Securing Children’s Futures: Good Practice in Permanence Planning and Family Placement
Course 9: August 2023 – January 2024
£3225.00 + VAT
This post qualifying course is aimed at social workers and managers in children and families’ teams, family placement teams as well as other specialist settings across the statutory, voluntary and independent sector. Applicants will require the support of their employer to attend as well as validate their work. It is imperative that sponsoring agencies ensure their nominated students have the motivation, capacity and commitment to complete the course.
The course is at MSc Level 11 and attracts an award of 60 credits (postgraduate certificate) which can be taken forward to further study. The course is validated by Strathclyde University.
The course requires attendance at three taught modules of three consecutive days per module. Assessment will be on the basis of three written assignments as well as an assessed observation in the workplace. Comprehensive feedback is available to students. A student handbook will provide all the required information.
Course description
Module One: Steps to permanence
Module one will focus on permanence planning for children. It will explore the journey of the child through the various decision-making aspects. The themes will be exploring outcomes for looked after children, assessing parenting capacity, considering contact in both temporary and permanent care as well as the placement of children with or without their siblings. A social policy and legal overview will be provided as well as messages from research. This will enable students to assess and analyse their role in evidencing good practice.
Module Two: Keeping the child central to planning
Module two develops the themes by exploring what is meant by child centred practice. The themes will be a consideration of child development including attachment, brain development, resilience, impact of trauma, identity, education and health outcomes, life story work, direct work with children as well as looking at values and children’s rights. This module will also look at outcomes for children in permanent fostering as well as linking and matching.
Module Three: Assessing and supporting carers
Module three considers all aspects of working with, supporting and reviewing substitute carers with particular reference to kinship carers. The themes will be an exploration of all aspects of assessment including risk, supervising and reviewing foster carers, assessing difference, looking at disruption as well as considering adoption support. The life-long nature of adoption will be emphasised through an adoptive parent’s contribution.
Relative Matters: Good Practice in Permanence Planning in Kinship Care
Course 3: November 2022 – March 2023
£3185.00 + VAT
This course offers practitioners a unique opportunity to develop their knowledge and practice in the area of kinship care. Aimed at social workers and managers working in children and families, kinship care and family placement settings, the course follows the journey of the child from the early identification of concerns, parenting capacity and their route to stability, along with the assessment and support needs of their carers. The latest findings from research and practice, as well as the legal framework in Scotland are covered in-depth.
Applicants will require the support of their employer to attend as well as validate their work. It is imperative that sponsoring agencies ensure their nominated students have the motivation, capacity and commitment to complete the course and study at master’s level. Please note this course will be delivered virtually using Microsoft Teams.
The course will be delivered alongside the validation process from Strathclyde University at MSc Level 11 and once validated will attract an award of 60 credits (postgraduate certificate) which can be taken forward to further study. Agencies will need to be confident that their nominated student can study at master’s level.
Course description
Module One: The Kinship Care Context in Scotland
Focuses on historical and international perspectives as well as the child protection context. All relevant legal and policy areas will be considered alongside the ethical considerations in this area of practice. This module explores how outcomes in kinship care can be assessed.
Module Two: The Child in Kinship Care
Covers the meaning of kinship care, children’s needs and characteristics as well as exploring often contentious and complex areas such as contact and the placement of siblings. This module will further consider children’s identity.
Module Three: Assessing and Supporting Kinship Carers
Considers the preparation and assessment of kinship carers including the use of risk assessments. The focus will move onto different approval and support factors. The voice of kinship carers will be a core theme. A training for trainers’ input will complete this module.