Masters Degrees (Safeguarding)

This is currently the only master's course in the UK that covers the safeguarding of both children and adults. You'll gain a unique perspective on how to improve the lives of society's most vulnerable people and make a difference in cases of extreme, entrenched, or multi-generational abuse and neglect.

Visit the website: http://bucks.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/health-and-social-sciences/child-protection-and-adult-safeguarding-ft-1718

Is this course for me?

Our MSc Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding is now more relevant than ever, with recent changes in safeguarding legislation (i.e. the Care Act 2014), and the impact of high-profile enquiries, such as the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham and Child Sexual Abuse. Offered on a full-time or part-time basis, it's ideal for professionals who want to improve their knowledge and practice when working with vulnerable people.

This unique, multi-disciplinary programme attracts working professionals in a range of areas and roles. Our postgraduate students include social workers, nurses and midwives, early years professionals, police officers, and doctors who want to become experts in safeguarding.

The course also appeals to analytical people who enjoy problem solving and want to add to research in this vital area. We attract graduates from a range of disciplines including sociology, psychology and education. Your peers will help you develop a greater understanding of the challenges faced by the safeguarding system.

[What will this course cover?]]

Our teaching staff are experienced professionals and lead research in areas such as healthcare, social care, education and policing. As such, their teaching is wide-ranging and informed by best practice. We offer a wide range of optional modules including: disability, psychology, sociology, leadership/management, education, criminology and healthcare.

You can expect to:
• learn how to facilitate positive change and best practice in safeguarding
• learn the policy, research and practice settings for safeguarding work
• understand social behaviour and experience
• understand the social causes of abuse
• learn to identify risk indicators
• understand how to a be a socially responsible social scientist
• develop critical analysis skills.

The dissertation element of the programme may take the form of a work-based project, which will allow you to actively combine a critical theoretical analysis with reflective project work. This can also be an extended review of the literature on a particular topic.

Modules

• Applied Research Skills
• Data Analysis and Interpretation
• Postgraduate Dissertation
• Critical Practice in Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding

Attendance

You can take this course full-time or part-time. The part-time route is completed in 2 years, and the full-time route in 12 months. Part-time students will need to allow at least 10 hours a week for study outside of class, and 18 hours if you're studying full-time. The majority of classes are offered during one weekday afternoon and evening.

What are my career prospects?

Safeguarding children and adults is an extremely rewarding career that makes a big difference in the lives of society's most vulnerable members. When you graduate from this course, you will be able to advance your current career, change careers into a role more specifically focused on safeguarding. You'll also be in the position to pursue further academic research.

After completing this course, you can expect to work in roles of increasing seniority within your profession, or to work for local authority Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Adults Boards. NHS Trusts/CCGs, local authorities, voluntary/charities and schools have specific roles for those qualified in safeguarding.

Bucks graduates have gone on to roles including:
• Safeguarding Leads
• Local Authority Designated Officer
• Head of Safeguarding
• Policy Adviser (Skills for Care)
• NSPCC Research Officer
• Policy Advisor for NGOs.

Some of our graduates choose to continue their education by completing a PhD. Continuing your education gives you the opportunity to develop your skills further and research your area of interest.

How will you help me prepare for my future career?

The Safeguarding course will provide you with a strong skill set and the confidence to improve the quality of care and communication with vulnerable children and adults.

If you want to develop a career in safeguarding practice, this course will prepare you for job roles such as policy developer, researcher, team leader, programme manager or unit manager in the NHS, local government and charities.

How to apply

Apply here: http://bucks.ac.uk/applynow/

Funding

There are a range of funding opportunities for postgraduate students which include sponsorship, bursaries, scholarships and loans: http://bucks.ac.uk/fees_funding/postgraduate-masters-scholarships/

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The first course of its kind in the world, our Safeguarding in an International Context Master’s degree is ideal for agencies involved with the protection of people. Delivered completely by distance learning, you can study from home, making it accessible worldwide. Safeguarding children and safeguarding vulnerable adults are issues which involve multi-disciplinary, inter-agency working. Issues such as trafficking of people and international collaboration between agencies are high on the global agenda. International safeguarding involves a variety of topics that can be explored in this programme. As this course incorporates modules from a variety of Schools across the university, you’ll be able to follow a path which is of personal interest to you or will be of use in your area of employment.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSMENT

The course is delivered totally on-line. The UCLan library will give access to on-line books and journals. Each module will have dedicated Blackboard space.

Each module has an assessment. All assessments must be passed with a minimum mark of 50%.

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

-Accessible world-wide
-Study at home - totally distance learning
-Increase employability internationally
-Study in a truly multi-disciplinary environment

AIMS

-To promote the evolution of an safeguarding specialist who is adaptable and responsive in recognising international safeguarding issues.
-To promote the development of a safeguarding specialist, who is socio-politically aware of international safeguarding issues, has the values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, professional confidence and personal motivation commensurate with safeguarding practice.
-To support students to critically reflect and synthesise evidence-based outcomes to support effective problem-solving and decision-making skills within a multidisciplinary arena.
-To ensure that personal, professional and educational development needs are met through the provision of a range of learning opportunities informed by scholarship, professional activity, advances in technology and research.
-To promote independent, shared and autonomous learning.
-To promote students awareness of global issues in safeguarding

FURTHER INFORMATION

The course can be undertaken over 2-5 years, exiting with a Master of Science (180 credits). It consists of some core modules, which have to be taken by each student. These include a research module and an introductory module in either safeguarding children or safeguarding vulnerable adults in an international context. Students will also undertake either a dissertation or a psychology project in their final year. These modules equate to 100 credits. There will, therefore, be 80 credits of option modules, depending on the students area of interest. If students do not wish to progress to a Masters Degree, there will be exit awards available: Certificate (60 credits) or Diploma (120 credits).

