Dissertation In Childhood, Youth And Family Studies

In this unit you will actively engage in researching a question of organisational or practice importance that is relevant to the discipline of childhood, youth and family studies and your own area of interest. The research may be based on primary or secondary data but must present original analysis.

In consultation with an allocated dissertation supervisor, you will draw on the skills and knowledge developed in the research methods units to provide an in depth study of their topic, aligning the work to appropriate theoretical framework(s) gained through engagement in core units in semester 1 and 2. You will provide extended critical appraisal of the literature, and of the findings from their own investigation, and applying this learning to policy and/or practice in the discipline of childhood, youth and family studies and practice.

The unit aims therefore to support you in honing your specific subject knowledge and in gaining experience of conducting original research applied to the broad field of childhood, youth and family studies.

Young People Group Offending And Violent Crime

This unit draws upon and critically examines comparative evidence and research from a range of European and North American settings and sociological and criminological theory to explore the nature, extent and impact of violent group offending by young people and how we might respond effectively to it.  In doing so, the unit examines the social, economic, political and cultural forces that have shaped both violent group offending, and it will address questions of policy strategy and intervention and consider the evidence base of current practice in the UK and elsewhere.  

The unit will provide students with the opportunity to analyse the implications and complexities of researching group offending and the ‘gang’.  It will also equip students with the conceptual tools and knowledge base to critically analyse policy and practice in relation to group offending amongst ‘socially excluded’ young people and will enable students to link the study of youth group violence to broader themes explored in the core units.  

Dimensions Of Childhood, Youth And Families

Two key questions frame the development of this unit. First, how has research helped to shape contemporary biological, cognitive, social and cultural explanations of childhood and youth?  Second, what are the contemporary practice issues and challenges which face professionals working with children, young people and families today?

On this basis, the primary aims of the unit are to:

1)      Provide you with a solid conceptual and methodological grounding in contemporary theoretical perspectives of childhood, youth and families, so that you can effectively apply theory and evidence to your practice.

2)      Equip you with the tools to safeguard children and young people, manage risk and be dynamic professionals so that you can effectively work in the best interests of children, young people and families.

The unit is highly relevant to contemporary practice, drawing on the most up-to-date research, practice and policy.  

Contextual Safeguarding: Theoretical Foundations And Practical Implications

This unit will draw on contemporary research to increase students’ understanding of, and ability to critically engage with, the Contextual Safeguarding framework and its application in response to extra-familial harm. It will also enable them to understand the theoretical underpinnings of contextual approaches, and examine the extent to which such foundations are evident in local, national and international child protection systems.

Since the inclusion of Contextual Safeguarding in England’s statutory child protection guidelines in 2018, and the multiple references made to the idea by policymakers since, understanding the intention and use of the approach in practice is a critical component of contemporary child safeguarding practice. Given this, the unit will identify current academic debates within the field of child protection and adolescent development, and explore the current and potential future implications of Contextual Safeguarding theory for policy and practice within the UK.  Students will be encouraged to critically engage with debates around: the conceptualisation and assessment of risk and safety; contextual and individual intervention; the role of social work in responding to harm beyond families, and the potential intersection of Contextual Safeguarding with broader multi-agency approaches to place-based support and intervention.

The Conceptual Framework: Theories Shaping Public Policy For Children And Young People's Services

This unit offers a critical analysis of theories and ideas that inform public policy pertaining to children, young people, their families and communities. It aims to engage students in addressing the conflicts and synergies between theoretical perspectives that address child protection, life span development, criminality etc. Students are expected to locate debates and controversies, which enliven these fields of study, in their historical, social, economic, political and cultural context. In particular these theories are explored against the framework of structural inequality and disadvantage.

Student learning will draw on ideas of classical sociology and psychology, mediated through the lens of recent research, policy and practice evidence.  

Coaching And Mentoring Practice

Coaching and mentoring take place in a variety of professional and private settings, often leading to a confusion about how these interventions might be applied or relevant to each context. The aim of this unit is to examine how best to define coaching and mentoring in a range of settings and explore how they can be appropriate applied by developing key skills. You will relate your theoretical learning to your own working context and consider how to develop your practice during and after your study of the unit.

Effective And Ethical Practice When Working With Children, Young People And Families

What skills, knowledge and values underpin they ways in which front line practitioners engage children, young people and their families using their services in practice? This unit will enable you to develop the skills and knowledge that form the basis of relationship-building with service users across youth work, health, social care, criminal justice and educational settings. 

The unit will cover four key areas: theories of working with people, methods of intervention and practical communication, interpersonal and assessment skills. It will also explore the tensions and challenges in working with those who do not welcome the intervention of professionals. The unit will also ask you to reflect on the ways in which structural inequality and discrimination can affect the ways in which service users engage with professionals and techniques to work with conflict, ambivalence and reluctance. Finally, the unit will enhance your understanding of working in an anti-oppressive way and how to adopt ethical practice principles in your day-to-day engagement with service users, by practicing within an ethical framework which forefronts the rights of service users. 

Research Methods 1 : Setting Deep Foundations

The core aim of this unit is to enable students to combine existing policy and data with research evidence to develop a critical appreciation of their chosen topic. Students will be able to critically appraise and evaluate the existing evidence base and summarise this learning in the form of a scoping report. These skills are increasingly considered essential for practitioners, particularly those in leadership roles.

Research Methods 2 : Design, Data Collection And Ethics

The core aim of this unit is to enable students to propose research which is grounded in existing evidence, robustly designed, makes appropriate use of data collection methods and is ethically sound.

Critical Considerations For Relationship And Sex Education

Relationship and sex education (RSE) is now a statutory subject in the UK. There has long been strong evidence of the positive effects of school-based sex education on preventing teenage pregnancy and reducing STI transmission. However, a systematic literature review, carried out in 2021, of three decades of research of school-based programmes, returned strong evidence of the wider benefits of comprehensive RSE. These include, developing healthy relationships; prevention of relationship abuse; prevention of child sexual abuse; improved media literacy and an appreciation of sexual diversity.

In April 2021, the government instructed Ofsted to carry out a rapid review of sexual harassment and violence in schools, following the revelations in the media of the Everyone’s Invited website campaign. The importance of implementing a whole school approach to comprehensive RSE was highlighted as a key factor in preventing sexual harassment and harmful sexualised behaviours in school.

However, studies show professionals lack confidence and the skills to deliver inclusive RSE. Professionals (teachers, social workers and Youth workers) rarely receive any specific training regarding working with children and young people around issues of RSE. 

Unfortunately, social conditions persist where attitudes to teenage sex are seen as problematic and adults refuse to acknowledge young people’s right to sexual citizenship. This is especially true for young women. Young people have repeatedly asked for non-judgemental information to help them navigate their relationships, both online and in the real world. 

This unit is designed to introduce students to the key concepts in policy and practice for delivering inclusive, rights-based comprehensive Relationship Education to children and young people.

Social Enterprise

This unit aims to introduce students to social entrepreneurship and social enterprise. It focuses on conceptual frameworks that underpin social entrepreneurship, social innovation and social change, and on designing and setting up a social enterprise project.