BA in Working with Children, Young People and Families
Birmingham City University
Key Information
Campus location
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,250 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* UK students: £9,250 per year | international students: £13,980 per year
Scholarships
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Introduction
Our BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families course has at its heart a strong commitment to social justice and equality. We will provide you with a range of teaching and learning experiences to build on your existing skills and motivation so that you can contribute to a changing society, particularly with services that work with, or for, vulnerable children, young people and their families.
What's covered in this course?
With a focus on personal, as well as professional development, our degree will engage you in understanding the complexities of working with children young people and their families, in theory, and in practice. We want to support you so that you can develop to become effective agents of change, making a difference to vulnerable children and young people, and providing family support.
The rights of children and young people, and a commitment to social justice are at the centre of what we believe, teach and research.
As you progress through the programme you will become confident and competent advocates of children and young people; developing your personal and professional skills so that you can, in future careers, be influential in developing practice, provision and policy.
Through a supportive and nurturing learning environment, you will be encouraged to develop your communication skills, draw on digital technologies and take ‘risks’ as you explore and find out new things about working with children, young people and families, as well as yourself.
Experienced tutors on the programme come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and are research active, understanding the demands of study, work and family life. The programme draws on experienced professionals from the field of education, social work and health. They are committed to the same agenda of social justice, social mobility and social responsibility that forms the underpinning philosophy of the programme.
Why choose us?
- Strong commitment to social justice and children's rights.
- Opens doors to a range of careers linked to vulnerable children and young people.
- Opportunities for placement, locally and internationally.
- Practice led by research-active tutors from a range of professional backgrounds.
- Study at our recently extended state-of-the-art £71 million campus in Edgbaston.
- Our course is broad enough for you to discover where your passion lies and provides an excellent background to go on to gain professional qualifications in teaching or social work, for example.
Curriculum
Year One
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 120 credits).
- Working as a Professional
- Foundations of Education
- Foundations of Health
- Foundations of Social Work
- Interdisciplinary Working
Year Two
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 120 credits).
- Safeguarding and Child Protection
- Research as a Driver for Policy, Practice and Provision
- Social Justice and Inclusion
- Effective Collaborative Practice
- Learning from Practice
Year Three
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 120 credits).
- Exploring Contemporary Perspectives
- Personal and Professional Development
- Children and Young People’s Rights and Identity
- Global Perspectives of Families and Parenting
- Research Project
Career Opportunities
Enhancing Employability Skills
A Birmingham City University Graduate is professional and work-ready, a creative problem solver, enterprising and has a global outlook. This expectation is realised through the BA Hons Working with Children, Young People and Families programme which provides you with the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of vulnerable children, young people and their families.
Transferable skills are considered very highly throughout the programme should you decide not to work directly with children and young people in the future. We have embraced the Graduate + scheme and there are opportunities throughout the programme for you to receive credit for developing your employability skills.
We have a commitment to learning for life and actively encourage you to develop your own research skills and pursue your learning journey by building on your first degree to a Master's level and beyond. From induction through to your final module your tutor team will support you in exploring career pathways linked to vulnerable children, young people and their families. Working closely with local services will enable you to network and find out what it is like to work in the field.
Placements
Placement is an integral part of the programme, there will be changes in your first year to explore and find out information about a range of services that work with, or for, children, young people and families, and to visit and shadow professionals working in this field – this is so you can not only develop professional skills but can also find out about the wide range of professional careers open to you.
It is also about developing transferable skills so that after you have completed your degree you already have a strong CV that makes you really employable. Later on, you will have the opportunity to undertake a placement in a related service that may focus on education, health or social care for children, young people and their families. In your final year, you will be able to carry out an evaluative study that will be work based.