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Overview

The School of Law offers a new Masters Degree Programme for social, legal, police, healthcare and other professionals working with adults. The course is specially designed so that it may be taken by those who are in full-time employment.

The central aims of the course are to update and enhance knowledge of relevant law and research literature and to provide an opportunity for experienced practitioners to further develop and critically reflect upon their skills, as applied to safeguarding adults in a variety of settings.

It aims to promote anti-discriminatory practice, inter-agency understanding and interdisciplinary working. The course also aims to develop research and analytical skills and to provide a foundation for pursuing further study at doctoral level.

It is an interdisciplinary course comprising contributions from law, policy, practice and health. As part of the School of Law, the Centre for Professional Ethics (PEAK) will make an essential contribution to the course. Safeguarding adults work engages with a multitude of ethical dilemmas and understanding of key concepts such as ‘autonomy’ from a legal and ethical perspective are an essential theoretical underpinning to understanding of safeguarding and for competent professional practice

See the website https://www.keele.ac.uk/pgtcourses/safeguardingadultslawpolicyandpractice/

Course Aims

The aims of this programme are to introduce key principles of interdisciplinary, socio-legal research methods and scholarship, facilitate the development of higher-level critical analysis, and develop the students’ capacity for original thinking in relation to the complex issues arising in socio-legal scholarship. More specifically, the programme aims to:

- Develop a practical and theoretical understanding of safeguarding adults

- Develop a critical awareness of the social and political contexts in which law and practice is located

- Develop a critical perspective in the assessment and evaluation of research, law scholarship, policy and practice in adult safeguarding

- Develop critical and analytical skills in order to interrogate practical legal problems and to justify decisions

- Develop the ability to work independently in a coherent, focused and productive way.

- Encourage interdisciplinarity via the student experience - inter professional student groups, learning and teaching provided by a range of academics, professionals and policy makers.

Course Content

The programme is structured in a way that allows students to maintain full-time employment whilst studying, with teaching for each module taking place over an intensive 3-day period.

Students may choose to study from one to five modules per year and may complete the entire programme in one year or up to five years, depending on their preference and external commitments.

To achieve the MA students will study four taught modules followed by a dissertation module. As an alternative, it is possible to exit the course with a Postgraduate Certificate (on satisfactory completion of 2 taught modules) or a Postgraduate Diploma (on satisfactory completion of 4 taught modules). A student must complete all four taught modules before proceeding to the dissertation module.

These modules provide a foundation for the understanding of and critical engagement with safeguarding. They also introduce students to the research skills and critical analysis necessary for the successful completion of a Masters programme, with a particular focus on interdisciplinary socio-legal research methods.

Teaching & Assessment

Assessment is based on coursework and a dissertation. There are no exams. Assessment of each taught module is by written assignment of about 5,000 words each. A choice of essay titles is provided for each block. In the research year the emphasis is on independent research – there is a research methods assignment of 2,000 words formatively assessed and a dissertation of between 15,000 and 20,000 words. The pass mark for all assessments is 50%.
The modules are taught through 20 hours of contact time, delivered as an intensive three-day block of teaching.

During the module, students will take part in tutor-led seminars and discussions, small group exercises, and case studies. Each module is accompanied by extensive independent study and throughout the course students are encouraged and required to undertake independent reading to both supplement and consolidate the classes and to broaden individual knowledge and understanding of the subject.

All students receive initial guidance on how to identify, locate and use materials available in libraries and elsewhere (including electronic sources). Guidelines are provided for the production of coursework assignments and dissertations and these are reinforced by seminars and individual supervision, which focus specifically on essay planning and writing, and research methodology. Detailed written and, if requested, oral feedback is provided on all course work. There is also time set aside during each module and outside the modules for students to consult individually with teaching staff and receive guidance and feedback on assessment and module performance.

While away from Keele, between teaching blocks, students will benefit from directed reading, additional resources posted on the KLE together with a KLE based discussion page for ‘virtual’ interaction between students.

Additional Costs

Modules across the programme will include recommended core and supplemental texts. Costs will vary depending on the particular text (Law textbooks vary between £20-40).

Apart from additional costs for text books, inter-library loans and potential overdue library fines we do not anticipate any additional costs for this post graduate programme.

Find information on Scholarships here - http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding/bursariesscholarships/

What the students say

'Variety of subjects covered, excellent contributions from colleagues, interesting guest speakers, very professional co-ordination'

'This was a well put together MA, the combination of elements, ethics, law, social policy etc was such a strength- I know I have gained so much from the first year professionally and personally'

'Thoroughly enjoyed the course and found it highly relevant to my area of practice'

'I am very proud to be in the first cohort of the first MA of its kind in England'

'Course content useful and very interesting, excellent handouts. Again lecture vs discussion good and the knowledge within the group assisted with learning'

'Great to examine and learn how to start critically analysing policy and again see how it links with legislation and practice'

'There has been some utterly fascinating discussion and debate, sharing practice experiences that I have totally enjoyed'

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Do you want to improve the delivery of a joined up approach to Safeguarding Adults? Developed in partnership with employers and stakeholders, this course blends practice experience across a range of professions with academic knowledge. Designed with an inter-professional approach to learning, this course will enhance your professional practice, helping you to develop integration in organisational and practice settings to protect those most vulnerable and at risk of abuse and neglect in society.

