The course is offered at both graduate and postgraduate levels.  To be eligible for the postgraduate programme you must hold a degree as well as a recognised social work qualification.  To enrol on the BPhil programme, you must hold a recognised social work qualification.  All candidates follow the same programme of study.

All applicants need the support of their sponsoring authority.  You will also need to complete an application form and write a 1000 word review of your career to date.  Contact the programme administrator, Donna Purkiss, +44(0)121 414 6549, d.purkiss@bham.ac.uk..

The course is delivered on a part time basis over 2 years and starts with a half day induction to the programme.  There are 6 modules, each attracing 20 academic credits.  Each module involves 5 or 6 days attendance at the University in blocks of 2 or 3 days.  Modules may be taken on an individual basis and are also open to colleagues from other disciplines.

The course is designed to meet the GSCC requirements for the Specialist Award in Social Work with Children, Young People, their Families and Carers.  Overall, the course seeks to highlight the importance of attachment theory and attachment minded practice, resilience, narrative thinking and relationship-based practice in work with children, young people, their families and carers.  Attention to working within a performance management culture, the user experience, working alongside colleagues from other agencies and disciplines, and anti-oppressive practice feature throughout the programme.

We aim to produce practitioners who are 'thinking performers'. The course develops skills in:

• Critical reading and analysis
• Assessing and managing risk
• Working effectively with a range of service users and their carers
• Delivering interventions
• Enabling the learning of others

Module 1: A Consolidation Module (6 days)

This module follows the syllabus set down by the GSCC and covers: diversity,  reflection and reflexivity; child development; communication and engagement; interagency working and safeguarding and sharing information.  Ideas from relationship based practice and attachment theory are prominent in the module.

Module 2: Law and Professional Practice (5 days)

This module is in two parts - the first 3 days are led by a practising barrister and aim to ensure candidates have an up-to-date grasp of current child care law.  The final 2 days look at presenting complex information verbally in formal arenas (for example at case conferences and court).  There is a strong skills element to this section of the programme.

Module 3: Assessment and Risk (6 days)

This module aims to develop practitioner skills in assessing complex situations.  Assessing attachments as well as assessing specific issues (for example, alcohol misuse, parental disability and domestic violence), in the context of risk are considered. (These are given as examples, we will try to tailor the course to participants' interests and needs).

Consideration is also given to models of assessment (for example recent re-formulations of the assessment triangle, working with denial and the strengths model) and the development of an evidence informed approach.  'Objectivity' and power in assessment work are also addressed.

Module 4: Child Centred Practice / Child Observation (6 days)

The primary aim of this module is to encourage practitioners to adopt a more child centred (as opposed to child focused) approach to their work.  Mind-mindedness is emphasised alongside promoting resiliences. Various specific themes are canvassed, for example children with life limiting illnesses, asylum seeking children, bullying, being 'looked after', contact and undertaking life-story work (These are given as examples, we will try to tailor the course to participants' interests and needs)

This module will include inputs from service users and experienced practitioners.  As an alternative, practitioners may elect to undertake the Child Observation Module.  This is based on the successful module run as part of our earlier PQ in Child Care and is heavily influenced by the Esther Bick / Tavistock model of observation.  Support is provided by a number of child psychotherapists and practitioners trained in this approach.

Module 5: Change, Transitions and Empowerment (6 days)

There are 2 themes within this module.  The first is a consideration of effecting change at the 'micro' level within families (a 'whole family' perspective is prominent), the second is a consideration of how services can be developed to promote optimal outcomes for children (change at a more 'macro' level).  The importance of transitions and relationships is emphasised.

Module 6: Enabling Others (5 days)

This module is based on our highly successful 5 day practice assessor course, but with a particular emphasis on working in children's services during days 4 and 5.

Module 1: Written case study, a report from the candidate's supervisor on an observed piece of work and the completion of Situational Judgement Inventory.

Module 2: Written 'open book' exam and presentation.

Modules 3, 4 & 5: Written case study and structured critique of an academic paper focusing on a specific area of interest within the area of study (for example, safeguarding the needs of asylum seeking children or young people with mental health problems).  In this way we hope to both address more specialist interests and to promote skills in critical reading and analysis.

Module 6: Written case study and direct observation of the candidate's practice.

Candidates also have to provide an additional observation of their direct practice during Modules 3 or 4.

All case studies are approximately 3,000 words in length.  In addition, candidates also have to complete a reflective review of their learning from each module