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Why choose the School of Applied Social Sciences
Over 95% of our Health and Social Care graduates are in employment or further study 15 months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes, 2023)
Our Health and Social Care courses rank 1st in their subject table for graduation prospects – outcomes (CUG, 2024)
With our Change Maker programme we ask you to take an active role in bringing about change and working towards social justice
About the course
This Foundation degree equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to work effectively and successfully in the field of child and family services opening doors to a range of careers.
Built around the most current legislation policy and events and offering a wide area of study this course gives you an in-depth understanding of the essential aspects of child development and welfare. Underpinning the course is the belief that children young people and their families have rights and should have equal access to services and opportunities regardless of social difference.
Your studies have a strong vocational element with real-life practice informing the curriculum and your work. You are expected to be employed or volunteering with children or young people for a minimum of 14 hours per week and need a work-based mentor to support you with your studies.
You will also research and complete a work-based project supported by the academic team all of whom are actively involved in research themselves.
Why choose this course?
- Benefit from the University of Bedfordshire’s new Health & Social Care Academy run in partnership with local councils and NHS Trusts to recruit and train the next generation of health and social care workers
- Learning while working in childcare (with the support of your employer and a mentor) allows you to relate theory to practice
- Completing the course allows you to enter the final year of an Honours degree such as our BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
- It opens doors to careers in outreach and community work; educational welfare; family support; youth remand centres; residential social work; special or statutory schools; or children’s rights
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
Course Leader - Dr Sandra Roper
I have been teaching in higher education in the social sciences for many years including several years as an Associate Lecturer within Applied Social Studies at the University of Bedfordshire. I joined the department on a permanent basis in July 2017.
My doctoral research, undertaken at the Open University, was a feminist informed narrative-discursive exploration of step-mothering and identity.
Course Leader - Dr Sandra Roper
I have been teaching in higher education in the social sciences for many years including several years as an Associate Lecturer within Applied Social Studies at the University of Bedfordshire. I joined the department on a permanent basis in July 2017.
My doctoral research, undertaken at the Open University, was a feminist informed narrative-discursive exploration of step-mothering and identity.
Course Leader - Dr Sandra Roper
I have been teaching in higher education in the social sciences for many years including several years as an Associate Lecturer within Applied Social Studies at the University of Bedfordshire. I joined the department on a permanent basis in July 2017.
My doctoral research, undertaken at the Open University, was a feminist informed narrative-discursive exploration of step-mothering and identity.
What will you study?
Studying our Child and Family Studies Foundation Degree will equip you with the in-depth knowledge and skills around child development and welfare that will allow you to provide high-quality services to children, young people and families. As an important foundation to your study, you will be given an Introduction to Working with Children, Young People and Families in Practice. This unit will equip you with the concepts, theories and skills needed to work with children, young people and families within the framework of human services and government policy. Building on this you will develop your understanding of theories of childhood, youth and education in our Narratives of Childhood and Youth unit while also looking at theory around children and young people’s development with a focus on identity formation and perception in our Perceptions and Discourses of Childhood unit.
Our Law, Society and Controversy unit will introduce you to foundational knowledge of the legal system, its institutions and practices in the UK and internationally. You will consider the relevance of law and how it impacts society and orders social life by examining key issues and debates at the centre of law and society. You will draw from this legislation in our Working Together: Inter-Agency Approaches to Child Welfare Assessment and Intervention unit to consider the historical and current approaches to child welfare and multi-agency working. This will be particularly useful in allowing you to advocate and challenge decisions to support the needs of children and young people.
You will also be given an opportunity to enhance your overall skill and understanding of working with users of education, health and social care in our Management and Applied Experience within a Work-Based Learning Environment unit. Moreover, you will be able to enhance your insight into the field of health and social care provision for children and adults, policies and procedures and how this impacts service delivery. Finally, you will have the opportunity to complete an independent, situation-specific project in our Researching Children and Family Practice (Work Based Project) unit where you will be supported by a supervisor across one-to-one tutorials.
How will you be assessed?
The overall strategy of the Foundation degree seeks to reflect the breadth of study possible as well as ensuring that you have the opportunity to build on areas of particular interest or relevance to themselves. A range of appropriate and effective assessments will enable you to demonstrate your acquisition of knowledge and skills. The assessment methods used across the course include: Written assignments - these will vary in style and will include essays reports reflective accounts as well as other written tasks that we will prepare you for.
Examinations: These will be a range of multiple choice computer examinations Throughout your two years (three years if you decide to take the `top up option at level 6) there will also be several in-class tests allowing you to apply and use the theory and knowledge that you have gained through your studies. Oral and Poster presentations that demonstrate verbal and presentation skills through sharing information and knowledge with others in innovative ways. Group work will allow you to demonstrate your skills of research in a group; it will develop your skills in collaborative and multiagency working and group management. Even though you will be working in a group you will be assessed on an individual basis and will receive an individual grade based on your input and performance. The assessments will develop across the course and will allow you to gain skills and acquire knowledge receive feedback on your progress that will allow you to implement knowledge and feedback into further assessments. For example at level four the learning of the skill of report/essay writing will take place before you write your first essay or report. At level five assessments will allow you to demonstrate your understanding and the application of relevant and up to date knowledge to the field of children young people and family services. Working in groups is an important attribute that underpins the ethos of multi agency and multi disciplinary working and collaborative practice and as part of the assessment process you will work in groups with peers and colleagues. However your contribution will be individually graded and you will receive a grade based on your contribution to the assessed group work. Assessment will be a part of the learning process to develop your knowledge and skills in order to become a highly effective practitioner by the end of your studies.
Careers
On completion of this course you will have developed the skills and knowledge required to support your career prospects within the sector. You are likely to progress into the following areas:
- Educational welfare
- Family support/family centres
- Youth remand centres/prisons
- Residential social work
- Special schools
- Statutory schools
- Children’s rights/complaints
- Outreach and community-based project work
- Early years provision
If you would like to continue with your studies completion of the Foundation degree allows you to enter the final year of the University of Bedfordshire’s BA (Hons) in Childhood and Youth Studies.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
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