Key features

-Study alongside an inter-professional range of health and social care practitioners and develop your understanding of other professional groups' perspectives on safeguarding adults.
-Informed and contemporary - this course has been developed in consultation with local employers and specialist practitioners in safeguarding.
-Develop and apply your critical reflection skills in risk and decision making and application of the law.
-Learn from a research active inter-disciplinary team with international, national and local profiles who will support you to develop your research.
-Benefit from an assessment strategy which blends practice experience and knowledge.
-Make use of blended learning, combining short study blocks and distance learning technologies.
-Balance work and other commitments by studying part-time over three years.

*As this programme is designed for qualified practitioners there is no requirement of a clinical placement component. Neither the programme nor any of its pathways lead to eligibility to apply for registration with a regulatory body.

Course details

Year 1
Core modules
-ADV702 Applying Evidence to Practice
-ADV756 Advanced Critical Reflection, Risk and Decision-Making

Optional modules
-ADV754 Supporting Adult Learners in Professional Practice Settings (Social Workers)
-ADV752 Social Work Practice: Supported Study
-ADV755 Application of Law and Policy in Safeguarding Adults
-ADV753 Assessing Adult Learners in Their Practice (Social Workers)

Year 2
You will take two core 20 credit modules and choose one optional module
Core modules
-ADV757 Advanced Practice in Safeguarding Adults
-ADV715 Project Design for Research

Optional modules
-ADV754 Supporting Adult Learners in Professional Practice Settings (Social Workers)
-ADV755 Application of Law and Policy in Safeguarding Adults

Final year
-ADV716 Research Dissertation (60 Credits)

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The MSc Safeguarding and Promoting Children’s Welfare is for all professionals who work with children in a health, social care or public context. A range of professionals choose to undertake this course; for example, nurses, midwives, health visitors, teachers, the police, workers in children’s services and representatives from the voluntary sector.

Study on this course reflects the change in emphasis in safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare through integrated services. As well as enhancing your own professional development, this course helps you to guide and support others in your profession in respect of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

The University of Bolton's postgraduate framework in safeguarding children is extremely flexible. You can select one or two stand-alone modules to fill-in gaps in your professional knowledge, or a take a number of modules and build up credits towards the postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma or full masters degree.

The course challenges you to take a critical approach to your studies and professional development, by enabling you to make practical and effective use of your learning in your professional role. In addition to gaining subject specific knowledge this programme enhances your research skills to make use of your developing depth of knowledge.

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Safeguarding children is a high profile area of work, where decision making carries a high order of risk for children, their families and those engaged with them. There is a pressing demand for professionals and others across a wide range of disciplines and sectors to develop an in-depth knowledge of child protection work and to demonstrate effective, evidence based skills. The Postgraduate Certificate in Safeguarding Children was developed to offer opportunities for continuing personal and professional development through the development of in-depth knowledge to support practitioners and others whose work or research interests lay within the wide range of services for children, young people, their parents or carers. The multi-disciplinary backgrounds and experiences of candidates are an important value added element of the course, mirroring as it does the multi-agency working which underpins all contemporary children’s services and is required by legislation and guidance.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSMENT

Sessions are scheduled on Wednesdays and typically run 3 -5pm, to accommodate candidates who are combining professional careers with CPD. Each of the three modules will consist of around 12 class sessions. These include a mix of tutor delivered input; interactive discussions; candidate lead seminars; problem solving activities and directed reading.

Assessment is by coursework and varied: methods include seminar presentations, the preparation of a training pack, a poster presentation, essays, critiques.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Child health and social care has received considerable support under the government's modernising agenda leading to an increase in child care provision, employment opportunities and a growing evidence and academic knowledge base. The school has been active in developments in child care practice and research and has developed a strong child care research group which has contributed to our success in establishing a research profile of national/international significance. Against this background we provide relevant, up-to-date and accessible courses in child care at postgraduate level including the Postgraduate Certificate in Safeguarding, the MA in Contemporary Practice with Children and Young People and PhD opportunities.

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Overview

Newman University has developed a suite of modules aimed specifically at professionals working with children and young people who are working in education, health, or social care or other related areas.
Course content
Newman offers you the opportunity to enhance your professional knowledge, understanding and skills of professional practice by developing and implementing systematic professional enquiry and reflective practice around a range of concepts and theories relevant to working with children, young people and families.

Completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Safeguarding will enable you to continue onto a full MA via undertaking a further 30 credit module of your choice (from the MA Education (Safeguarding) module choices) and the compulsory Research Methods module, followed by the final dissertation.

Attendance

You will study the course part-time over 12-36 months which will provide you with the flexibility to combine employment (if relevant) and placements (if relevant) with study. Taught sessions will be based at Newman.
The PG cert comprises of 2 modules with one module being taught each semester on one evening per week with approximately 10 sessions per module.

Assessment

You will experience a range of assessments in the form of reflective accounts, presentations and essays related to practice in the field of safeguarding

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The Professional Healthcare Practice programme at the University of Bradford offers students the opportunity to apply knowledge to a range of clinical and professional situations through reflection and practice experience, supported by an experienced mentor.

It develops skills designed to meet the challenges of delivering and advancing quality healthcare within a global context.

Learning and teaching is designed to equip students with skills in using a range of information, data, tools and techniques to improve the quality of patient care and health outcomes as well as demonstrate impact and value. There is a focus on patient safety, risk assessment and risk management within a clinical governance context.

The programme is intended to:
-Provide a flexible educational framework that is vocationally relevant, which meets your professional development needs, as well as the organisational needs of employers
-Provide opportunities for inter-professional teaching and learning to share the knowledge, skills and experience common to a range of different health and social care disciplines
-Provide a framework within which the curriculum, where required, meets the regulatory needs of professional bodies such as the NMC, GPhC and HCPC and recognised National benchmarks
-Stimulate you to become a self-directed learner who is motivated to sustain and advance your own continuous professional learning
-Develop your clinical skills, knowledge and critical understanding to an advanced level, applicable to your own field of practice
-Further develop your cognitive and practical skills to undertake data synthesis, complex problem solving and risk assessment
-Prepare you to become an autonomous practitioner, to work in advanced and specialist roles with high levels of accountability
-Develop you as a practitioner who will innovate, promote evidence informed practice and improve service user outcomes
-Develop you as a leader with skills and confidence, to act as a role model, supporting the professional development of colleagues and the work of your organisation
-Develop you as a critically reflective, competent leader who will manage service development towards effective, sustainable, inclusive, fair and ethically sensitive service provision

Additionally if you wish to undertake a Masters dissertation:
-Develop your understanding of the theoretical constructs underpinning research or project management
-Demonstrate how the findings can influence practice and policy

Why Bradford?

This programme is part of the interdisciplinary Specialist Skills and Post Registration Development (SSPRD) Framework within the Faculty of Health Studies. The Framework enables you to undertake a named award or create an individualised programme of study that will meet either your needs and/or your employer’s needs for a changing diverse workforce within a modern organisation.

The SSPRD Framework offers a structure within which students undertaking the Professional Healthcare Practice programme and named awards have a wide choice of modules. Whilst some students can build their own awards by choosing their own menu of module options the module choice on specialist, named award pathways is more clearly defined. If you are a UK student your programme of study will not only focus on research informed knowledge and understanding but will also extend your skills and competence in practice. International students will focus on modules that assess application to practice through a more reflective approach. The module choice for international students and UK students who are not working in a healthcare setting is restricted to those modules with an ‘international’ version.

Your programme of study and the collection of modules you may choose to study will contextualise your learning by addressing the Aims and Learning Outcomes for the programme which are outlined in the next section of this document. Modules such as the research or work based project modules, for example, enable you to shape your own focus of study within the modules aims and learning outcomes by learning the principles being taught and applying them to your own professional/employment area.
The flexibility offered by the Faculty of Health’s framework will enable you to take forward your current experience whatever the area of your work in collaboration with the University of Bradford. If you are not currently working in a UK healthcare setting you will have your choice limited to those modules with an ‘international’ version. An academic advisor will discuss with you and support your choices.

The Faculty of Health Studies is a major provider of education and training for individuals working within the health, social, independent and community/voluntary sector organisations across the Yorkshire and Humber Region and wider. The Faculty focus on excellence though knowledge, practice, research, leadership and management aims to support the future sustainability of the individuals, through lifelong learning and improved employability and thereby influencing the future adaptability of individual organisations and service delivery to promote change.

Career support and prospects

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

Experienced nurses and healthcare practitioners now have the opportunity to take on challenging roles, working across professional, organisational and system boundaries to meet diverse patient needs.

Healthcare practitioners working towards these advanced practice roles, often at the forefront of innovative practice, are expected to undertake master’s level education. The programme is designed to develop the skills in complex reasoning, critical thinking and analysis required to undertake these roles.

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Social workers can take postgraduate modules on a standalone basis as short courses for continuing professional development (CPD).

Our programmes and modules have been developed in partnership with employer partners in south-west London and Surrey to meet the continuing professional development needs of social workers. They are underpinned and informed by:
-The LGA Employer Standards for Social Work and the Supervision Standards
-The Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Work (PCF)
-The Chief Social Worker Knowledge and Skills Statements
-The HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Social Work in England and Standards for Continuing Professional Development

They offer a flexible and development approach by which social workers can develop and gain academic credit towards an Advanced Social Work MA or a Professional Education and Training MA; or a Professional Development in Social Work PgDip or PgCert.

All modules include application of learning to professional practice. There are specialist modules for social workers working with children and young people, their families and carers; social workers working with adults; practice educators and professional educators and trainers and for managers. All modules can be taken as 'free standing' modules.

-Postgraduate Certificate: students must pass 60 Level 7 credits
-Postgraduate Diploma: students must pass 120 Level 7 credits
-MA: students must pass 180 Level 7 credits (including the Capstone Research Project)

Course structure

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

Working with adults
-Enhancing Knowledge and Skills for Social Workers in Adult Services
-Best Interests Assessor
-Frameworks for Effective Safeguarding Practice with Adults
-Managing Professional Responses to Safeguarding Adults at Risk
-Safeguarding Adults at Risk

Working with children and young people
-Enhancing Knowledge and Skills for Child and Family Social Workers
-Frameworks for Effective Safeguarding Practice with Children and Families

Professional education and training, leadership and management
-Leading and Managing People in Social Work Practice
-Leading and Managing in Social Work and Social Care Organisations
-Planning and Delivery of Training
-Practice Education Stage 1
-Practice Education Stage 2
-Psychology of Teaching and Learning
-Supervision of Professional Practice

Social work research
-Capstone Research Project

Progression in practice at ASYE/social worker level (PCF)
-Effective Written Professional Communication in Social Work

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Specialist practice with adults is facing a challenging period of transformation in relation to implementing new law such as the Care Act 2014, managing the demands of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and reacting to organisational changes. It is essential that practitioners have opportunities to develop their learning and education to enhance their skills and knowledge. This course will enable practitioners to develop a broad understanding and application of knowledge related to adult social care practice, including critical awareness of current issues and new evidence-based practice research. There will be learning opportunities to generate new approaches to safeguarding policy and practice in work with adults at risk; and learning opportunities to develop and to enhance decision-making skills in complex safeguarding situations involving adults at risk.

