Unit information: Children in Families and Communities in 2020/21

Unit name	Children in Families and Communities
Unit code	ACHSD0004
Credit points	20
Level of study	D/8
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Dr. Gaulter
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

Trainees will study relevant research and practice in relation to key issues which may impact on individuals, families or their communities (e.g. attachment, resilience, parenting styles, domestic violence, abuse, separation and bereavement). They will examine the EPs role developing and evaluating interventions, independently or through work with other professionals. They will study professionally appropriate interventions, counselling and therapeutic skills for work with individuals and/or families in the context of their educational settings and communities.

Aims:

This unit will provide trainees with knowledge, awareness, values and skills to: be able to bring about change for individuals, children, young people and their families by working at different levels of their context (e.g. individuals, families, groups and communities); to enable effective work with diverse client populations through a clear understanding of the demographic characteristics of communities including the influence of: culture, gender, ethnicity and factors influencing social exclusion.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit trainees will have developed skills to make decisions using a broad evidence and knowledge base, how to assess, formulate and intervene psychologically, from a range of appropriate models and modes of intervention with children, young people, their families and carers. They will be able to develop creative approaches which draw on theory and research and are adapted to a variety of individual, family and community contexts.

They will have developed skills which allow them to promote the psychological well-being of clients with particular regard to their emotional and social needs. They will be able to develop and maintain effective working relationships and collaboration with key role partners i.e. children, young people, their families and carers and other professionals in order to promote effective outcomes for clients. They will be able to support children, young people and their families and carers in contributing to the assessment process and the evaluation of interventions and service delivery.

BPS Competencies covered

1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.10, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 8.2, 8.3, 9.7, 10.1

HCPC Standards of Proficiency covered

3.2, 5.1, 5.2, 8.9, 8.11, 9.8, 12.1, 13.1, 13.31, 13.34, 13.36, 14.1, 14.2, 14.19

Teaching Information

Blended learning to involve guided reading and seminars, group work, presentations either delivered on campus or on Blackboard Collaborate, as the situation allows. This unit involves many sensitive topics (e.g. grief, critical incidents), which lend themselves more easily to discuss in-person but will be planned for using BB collaborate.

Assessment Information

Presentation on one of the following topics

• Children of prisoners
• Children who experience abuse
• Children with parents who experience mental illness
• Children and parental substance misuse
• Children who experience domestic violence

(45 minutes input followed by 5 minutes Q and A)

The product of each trainee-led seminar will be a learning pack for each fellow trainee together with your reflections (500 words) about this work/experience for your submission.

Reading and References

• Schaffer, H. Rudolf (1998) Making Decisions About Children: Psychological questions and answers Oxford: Blackwell
• Carr, A. (Ed) (2000) What Works for Children and Adolescents?: A critical review of psychological interventions with children, adolescents and their families. London: Routledge
• Luthar, S. (Ed) (2003) Resilience and Vulnerability: Adaptation in the Context of Childhood Adversities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Cefai, C. (2008) Promoting Resilience in the Classroom. London: Jessica Kingsley
• Bomber, L. and Hughes, D. (2013) Settling to Learn - Settling Troubled Pupils to Learn: Why Relationships Matter in School. London: Worth
• Cleaver, H., Micholson, D., Tarr, S. and Cleaver D. (2007) Introduction in Child Protection, Domestic Violence and Parental Substance misuse London: Jessica Kinglsely
• Cleaver, H., Unell, I. and ldgate, J. (2011) Children’s needs – Parenting capacity. Child abuse: Parental mental illness, learning disability, substance misuse, and domestic violence. London: The Stationery Office.
• DfE (2015) Working together to safeguard children. London: DfE
• DfE (2015) Information Sharing.London: DfE
• Bywaters, Bunting, Davidson, Hanratty, Mason, McCartan and Steils (2016) The relationship between poverty, child abuse and neglect: an evidence review. York : Joseph Rowntree Foundation.