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Foundation Degree
Working with Children and Young People
- Duration:
- Two academic years
- Start Dates:
- September each year
- Attendance:
- Part-time - One day a week (Friday Year 1 and Tuesday in Year 2)
- Venue:
- The course will be offered locally by Buckinghamshire New University and Aylesbury College Buckinghamshire New University validate the award
- Cost:
- Available on request (Please discuss funding opportunities with your employer)
- Key Contact:
- The Enquiries Team
- Tel:
- 01494 603 171
- Email:
- ask@bucks.ac.uk
Is this course suitable for me?
This Higher Education qualification will be of interest to Practitioners working in a range of settings with children and young people and or those with wide experience which can be explored at interview below are some suggested areas of work that would mean you are able to apply:
Youth Club workers; Play workers; Learning support; Educational Welfare; Voluntary sectors; Private sectors; Community support (police); Classroom assistants; Civilians working with police/child protection; Connexions workers; GP receptionists; Brooke advisory workers; Ward Clerks; Social care workers; Child bereavement workers; Day care workers; Mental health support workers
This list is not exhaustive and your relevant experience and skills can be explored at interview.
Why not try a taster day or an open event
Coming back into education can be daunting, but attending one of our taster days could help ease any concerns or worries you may have, by offering an opportunity to meet the teaching team and other students, familiarise yourself with the Higher Education environment and experience a couple of module taster sessions.
Overview
What is a Foundation Degree?
A Foundation Degree rates the same academically as the first two years of a three year Honours Degree at a UK university. It can be achieved in two year by part-time study because it is work-based and in an applied discipline. Currently about 50,000 students (mostly adult and part-time) are following Foundation Degrees in England. Subjects range from Assistant Practitioner to Community Development and Early Years! Almost all Foundation Degrees offer progression to an Honours Degree, and Bucks New University offers a BA (Hons) Practice Development degree.
The key features of a Foundation Degree are:
• The development of specialist technical knowledge and skills
• Learning structured around your employment
• The development of motivated and qualified students who will benefit from increased career opportunities
• You can continue to earn while learning – there is no need to give up your job to do a Foundation Degree
• Partnership input and support from both academics and practitioners
Structure
How will the course be delivered?
• Flexible and diverse study methods including work based learning, lectures, seminars, tutorials, distance learning and on-line support
• Students will study in the workplace and will be have an allocated Mentor to support their learning in practice
The course team
The course team comprises lecturers tutors and practitioners with a wide spread of qualifications and experience in working with children and young people. You will also be supported in your studies by a tutor from the course team who will visit you in the workplace to support your work-based learning. Students will have full access to the library and Learning Resources Centre at Bucks New University and the learning resources of Aylesbury College.
Content
The course contains eight modules normally delivered over two years. If students choose to select specific modules as short courses, they can be built over a period of no longer than four years to the award of Foundation Degree.
Year one
Personal & Professional Development in Practice 1
The study of this module will allow students to develop key academic and study skills which will enable them to develop critical analysis, apply theory to practice and to reflect on their own practice whilst learning about professionalism and communication skills.
Supporting Life Transitions
This module aims to explore the many transitions that young people make between 0 and 19 years. This will include exploration of the principles, theory and concepts of dealing with transitional processes and the factors that will impact on those transitions.
The Developing Child
This module aims to develop the students’ skills in understanding the theory, principles and concepts of child development in relation to their work settings. The module provides opportunities for students to learn to apply research to support their academic discussion at the appropriate level. There will be an expectation that students will develop their knowledge of child and adolescent development in relation to their work place and learn skills of reflection both on practice as well as in practice.
The Team around the Child and Young Person
This module aims to further enhance student’s knowledge and understanding of the practitioner’s role and responsibilities relating safeguarding and protecting children and young people. The module will analyse theoretical approaches and current research regarding family violence, child and adolescent abuse. The student will apply this knowledge in the identification and preventative strategies and intervention techniques which assist in supporting vulnerable individuals and communities in line with best practice across agencies.