This award is a specific pathway for practitioners in social work and social care and aims to build on their professional experience. Practitioners will be able to evidence their learning in each module in order to meet relevant CPD standards or HCPC requirements for renewing their registration.

PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION

The University has been endorsed by the College of Social Work as a provider of CPD training.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSMENT

Keynote lectures, seminars, tutorials, material for self-directed learning, e-learning, workshops will form part of university based learning provision.

Students will be required to link formal learning to their practice and will be encouraged to build on existing skills/develop new skills to consolidate their learning across the academic and practice fields.

Skills, values and knowledge will be developed through group discussions, group tutorials, presentations and practice learning opportunities.

The overarching teaching and learning strategy will enable students to develop cognitive skills which are appropriate to independent learning and postgraduate study.

A range of assessment methods will include essays, presentations, case studies, practice observation, reflective writing, practice portfolios, and personal development files.

OPPORTUNITIES

This award is aimed at practitioners in employment who may wish to advance their career in social work and social care practice.

Students who are enrolled with the School of Social Work Care & Community will be eligible for any international travel opportunities relevant to their study.

The PG Cert is part of the Centre for CPD in the School of Social Work Care & Community. On successful completion of this award students can progress to PG Dip/MA awards as part of their CPD.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Students who are enrolled with the School of Social Work, Care and Community may be eligible for international travel opportunities relevant to their study.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The course will:
-Enable students to critically reflect on and review their professional development to facilitate enhanced performance and service delivery
-Enable students to consolidate, develop and demonstrate comprehensive understanding and application of the knowledge gained in their initial training, and knowledge related to specialist practice with adults, including critical awareness of current issues and new evidence-based practice research
-Develop and enhance students’ capacity for critically evaluating and analysing key theoretical knowledge in relation to specialist practice with adults
-Provide learning opportunities for students who are practitioners to generate new approaches to safeguarding policy and practice in work with adults
-Provide learning opportunities for students who are practitioners to develop and to enhance decision-making skills in complex safeguarding situations involving adults
-Enable students to demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level

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About the course

This course is for professionals from statutory, voluntary and independent sector agencies. It’s suitable for social workers, health visitors, doctors, nurses, CP liaison teachers and members of fostering and adoption teams.

If you work in a residential, community, hospital or day care setting and you’re involved in safeguarding and other statutory assessments, the course will enhance your capability.

We’ll help you to:

Keep a clear focus on the needs of the child.
Make clear and defensible judgements.
Explore issues that relate to your job.
Work with professionals from other disciplines.

Where your masters can take you

Our graduates are academics, researchers and health and social care professionals. Others become managers or administrators in the public and private sectors.

How we teach

Our teaching is rigorous and research-led. We encourage you to think critically, to learn research techniques and develop transferable skills. We also help you to develop the personal attributes that will make you highly employable. The department is a friendly place, where staff and postgraduates work together as colleagues.

Our interdisciplinary approach brings together sociologists, social policy analysts, social workers and social anthropologists. Our empirical research is internationally recognised. We make significant contributions to policy debates.

Course content

Integrated Safeguarding; Public Law; Out of Home Care; Evidence-Informed Practice; Child Development and Communication with Children; Parenting Capacity; Interventions to Promote Change; Supervision and Safeguarding.

There’s a CPD route for qualified practitioners: you can take modules one at a time, as stand-alone courses. You can use the credits to build up to a degree at your own pace if you want to.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching is conducted through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, small-group work and problem-solving.

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Studying on this course enables you to develop your knowledge and skills to work with children, young people, their families and carers to improve health and wellbeing.

You learn to develop a pragmatic public health philosophy for family healthcare and an evidence-based skill set applicable to the challenges of contemporary practice.

To meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards, your studies consists of 50% practice and 50% theory (alongside 100% attendance). We structure the postgraduate diploma to reflect the important balance of the practice elements, which are designated practice days or work-based learning. A 10 week consolidated practice block (in semester 3) enables you to work independently while remaining under the supervision of a practice teacher. The theoretical elements involve a mix of learning approaches including self-directed study days.

Another key aspect of your studies is to develop an understanding of the levels of accountability and responsibility you take on in these roles. You learn how to ensure public protection is developed to deliver safe and effective health improvements to individuals, groups and communities.

There are many opportunities on the course to share learning from your peers and other disciplines from across the primary /community care teams and services that work with children, young people and families.

When you start to put what you have learnt into practice, you benefit from strong partnerships with health, education and local authority organisations in the region.

The modern and diverse placements you go on are designed to meet the changing needs of children, young people and families, and may include placement with social services, education and a variety of organisations from the voluntary sector – foster collaborations with those that work alongside health visitors and school nurses.

You also complete a research-based module which provides a building block for further study from the exit award of PgDip to MSc qualification. The learning from the research module equips you to use policy and research to underpin and develop innovative practice and gives you the skills to frame a research question, take empirical research and write up an academic dissertation. If you successfully complete the PgDip, you can at a later date (pending additional funding and study) undertake a 60 credit dissertation module and gain an MSc qualification.

Experienced course teaching team

Experienced health visitor and school nurse lecturers deliver the course. As a student you learn from a highly motivated and proactive teaching team aiming to improve lives through excellence in professionalism. We ensure our students and the public benefit from a commitment to evidence-based education, application to practice and impact on quality of care.

Some lecturers are engaged in ongoing research and are publishing in peer reviewed journals with areas of expertise that include safeguarding, the child and families agenda, behaviour change and community development.

