Child Protection: Working Together Managing Risk and Resilience – MSc

The objectives of this course are to develop students’ knowledge and awareness of the safe and ethical implementation of safeguarding policy and legislative frameworks to promote effective inter-agency and collaborative practice in the statutory and voluntary sectors.

This course examines and evaluates knowledge and skills in line with the emotional wellbeing and mental health of the child and its family, to understand and identify risks and vulnerability and to consider the concept of resilience and its promotion.

The course is delivered collaboratively from a number of perspectives – child health, child and adolescent mental health, and social care – and is taught with contributions from experts in the field.

Who is it for?

This course is designed for anyone working with children and adolescents or who has contact with children through working with parents.
Safeguarding is ‘everybody’s business’, and as such, this course aims to raise awareness of safeguarding and child protection issues, enabling the student to be conversant with the theory, policy and procedures surrounding it.

Timetable

This course runs for eight weeks from the end of January through to March on a Thursday afternoon from 1pm to 4.30pm. There are seven teaching sessions and one reading week.

Benefits

This short course module is designed to be flexible in allowing you to study and reach your goals at your own pace. Our health CPD courses are credit-bearing modules that contribute to a University degree or award.

Transfer course credits towards degree

As a health care professional, once you've completed this course you could offset 15 credits as part of a postgraduate programme, continuing your study with further modules to make up a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits or Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits qualification (all credits must be awarded within five years of study commencing).

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Analyse and critically evaluate the International evidence base available related to child protection work, policy and inter-professional practice
• Demonstrate enhanced levels of knowledge and conceptual ability in relation to identification, assessment and management of risk in particular to significant harm and emotional well being
• Critically evaluate and analyse the theories underpinning family systems and parenting variables
• Identify and analyse the cultural, environmental and economic factors that induce risk or promote resilience in the individual and the family
• Demonstrate a competent level of knowledge of the legal framework, investigative processes and professional accountability in the safeguarding of children
• Develop and manage effective local inter-professional partnerships and develop strategies for early identification and intervention in relationship to safeguarding children
• Explore the complexities and dynamics of conscious and unconscious communication in child protection work with families
• Participate in developing and disseminating local policies and guidelines relating to the mental health and well-being of the child, young person and their families/carers.

Teaching:

The teaching sessions are made up each week of a journal group, reflective practice group and a topic presentation. Students will be encouraged to develop their critical and reflective ability.

Assessment:

The written assessment comprises of a 3,000-word essay and provides you with an opportunity to identify and critically analyse an area of safeguarding risk and evaluate the implications for practice, making recommendations to promote resilience.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Non-EEA students can only apply as part of a programme, not as a stand-alone course.

Course requirements include:

• a current professional registration with a relevant professional/statutory body or equivalent or a first degree at least 2.2 or above
• at least one year's experience working in, for example: voluntary sector, social work, education, primary care, mental health nursing, psychology, psychiatry, criminal justice, residential workers and those who are currently working in an agency with responsibility for aspects of inter-professional practice relating to their own discipline
• a satisfactory academic reference and/or a satisfactory clinical reference.

English requirements

If your first language is not English, one of the following is required:

• A first degree from a UK university
• A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by City, University of London as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language, for example, from institutions from Australia, Canada or the United States of America.
• International English Language Test Service (IELTS) a score of 7.0 is required with no subtest below 7.0
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) score 72 required
• TOEFL 100 overall with 24 in Writing, 20 in Listening, 19 Reading and 20 Speaking
• Other evidence of proficiency in the English language, which satisfies the board of studies concerned, including registration with your professional regulator.

• HM Government (2018) Working together to Safeguard Children: March 2018 A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children London: Crown Publications
• workingtogetheronline.co.uk
• HM Government (2018a) Serious Violence Strategy
• NICE (2017) Child Maltreatment: When to suspect maltreatment in under 18s London: NICE
• NSPCC (2017)
• Radford, L., Corral, S., Bradley, C., Fisher, H., Bassett, C., Howat, N. & Collishaw, S. (2011) Child Abuse and Neglect in the UK Today London: NSPCC