MA in Professional Practice with Children and Families
MA in "Professional Practice" incorporating the Specialist/Higher Specialist/Advanced Awards in Children & Families Social Work
Start date: September
Duration: 3 years part-time
Programme code: SCST26
Who should take this course?
The MA in Professional Practice with Children and Families is designed for qualified child care social workers from statutory, voluntary and independent sector agencies who work in residential, field, hospital or day care settings. The aim is to ensure the education and training of critically reflective social workers whose practice is child-centred and focuses on:
• the developmental needs of children and young people;
• the capacity of parents or carers to respond to those needs and;
• the impact of the wider family and environmental factors on parenting capacity and the child or young person.
The MA is also available to other relevant professionals who work with children as part of their role. We welcome and encourage candidates from all professional backgrounds to contribute to and benefit from this programme, such as teachers, police officers, health visitors, doctors, play workers etc.
[We also offer a modular route to our postgraduate continuing professional development (CPD) activity in Professional Practice. For full details, please follow the link at the top right of this page.]
Course outline
The Post-Qualifying Award Framework has been created by the GSCC to equip qualified Social Workers employed in Children´s Services with the required level of knowledge, understanding and skills to carry out the full range of expectations and duties of contemporary children´s personal social services.
The MA in Professional Practice with Children and Families is based on the GSCC PQ Framework Guidance (2007) and has further been developed around the National Occupational Standards and GSCC Codes of conduct (2002) and is explicitly linked to the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DH et al, 2000) and arrangements set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (DH et al, 1999). It is also informed by the series of responses to the report from Lord Laming, including the Children Act 2004 and the "Every Child Matters" and "Care Matters" papers.
Crucially, it has been developed alongside service users, practitioners and agencies to ensure it incorporates the knowledge skills and values that are essential for skilled practitioners.
It is also flexible enough to enable study throughout the crucial stages of a social work career with options to take breaks between stages.
The course includes three professional and academic awards:
- Specialist Award/Post Graduate Certificate – one year part-time study
- Higher Specialist Award/Post Graduate Diploma –
a further year part-time study - Advanced Award/Masters Degree – completion of a 15,000 word dissertation
What will this MA give me?
The MA in Professional Practice will offer you:
- an opportunity to attain all three professional post-qualifying awards in children and families social work
- a postgraduate academic award from a Russell Group University department with an internationally recognised reputation for providing social work education
- a developed skill base in order to progress your development as a practitioner
- a chance to reflect critically on the current issues, knowledge and debates in children and families social work
- 24 hour access to a range of resources in order to flexibly meet your learning needs
- personal tutee support from academic staff with expertise in the research and practice elements of children and families social work
- This programme will provide the tools and confidence to allow practitioners to be at the forefront of developing a learning culture in their own agencies. It will develop a set of core values which will ensure that respect for others and a determination to put anti-oppressive and reflective practice is placed at the heart of all activity
- flexibility to enable study throughout the stages of a social work career with options to take breaks between stages