1. Apply evidence-informed approaches to social work practice, including decision making in complex and unpredictable situations, with children and families.

Application & Problem Solving

2. Articulate a critical understanding of complex issues, including the impact of trauma, abuse and oppression on the lived experiences of children and families.

Knowledge and Understanding

Communication

3. Analyse and apply the concepts of partnership and empowerment with children, their families, and other professionals to assessment, intervention and decision making

Application & Problem Solving

Critical Reasoning & Collaboration

4. Demonstrate a critical awareness and in-depth knowledge of the structural, cultural, and professional issues facing organisations that undertake social work tasks with children and families.

Application & Problem Solving

Formative Assessment

Group discussions and simulation during teaching and learning sessions with the service user and carer group to embed learning within the module and to prepare for summative assessment elements. There will also be opportunity to engage in mock supervisions with the module lead, both individually and in groups.

Summative Assessment

You will engage in a professional simulation role-play based on a case study developed in partnership with key stakeholders where you can apply the learning from the module. The simulation will take the form of a supervision where you will present and analyse your evidence-informed approach to practice with the family in the case study.

You will create a written practice improvement plan to aid in risk assessment and improved outcomes for the children in this case study. This will be informed by learning from a recent Child Safeguarding Practice Review.

Taking a rights-based and child-centred approach, this module will contextualise contemporary social work practice with children and families and provide you with the knowledge, skills, and values that form the foundation of evidence informed practice. Teaching and learning on the module will enable you to develop critical understanding of:

The role of the social worker in practice with children and families.

The relationship between legislation, policy, and social work practice to safeguard and promote the wellbeing of children.

The way in which events in recent history, such as Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, have shaped the social construction of childhood, parenting and abuse and the impact of this changing narrative on social work practice.

A range of theoretical perspectives, methods, models, and contemporary research, and how these inform contemporary practice with children and families.

The nature of abuse, risk, need and harm in contemporary society, and how social workers make evidence-informed decisions to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This will include adult-oriented issues that have a direct impact on children’s wellbeing – such as parental substance misuse, mental ill-health, coercive control and other forms of domestic abuse.

The role and function of partnership working, in all its forms, to inform decision making, and to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The centrality of the voice of the child in practice.

The concepts of risk, vulnerability and uncertainty and their impact on social work practice.

The impact of diversity, discrimination, and disadvantage on the lived experiences of children and families, and the knowledge, skills, and values that social workers utilise to challenge oppression and empower people who access social work services.

The role of anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in understanding and challenging the personal, structural and cultural ways in which children and families experience power, oppression and discrimination in society.

Informed by current research and collaboration with key stakeholders including people with lived experience, the module will also include analysis of the key contemporary issues in practice, and the evidence base to inform social work interventions to respond to them.

This module also explores the roles of other professionals and managerial staff within organisations. It examines key policies and processes that support organisational accountability, such as supervision, caseload management, performance indicators, and the functions of regulatory bodies like Ofsted. Students will consider how social workers challenge decisions and advocate for the rights of service users within organisational settings. The module also covers effective working relationships with professionals from other agencies, including multidisciplinary and multi‑agency services.

This module will develop your understanding of the role of the social worker with children and families. In considering the core knowledge, skills and values that underpin practice to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, the module will enable you to explore the foundations of evidence-informed practice. Informed by current research and collaboration with key stakeholders, the module will include analysis of key contemporary issues in practice and the evidence base to inform social work interventions with children and families.

This module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to understand how different social work public and voluntary sector organisations work, and the strengths and weaknesses of different types of organisations. You will also learn about quality assurance and the role of regulation in the social work profession. This module will also explore international approaches to social work, as well as multi-agency working, and professional identity.

Scheduled teaching and learning activities:

To consist of

Whole group sessions which will include participatory lectures, simulation-based learning, presentations by the module tutors, and where appropriate, people with lived experience of social work.

Directed Independent study: 240 hours to consist of:

- Accessing online resources

- Use of the VLE

- Independent reading to consolidate the knowledge introduced in the scheduled teaching and learning sessions

- Formative and summative assessment preparation

Brammer, A. (2024) Social Work Law. 6th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education, Limited.

Horwath, J and Platt, D (2019) The Child’s World: The essential guide to assessing vulnerable children, young people and their families. London. JKP

Payne, M. (2021) Modern social work theory. 5th ed. London: Red Globe Press.

Dyke, C. (2023) Writing analytical assessments in social work. 2nd ed. St Albans: Critical Publishing.

Wilkins, D (2019) Child abuse: an evidence base for confident practice. (5th ed). London. OUP Press

Ferguson, H. (2025) