Course summary

The BA (Hons) Child & Youth Support Studies Top Up is designed to provide a comprehensive course that helps students critically analyse various aspects of children’s lives such as sociological factors, legislative changes, and social care interventions that impact the lives of children 0 -19 years and their families. The programme aims to deepen understanding of key concepts and practices within the children and family sector, equipping students with advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to enable them to effectively support children, young people, and their families. To achieve this, the course includes key modules that will foster leadership skills for managing teams and projects within the workplace, adhering to ethical and legal practices, especially for safeguarding children and their families. It will train students skills in solution-focused approaches using goal-oriented interventions to address challenges children and their families face and will provide in-depth knowledge of youth work and youth justice principles and practice focusing on engagement, advocacy, and support strategies for working specifically with young people. The programme aims were designed in consultation with employers and professionals from within the children and young people sector to make this programme fit for purpose. The modules and assessments are designed in a way that advances subject knowledge and prepares the students for critical thinking about literature, theory, and application to practice. The Action Research module incorporates professional practice hours that are integral in allowing students to align assessments to their own areas of practice, influencing and assessing outcomes for children and young people. Students will develop solid research skills that will enable them to plan and create new or improved practice, effectively becoming change agents within their placement. This will allow them to gain transferable knowledge and skills for their future career. Critical thinking and reflective practice underpin all areas of the programme to ensure students can critically reflect on their own practice and that of their organisation, enabling continued professional development. The programme aims to: • Develop students’ ability to be proactive, flexible, and adaptable in the face of changes in social policy, the law, and organisational structures. • Develop students’ ability to be self-evaluative and self-critical and take responsibility for their own personal and professional development. • Develop students’ ability to be articulate about and act upon professional values, including a commitment to tackling discrimination and oppression in practice. • Develop students’ ability to analyse and utilise a wide range of practice methods and models to work across the child and youth support sector including supervision and leadership to effect change in practice.