Four members of our teaching team are also Fellows of the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV), a professional body which strives for excellence in the health visiting profession.

Successfully completing the course

• gives you a deeper awareness of the need to maintain and develop your own competence and that of others in the changing context of health visiting and school nursing, with a specific focus on the leadership required to ensure high quality care and enhance service user experience.
• develops and enhances your leadership skills to foster excellence in public health practice and shape services to meet the identified needs of individuals, groups and communities.

Gaining an MSc qualification enhances your employability in advanced and specialist roles available to health visitors and school nurses. These may include working in public health positions in local authorities or in advisory and health education positions in acute health care.

Study individual modules

You have the option to study individual modules from this course and gain academic credit towards a qualification. Visit our continuing professional development website for more information.

Professional recognition

This course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Graduates are eligible to apply to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse - Health Visitor or School Nurse.

You must be registered with the NMC in order to practise as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse in the UK.

To access the full course and gain the NMC recognised qualifications, you need to be sponsored by an employing NHS organisation (hence have NHS contract for the length of the course). 

Course structure

Postgraduate diploma modules

• family centred public health
• developing therapeutic reationships
• perspectives on safeguarding for SCPHN
• evidence based public health practice
• developing specialist practice
• nurse prescribing (v100)
• research methods for practice

Masters

• dissertation (60 credits)

Assessment

• critiques/critical reflection
• reports
• essays
• objective structured clinical assessment and examination
• examinations
• portfolio including prescribing workbook, reflection and practice assessment document
• research
• dissertation (MSc only)

Employability

You will enhance your professional and academic development on this course. Completing the course enables you to be registered with the NMC as a registered specialist community public health nurse - as either a health visitor or school nurse (SCPHN-HV or SCPHN-SN). It also enables you to be annotated on the NMC register as a community practitioner nurse prescriber. This course will also provide you with advanced skills in research.

As a health visitor or school nurse you will develop specialist skills and attributes to work in different health, social and educational settings. You gain experience of public health at an individual, family and community level, working with children, young people, families.

You can develop your career

• in a specialist and/or consultant role - such as working with early interventions (parenting), homeless, asylum seekers, safeguarding, looked after children (LAC), domestic violence (DV), child sexual exploitation (CSE), public health.
• practice educators, such as community practice educators or mentors
• family nurse partnership nurse (FNP)
• counsellor
• sexual health advisor
• management opportunities, such as - children’s services manager, head of health and social services
• researcher in health, social care or education settings
• overseas with the voluntary overseas service

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Please note: you can take free-standing modules as part of your CPPD in social work. The following qualifications are also available:
-Professional Development in Social Work PgCert
-Professional Development in Social Work PgDip

Choose Kingston's Advanced Social Work MA

The Advanced Social Work MA offers a professional development pathway to assist qualified social workers in meeting capabilities and standards of practice consistent with the role of experienced and advanced practitioners. It incorporates recent changes in social work education and professional regulation, such as the introduction of the Professional Capability Framework (PCF) (The College of Social Work, 2010) and standards for continuing professional development set by Health and Care Professions Council.

This course aims to provide busy practitioners with structured opportunities for critical reflection within a well-resourced and research-informed learning community. Designed and managed in close consultation with local and regional employers and representatives of partner agencies and people who access social work services, the programme complements the range of development opportunities available to social workers (including in-house training and personal career planning). It also acts as a springboard for those wishing to progress to doctoral studies.

What will you study?

The course is attuned to the vision of the Professional Capabilities Framework for social workers, which anticipates that experienced social workers may pursue multiple routes to progression. Consequently, you can combine specialist components related, for example, to effective safeguarding practice, with generic elements, such as supervision, professional education and leadership, management and decision-making. This flexible format allows you to construct a programme of study to suit your professional profile and areas of developing expertise while benefiting from exchange with practitioners in other specialist roles.

Research skills are central to the programme and a 'capstone' research project will enable you to produce an account of original research that is suitable for publication in a refereed journal.

Assessment

Presentations, critical reviews, posters, portfolio of practice, assessed practice, projects and a 'capstone' project.

Course structure

-Postgraduate Certificate: two modules (each of 30 Level 7 credits)
-Postgraduate Diploma: four modules (each of 30 Level 7 credits)
-MA: four modules (each of 30 Level 7 credits) plus a 'capstone' project of 60 credits

At Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma level, you may select modules from the list below. Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

To achieve the MA you will undertake a 'capstone' research project and produce an article for suitable for publication.

Available modules
-Safeguarding Adults at Risk
-Managing Professional Responses to Safeguarding Adults at Risk
-Practice Education Stage 1
-Practice Education Stage 2
-Supervision of Professional Practice
-Mentoring, Coaching and Advanced Assessment of Professional Practice
-Leading and Managing People in Social Work Practice
-Leading and Managing in Social Work and Social Care Organisations
-Final Capstone Project

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About the course

Our Primary and Secondary PGCEs are "Outstanding" (Ofsted, 2015).

All our Education courses have been developed in collaboration with Partnership schools and the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). This ensures not only the highest possible quality of provision, but also relevance in reflecting national and school-level priorities in Education.

Aims

The Brunel Science Postgraduate Certificate (PGCE) is a M-level course with 60 credits that can contribute to further Master's level study in Education, subject to approval.

