| Unit name | Therapeutic Work with Children |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL30035 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Turner |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Over the past decade the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children and young people has gained increased prominence in political, academic, and wider societal conversations. For those with an interest in psychosocial interventions available and/or required for working with children and their families dealing with emotional and behavioural problems, the unit offers an opportunity to examine the theory and practice behind a range of psychotherapy approaches and their evidence base. The main psychotherapy modalities required for further training in psychotherapy are emphasised: dynamic therapy, cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy and systemic therapy. The unit offers a balance between theory and clinical case studies which have been carefully selected to portray, at times, quite complex theoretical concepts and illustrate challenging clinical cases.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This a level 6 optional unit that considers emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and young people and the available psychosocial treatments alongside their evidence-base. It builds upon key concepts, theories and skills introduced in previous years of the Childhood Studies programmes and complements learning across other units within the Childhood Studies degree programme. Students with a particular interest in Psychology, enjoyed the Child & Adolescent Psychology unit and those who are interested in pursuing further training/specialisation in therapeutic work with children may be particularly interested in this unit.
An overview of content
This unit considers a variety of childhood emotional and behavioural disorders and the kind of services, counselling and psychotherapy, available to help those children who develop emotional and behavioural problems in childhood. It considers current and historical theories of how such problems develop, international research, and looks at different psychosocial methods and approaches of helping and supporting the children, their parents and others who deal with these children.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will explore a variety of childhood emotional and behavioural disorders which impact children and their families. Students will gain knowledge of the increasing evidence-base of the therapeutic modalities presented in the unit and they will have a more sophisticated appreciation of the differences between therapeutic approaches but also better equipped in finding common ground between them. Students will develop core skills in critical case analysis, evaluation, and writing which will be demonstrated in the unit assessment.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the unit will be:
The unit draws on a blended learning approach consisting of a weekly lecture, seminar, guided independent study.
Weekly lectures will include interactive elements, providing opportunity for discussion. Learning will be facilitated by asynchronous activities such as engaging with audio/visual resources and structured readings. In preparation for seminars students will be tasked to complete preparatory reading of case studies, independent learning activities alongside student discussion. Group work during seminars will provide further opportunities to enhance learning and appreciation of therapeutic methods and approaches further facilitated by input from the seminar leader/unit director.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The question within the assignment will build on discussions and tasks held within the seminars; formative feedback will be provided within the seminars, office hour and through a discussion thread on Blackboard.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Case Study (3000 words, 100%)
This assessment covers all ILOs.
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, unsuccessful students may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. This will comprise a task of the same format as the original assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL30035).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
