and individual and group tasks.  

 

You’ll study topics such as:  
Communication and engagement  
Professional boundaries and expectations  
Becoming a reflective practitioner  
Self-awareness and self-assessment  
Professional resilience and wellbeing   
Planning, preparing and delivering activities   
Teamwork and collaborative practice 

 

Child Development 
This module helps you understand key areas of key child development. You’ll apply current knowledge and research of this subject to practice with children, young people and families.  

 

You’ll study topics such as:  

Key theories and concepts in child development  
Aspects of development   
Adolescence  
Child well-being and mental health   
Low mood, anxiety, self-harm and drug misuse  
Observation and assessment   
Diversity and inclusion in childhood   
Atypical development  
Current issues and debates 

 

CYPF Practice 1 
This module develops and demonstrates key competencies for safe and effective practice with children, young people and families. You’ll undertake a minimum of 200 hours of assessed practice in a professional CYPF workplace.  

 

You’ll apply your learning and skills to:   

Induction and training  
Supervision and reflection   
Professional behaviour, ethics and values  
Evidence-based practice, theory and research application  
Legal and policy frameworks in practice  
Communication and engagement  
Person-centred approaches 

 

Safeguarding Children, Young People and Families 
This module develops your awareness, knowledge and skills in relation to safeguarding and protecting children, young people and their families.  

 

You’ll study topics such as:   

The background and context of safeguarding and child protection in the UK  
The four categories of abuse and how to recognise them   
Contextual safeguarding: assessment of risk outside the home   
Observation and assessment  
Thresholds for intervention   
Safeguarding and child protection policy and legislation   
Collaborative practice and effective information sharing   
Case studies, practice examples and scenarios 

 

Year 2 Modules: 

 

Advancing Practice with CYPF 
This module further develops your competence, skills and knowledge in working with children, young people and families in a range of multi-agency settings  

 

You’ll study topics such as:  

Knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and practice guidance  
Collaborative practice with service users and carers  
Effective multi-agency working skills  
Professional resilience and wellbeing  
Reflection, ethics and values in practice  
Conflict behaviour and management  
Skills in communicating in challenging situations  
Chairing meetings  
Professional development and responsibilities 

 

CYPF Practice 2 
This module builds on your Children, Young People & Families Practice 1 experiences to further develop and demonstrate a range of skills and competencies for effective practice in the children, young people and families workplace. You’ll undertake a minimum of 200 hours of assessed practice in a professional CYPF workplace.  

 

You’ll apply learning and skills such as:   

Induction and training relevant to setting  
Supervision and reflection   
Professional behaviour, ethics and values  
Evidence-based practice, theory and research application  
Legal and policy frameworks in practice  
Communication and engagement  
Person-centred approaches 

 

Theory and Practice of Parenting 
This module develops your skills and knowledge for working with families in a 

prevention or early intervention setting to develop parenting capacity.  

 

You’ll study topics such as:  

Theories and strategies for improving behaviour   
High-risk parenting situations   
Parenting teenagers   
Parenting in challenging circumstances   
Mental health, learning difficulties, substance misuse and parenting  
Assessing parenting capacity   
Planning and evaluating parenting interventions 

 

Refugees and Migrant Families 
This module develops your skills and knowledge in working with children, young people and families from refugee and migrant backgrounds.  

 

You’ll study topics such as:  

Global and national perspectives  
Impact and outcomes   
Interventions and approaches  
Child and family experiences of trauma  
Trafficking  
The refugee journey  
Safeguarding refugee and migrant children 

 

Research for Practice 
This module develops your understanding of research skills and the applicability of research to children, young people and families practice.  

 

You’ll study topics such as:  

Research approaches, methods and tools  
Understanding research literature  
Conducting literature searches  
Research ethics  
Evidence-based practice  
Evaluating literature 
Current research

How Will I Be Assessed?

Coursework including essays and presentations. 

Placement and Work Experience

Work placements take place alongside teaching sessions. You will learn from two 200-hour placements in a setting with children, young people and families. These will take place in a range of settings, reflecting the different contexts and communities in which services are currently delivered. This will enable you to develop your skills and confidence in practice, as well as enhance your resilience, integrity, creativity and curiosity as a developing professional. 

What could this course lead to?

Graduates of this course can work in educational settings (schools, colleges, PRUs), social care and health settings (local authority and voluntary sector), family support and early intervention (local authority and voluntary sector, community development and outreach. 

On graduating from the FdA students are able to progress onto the BA (Hons) Top Up Working with Children, Young People and Families. 

Delivery method

Face-to-face via lectures, seminars and tutorials. 

Entry Requirements

64 UCAS points, with at least 24 points from an A level or equivalent BTEC National qualification. For example: 

  • CC at A Level 

  • MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma 

  • Pass with D or E from a T level qualification with extra from core   

  • A combination of qualifications, which may include AS Levels, EPQ and general studies 

 

Or 

 

Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE courses in social science, health studies, health science, nursing or another relevant course. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at Level 3. 

 

Other equivalent qualifications are considered individually. 

 

And 

 

GCSEs in Maths and English (Language or Literature) at grade C or 4 or equivalents. 

 

And 

 

Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.  

 

Attend interview as required. 

How to Apply

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  • •Cost per year: £8,500 
  • •Additional costs: Travel costs to and from professional placement locations.  Cost of DBS.  
  • •Location: Rochdale Road Campus
  • •Awarding body: Sheffield Hallam University 
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