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for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Researching Child and Family Welfare |
| Unit code |
SPOLM0011 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
M/7
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
|
| Unit director |
Professor. Berridge |
| Open unit status |
Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Description including Unit Aims
This unit is concerned with research on children, young people and families and their relationships with education, health and welfare services. It is taught by researchers in the School for Policy Studies who have undertaken significant work for government and charitable foundations on the processes, outcomes and costs of children's services, including adoption and fostering, safeguarding children, residential care, family support and services for disabled children and their families. The use of quantitative and qualitative methods will be exemplified. Ethical issues in research concerning children are explored in detail together with skills in engaging children families in research.
Aims:
- Critically appraise key theoretical and empirical literature concerning children, young people and families and their relationships with education, health and welfare services.
- Understand approaches to the assessment of a variety of outcomes and costs of services for children, young people, their families and carers. These include the outcomes of family support services, adoption and fostering, and interventions to safeguard children from abuse and neglect.
- Appreciate ethical issues in undertaking research with and for children and young people and learn how to manage conflicts of interest between the researcher, research funders, service providers and children and their carers
- To explore practical aspects of undertaking research with and for children and young people.
- To understand the relationship between research and policy, and social work practice with children and families.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of the unit, students will:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the political, social and ethical context for research in relation to child and family welfare
- Know about the advantages and disadvantages of different methods for understanding users’ and carers’ experiences of services and the costs and outcomes of those services.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the difference between research on children and research with children and young people.
- Have understanding and skills in the process of ensuring informed assent and consent from children and young people, and their carers to participate in research.
- Have acquired basic skills in understanding children’s, including disabled children’s, views and experiences, using a variety of methods including interviewing and observation.
Teaching Information
Teaching will take place in 12 x 1.5 sessions over a 3 day block. The unit will combine lectures, discussion and practical exercises.
Assessment Information
A written assignment of not more than 4,000 words that requires the student to demonstrate an understanding of the political, social and ethical context for research in relation to child and family welfare, to justify an appropriate methodology for researching a selected topic, and to discuss the skills required for the methods proposed.
Reading and References
- Alderson, P and Morrow, G. (2004) Ethics, Social Research and Consulting with Children and Young People. Barkingside: Barnardo’s.
- Barter, C. et al. (2009) Partner Exploitation and Violence in Teenage Intimate Relationships. London. NSPCC.
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/research/findings/partner_exploitation_and_violence_wda68092.html
- Greene, S. and Hogan, D. (2005) Researching Children’s Experience: Approaches and Methods. London: Sage.
- Iwaniec, D. and Pinkerton, J. (eds) (1998) Making Research Work: Promoting Child Care Policy and Practice. Chichester: Wiley.
- Selwyn, J. et al. (2009) Adoption and the Inter-Agency Fee. Research Report DCSF-RR149. Bristol: University of Bristol.
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DCSF-RR149