Year two
Personal & Professional Development in Practice 2
This module will enable the student to use reflection in their practice, and to demonstrate leadership and management skills in managing change in the work setting. This will involve a consideration of ethics and professionalism along with an understanding of the importance of evidence based practice.
Building Healthy Communities
This module will enable students to explore the concepts of working with young people to build community capacity. It will consider current thinking around enabling young people to participate in society, make a valuable contribution and develop life skills. The particular focus is in working with groups and service users to improve outcomes for children and young people and build social capital.
Children, Families and Society
This module seeks to develop the student’s knowledge and understanding of the continuously shifting nature of the relationship between children, parents and the state. Students will develop an understanding of how social policy impacts on the family. Students will develop knowledge and understanding of historical social policy development; from policy that viewed children as belonging to the private world of the family to more recent times when ideas of collective investment in children are seen as crucial to the welfare of society. Children’s rights and the complexities associated with seeing children as future citizens will be examined in light of changing family forms, parenting styles and the vital role parents play in working in partnership with a range of professionals to ensure their child’s optimum health and development
Inclusion
This module focuses students on the issues and philosophies surrounding inclusion identifying additional needs and exploring inclusion in its widest context The module will aid students in identifying the individual needs of all children and young people evaluating planning and provision for their individual care and learning needs and, if necessary the related referral processes. Students will enhance their knowledge of legislation and policies and the implications of the wider remit for inclusion for practitioners working with children and young people It will also highlight the importance of working closely with other professionals building on the team around the child module.
Entry requirements
Applicants must be current practitioners working with children and young people in different settings. It is expected that most applicants will have at least two years experience of working in this environment. Practice experience may be undertaken as employed work or for a registered charity (voluntary work). You should be working at least 6 hours a week as you will need to draw on that experience for examples to develop your learning on the programme.
Students with credits at NVQ 4, Advanced Diploma in Childcare and Education or equivalent learning in child care settings may be offered credit through Bucks New University’s Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) regulations and procedures.
Successful applicants will be invited for interview.
Employment opportunities
Bucks New University offers a conversion to honours programme BA (Hons) Practice Development. The course has been developed as a work based course to develop skills in analysis and evaluation, with students being supported to undertake substantial projects in the place of work, with a focus on practice development.
A typical mature graduate may wish to use the degree for progression into other areas of working with children and young people such as health, education or social care.
Funding assistance
Bursary funding for Buckinghamshire students may be available through Buckinghamshire County Council to help pay towards the cost of this degree. Please contact the Workforce Development Team on 01296 382 658 or email cypsworkforcedevelop@buckscc.gov.uk for further information.
There is also the Buckinghamshire Early Years Professional Pathway (BEYPP) formerly Graduate Leader Fund from Buckinghamshire County Council. Buckinghamshire students please contact the Early Years & Childcare Service on 0845 3708 090 for more information.
How to make an application
Contact the appropriate person for an application pack:
Buckinghamshire New University, Owen Lord on 01494 603 171 or ask@bucks.ac.uk
Aylesbury College, contact the Admissions Team on 01296 588 632 or admissions@aylesbury.ac.uk
Further information and advice
Visit www.bucks.ac.uk or www.aylesbury.ac.uk or
We hope to have a fully on-line application system shortly, but in the meantime, to apply for a course, please download and print these forms, completing them fully and posting back to the address below.
- Course_Enquiry_Letter (70.4 KB)
- Application_form (58.1 KB)
- Notes_for_Guidance (51.6 KB)
- Fee_Authoristaion_Form (61.1 KB)
- Foundation_Degree_Reference_Form (9.6 KB)
If you are unable to view the forms, please click here to download a free version of adobe reader.
Alternatively, if you call us on 01494 603 171 or email ask@bucks.ac.uk we can post you a hard copy application pack.
Students funded by the NHS or other employer
If the cost of your course is being funded by your employer, please contact your education lead or manager for guidance as to how they would prefer you to make an application.