Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2011/12 |
|
 Credits:
| 12 |
| Level:
| Intermediate (FHEQ level 5) |
| Period: |
Semester 2 |
| Assessment:
| CW 70%, EX 30% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| After taking this unit you must take SP30029. This unit is only available to students on the BSc Social Work & Applied Social Studies and the BSc Applied Social Studies. |
| Description:
| Aims: To provide students with a broad understanding of major child care research and policy developments and their implications for practice, within the context of the new sociology of childhood and the family. To provide knowledge about the significance of legislative frameworks governing work with children and families and the effects on social work practice and provision. To learn about the relationship between law, practice and people's lives. To develop the skills and knowledge to work effectively with the law to promote people's safety, well-being and rights. To equip them with knowledge of child development and child observation. To develop their knowledge and skills for social work practice with children and their families in a range of settings and across professional boundaries and disciplines. Learning Outcomes: After completing the unit, students should have a knowledge and understanding of: * The key elements of the new sociology of childhood and the sociology of the family and their importance in understanding the present context of child care practice; * Recent developments in child care policy, practice, research and law in England and the relationship between them; * Theories of child development and how to apply this knowledge in the context of child observation; * The legal framework and service delivery standards, including the nature of legal authority, the application of legislation in practice, statutory accountability and tensions between statute, policy and practice; * The key areas of legislation for statutory social work in the child care field; * The legal framework and professional boundaries that regulate practice and provision in relation to children and families; * Skills and knowledge to undertake assessments of children and their parents' capacity to meet those needs (including parents affected by mental health issues, substance misuse and/or domestic violence); * Skills and knowledge for working in partnership. Skills: After completing the unit, students should have the INTELLECTUAL/KEY SKILLS to: * Reflect upon their own academic and professional performance and take responsibility for personal and professional learning and development(facilitated). * Develop critical, analytical problem-based learning skills and the transferable skills to prepare the student for graduate employment (facilitated and assessed); * Gather information, data, research and literature from a number of different sources (taught, facilitated and assessed); * Select appropriate and relevant information from a wide source and large body of knowledge (facilitated and assessed); * Synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding (facilitated and assessed); * Utilise problem solving skills (assessed); * Explore a variety of relationships and environments relevant to learning and practising within the context of the social work degree (facilitated and taught); * Study and learning skills (facilitated); * Revision and examination skills (facilitated and taught); Students should also have the PROFESSIONAL/PRACTICAL SKILLS to: * Synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding of child care research, policy, law and practice (facilitated and assessed). * Develop a knowledge of legislative and policy frameworks and the effects on social work practice (taught, facilitated and assessed) * Critically evaluate and assess child care research and evidence as well as a variety of other information, such as child development and attachment theory, child care policy and guidance (taught, facilitated and assessed). * Use research evidence to inform their practice (facilitated and assessed) * Apply their knowledge of attachment theory and child development to undertake assessments of the needs of children and their parents' capacity to meet those needs (taught, facilitated and assessed). * Work in partnership with children, parents,, carers and other professionals, including those from different disciplines (taught and assessed) * Reflect upon their own academic and professional performance and take responsibility for personal and professional learning and development (facilitated). Content: Introduction to the unit, Introduction to law, Sociology of childhood , Sociology of the family, Family policy, The policy child, Introduction to research, Research seminar/exercise, Child observation, Child development, Attachment theory , Skills for working with children, Children Acts 1989 & 2004, Children in need (s.17) & s.47 investigations, Assessments & assessment skills , Partnership working , Parental capacity, mental health and young carers, Impact of domestic violence and the law , Substance misuse and parental capacity. |
| Programme availability: |
SP20246 is a Designated Essential Unit on the following programmes:Department of Social & Policy Sciences
SP20246 is Compulsory on the following programmes:Department of Social & Policy Sciences
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