The course will equip you with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to teach science and the ability to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the vital role of the teacher and the school in ensuring excellence in the educational experiences of young people

Undertake professional practice which enables you to evidence the Teachers’ Standards which facilitate the award of Qualified Teacher Status

Understand the relationships between Education and science within current national and government frameworks, and critically reflect on the impact of these in the work of schools and the educational experiences of young people

Recognise the contribution that science as part of the whole school curriculum makes to the development of the individual learner and groups of learners

Think critically about what it means to be scientifically educated and how this informs curriculum planning and design within the subject area

Apply a thorough knowledge and understanding of science (Physics) National Curriculum to the planning of curriculum experiences for pupils in school

Demonstrate competence and confidence in your ability to teach across the contexts for pupil learning in the mathematics National Curriculum range and content, applying principles of continuity and progression

Use subject knowledge and relevant course specifications to plan and deliver the 14-16 curriculum including examination and vocational courses

Demonstrate an understanding of the subject knowledge and specification requirements for the 16-19 curriculum

Utilise a range of teaching strategies to meet the identified learning needs of a wide range of pupils

Utilise a range of resources, including information and communication technology, to enhance pupil learning in physics

Understand the importance of safe practice and safeguarding and apply these in working with young people both within and beyond lessons

Use a wide range of class management strategies to maximise pupil learning

Understand the principles of inclusion and apply these to ensure equality of opportunity for all pupils in the subject area

Understand national frameworks for assessment within the subject area and use these to support the recording and analysis of data, and the subsequent use of this to plan the next phase of learning

Raise the status of the subject area by demonstrating high standards of professionalism at all times

Understand the crucial role of professional learning for the teacher, the pupils and schools.

Course Content

The PGCE is an intensive programme, which combines an exploration of principles and methods of teaching and learning with practical school-based teaching placements. It lasts for 36 weeks from early September to late June.

The Secondary programme prepares you to work with pupils aged 11-16. At the heart of our programmes is a vision that our student teachers’ teaching will impact positively on pupil progress over time in schools and that our Partnership activities with schools will contribute to school improvement. We aspire for all our students to be outstanding teachers.

The PGCE Secondary courses are structured around three modules, which share a generic General Professional Education (GPE) component. The GPE programme involves an enquiry based learning approach, which combines taught sessions with independent professional learning activities (PLAs). These PLAs require independent research, which is either school-related or school-based. The three PGCE modules are:

1. Education Studies I
This module covers the following GPE themes:

Professionalism, values and reflective practice;
Safeguarding, child protection and e-safety;
Understanding curriculum and the National Curriculum;
Supporting learners, learning and effective behaviour management;
Inclusive education, with a specific focus on supporting pupils with SEND and SEBD;
Effective planning and teaching to promote pupil progress;
Assessment and its role in promoting effective learning.

You will also focus on teaching and learning issues of particular concern to your phase or subject specialism.

2. Education Studies II
This module covers the following GPE themes:

Applying for your first post;
Understanding data analysis to support effective teaching and learning;
Behaviour for learning and the wider professional responsibilities of the subject teacher;
Inclusive education, with a specific focus on supporting pupils with English as an Additional Language, pupils receiving the Pupil Premium and able pupils;
Safeguarding with a focus on the Prevent and Channel national strategy and bullying and homophobic bullying.

You will also continue to focus on teaching and learning issues of particular concern to your phase or subject specialism.

3. Education Studies III
This module focuses specifically on supporting student teachers to make an effective transition into their first post and examines the following themes in GPE:

Preparing for induction and the professional learning action plan for your first post;
Pathways into leadership in education;
Learning outside the classroom;
Contributing to the wider aspects of the formal and informal curriculum and your wider professional role as a teacher.

Subject Specific Course Content

As a qualified science teacher you may be required to teach National Curriculum general science to Key Stage 4, as well as your particular specialism to ‘A’ level and beyond. To this end, the course aims to facilitate your transformation into a well-educated, well-trained, confident and motivated science educator.

Along with English and mathematics, science is one of the three core subjects of the National Curriculum and since all pupils have to study a broad, balanced curriculum in science there is a demand for well-qualified and skilled science teachers. Most pupils entering secondary school are excited at the prospect of work, for the first time in a fully equipped laboratory, and secondary school science teachers have to build upon and sustain this interest for the subject.

To meet this challenge we need capable, skilled and enthusiastic teachers who are able to motivate young people and lead them to discover the wonders of science.

School Experience

School-based professional learning is a compulsory element of all programmes leading to a recommendation for QTS. The course involves the statutory requirement of at least 120 days of school experience in the form of block school placements undertaken in at least two different contexts.

Our current partnership schools are mainly located in the West London area and adjoining Home Counties. We have developed close links with a number of very good schools over a number of years, and offer placements within carefully chosen schools that provide an appropriate professional learning experience. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the schools we work with is a distinctive aspect of our provision and we are equally proud of the diversity of our student teacher cohort, who reflect the communities in which many of them go on to work as teachers.

We also offer student teachers the opportunity to experience placements in alternative settings, which include special schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), young offenders institutions. This further demonstrates our commitment to preparing teachers to work with young people in a diverse range of educational contexts.

You will be allocated a school-based mentor, selected for their experience and expertise, who is there to help you develop and learn while you are on placement. The importance of this person should not be underestimated. Teaching is a very challenging profession and with the help of your school-based mentor and your University tutor we aim to make sure that you have support every step of the way, encouraging reflection and development.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Childcare Disqualification and Prohibition Orders

As an accredited provider of Initial Teacher Education we have to have regard to the Department for Education’s statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education, when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We ensure that all student teachers have been subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks, including a check of the children’s barred list. The Department for Education has published statutory guidance on the application to schools of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009 and related obligations under the Childcare Act 2006.

We undertake our responsibility to ensure that the student teachers are not, therefore, disqualified from childcare or that the student teacher has obtained a childcare disqualification waiver from Ofsted. We also check that candidates are not subject to a prohibition order for teaching issued by the Secretary of State.

