Unit information: Unit 4, Children in Need and Working with Looked After Children (Professional Practice with Children and Young People) in 2014/15

Unit name	Unit 4, Children in Need and Working with Looked After Children (Professional Practice with Children and Young People)
Unit code	SPOL33337
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Dugdale
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Professional skills in practice co-requiste None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

This unit will examine a range of specific issues connected with working with children in need and safeguarding children, including current research on the key forms of child abuse, on domestic violence and into the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on parents and children. It will include an exploration of best practice in working in partnership with adults and children, the role of personal and professional values, of service user perspectives, and the practice in relation to minority groups. The needs of children looked after by public authorities will be examined, with particular attention to adoption and fostering, contact, the role of residential care etc.

This unit will enable students to:

1) Examine and evaluate the current research and practice context of work with children in need and children in need of safeguarding;

2) Explore the evidence base for social work practice with children looked after by public bodies;

3) Examine their own skills in practice with particular regard to working in partnership, working with minority groups, and the voice of the service user.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the Unit, students will be able to:

1) Understand and evaluate the range of social care provision for children in need within the current policy context;

2) Critically analyse key theoretical and research perspectives on child abuse and domestic violence;

3) Reflect critically on models of partnership practice, including anti-oppressive practice, child-centred practice and service user perspectives, and apply this reflective ability in their own practice context;

4) Critically evaluate the evidence for best practice with children looked after by the state and children placed for adoption.

5) Demonstrate critical understanding and application of core social work values, including anti-oppressive practice, child-centred practice and service user perspectives (see the professional Codes of Practice, GSCC, 2002).

Teaching Information

Lectures, seminars, tutorials

Assessment Information

• Reflective assignment (3000 - 4000 words) analysing an assessment report or equivalent, supported by documentary evidence from the practice context.

• Work-based assessment of practice (direct observation of practice by practice assessor) (Pass/fail).

Reading and References

• Axford, A., Berry, V., Little, M. and Morpeth, L. (2005), Forty Years of Research, Policy and Practice in Childrens Services: A Festschrift for Roger Bullock. Chichester: Wiley.

• Department of Health (1998), Caring for Children Away from Home: Messages from Research. Chichester: Wiley.

• Beckett C. (2003), Child Protection: an Introduction. London: Sage.

• Hester M. and Westmarland N. (2005), Tackling Domestic Violence: Effective interventions and Approaches. London: Home Office.

• Thoburn, J., Chand, A. and Procter, J. (2005), Child Welfare Services for Minority Ethnic Families: The research reviewed. London: Jessica Kingsley.

• Wilson, K., Sinclair, I., Taylor, C., Pithouse, A. and Sellick, C. (2004), Fostering Services: An exploration of the research literature in foster care, SCIE. Online at: http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/knowledgereviews/kr05.pdf`