Teaching

We adopt an enquiry-based learning approach in our PGCE Secondary courses where students are encouraged to research and investigate a range of broad and subject specific educational themes and issues and bring their findings back for discussion in interactive lectures, workshops and seminars. These themes and issues address national, regional and partnership priorities as well as specific areas for investigation with the subject area.

Assessment

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
The PGCE Secondary programme carries 60 Master’s Level credits and requires you to successfully complete three formally assessed pieces of academic work during the year.
All of these assessments also require an accompanying portfolio of evidence.
The Master’s Level credits provide an excellent foundation for future academic and professional study.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
Alongside the PGCE academic award for your programme, you will also be assessed for the recommendation of QTS. In order to be recommended for QTS you are required to demonstrate that you have met the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2013) in both the University and in school and alternative education settings. All aspects of the programme are designed around you being able to demonstrate that you are meeting the Teachers’ Standards.

Part 1 of the Teachers’ Standards require you to:

Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
Plan and teach well structured lessons
Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
Make accurate and productive use of assessment
Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
Fulfil wider professional responsibilities
(Teachers’ Standards, DfE, 2013)

Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards require students to demonstrate the highest standards of personal and professional conduct.

As the PGCE is a professional course, 100% attendance is an expectation.

Recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status will be made by the Secondary PGCE Examination Board for all those who successfully demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards as shown in the requirements for University and school-based work.

Special Features

As a leading centre of education and with roots in teacher education dating back to 1798, we are able to provide first class teacher education that is internationally recognised.

A Brunel PGCE is a recognised symbol of quality teacher education which accounts for our high employment rates.

At the heart of our programmes is a vision that our student teachers’ teaching will impact positively on pupil progress over time in schools and that our partnership activities with schools will contribute to school improvement. We aspire for all our students to be outstanding teachers.

You will benefit from an established partnership between Brunel and a variety of educational institutions and local schools. Brunel education degrees offer multicultural placement learning opportunities. For example, our location in West London and our diverse and well-established schools network means you will gain highly-valued placement learning experiences in vibrant multicultural schools.

Beyond ITE, for early career teachers we offer the Masters in Teaching (MAT), where students can utilise their 60 PGCE Masters level credits to continue their postgraduate studies part-time, whilst also meeting the requirements outlined for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) and early career development. Where schools have qualified for Enhanced Partnership status with Brunel University London, NQTs in those schools have access to the first year MAT module for free, illustrating our commitment to supporting NQTs into and through their first year of teaching. We also offer a Masters in Education (MAEd), a Doctorate in Education (EdDoc) and PhD postgraduate routes through the Department of Education. This continuum of provision ensures a commitment to teacher education and professional learning at all stages and the growing community of professional practice strengthens our Partnership.

Staff are nationally and internationally recognised for their research, and liaise with government and other agencies on education policy issues. The Department of Education is host to a number of research centres, including the Brunel Able Children’s Centre. The process of learning is informed by cutting-edge research by staff in the strands of: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Pedagogy and Professional Practice (PPP).

You can take advantage of free access to our excellent University Academic Skills service, ASK.

We have an award winning Professional Development Centre.

Our library has been nominated for national awards for its outstanding provision.

We have on-site volunteering opportunities through our Brunel Volunteers provision.

Our Disability and Dyslexia Service team have an excellent track record of support for students.

Our Union of Brunel Students provides you with a range of additional support and a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities and social events.

There is excellent University-wide access to PCs and the Internet, as well as free loan of media equipment and music/recording studios, and web space on the University server.

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Childhood Studies at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

This course aims to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of children and childhood.

Key Features of Childhood Studies

Performance:

- strong links with a range of international networks and similar university departments in Europe and around the world

Teaching and Employability:

- excellent learning experience and cross cultural views because of international student cohorts

- opportunity to continue studies to pursue a PhD supervised by a well-qualified member of the team

- opportunity to take part in a local field trip

The course in Childhood Studies is designed for a wide range of professionals working with children.

A broad range of topics are covered and students are encouraged to critically reflect on their practice and address theory and research relevant to their own interests in Childhood Studies.

The Childhood Studies course will:

- reflect upon the nature of childhood as a concept and the way in which it comes to be construed as it is

- consider holistic child development in contemporary society

- reflect on childhood and family policy in a variety of contexts

- consider professional roles (one’s own and others) in relation to services for children and their families

- encourage critical analysis of research in relation to childhood

- encourage professional reflective practice.

Modules

Modules on the Childhood Studies course may include:

Researching Childhood

Understanding and Observing Child Development

Child Health

Children's Rights and Safeguarding Children and Young People

Perspectives on Play

Advanced Practice with Children

Therapeutic Work with Children

Childhood Illness

Childhood Nutrition and Growth

Staff Expertise

Team members are active researchers and their work is well published in Childhood Studies.

Childhood Studies students are encouraged to publish their own research – thereby demonstrating the high quality of their work.

Team members include:

Amy Brown – an expert in child health

Jill John – an expert in safeguarding and children’s rights

Pete King – an expert in child development and children’s play across children’s services.

Justine Howard – an expert in child development and play across children’s services

Zac Maunder – an expert in children’s emotional health

Postgraduate Community

The College of Human and Health Sciences has a vibrant postgraduate community with students drawn from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. The College is known for its friendly, welcoming and supportive environment, which combined with its extensive facilities, state-of-the-art technology and superb beachside location, helps to ensure that students benefit from an exceptional student experience.

In addition, Childhood Studies students have access to a wide range of excellent facilities and equipment for realistic workplace experiences.

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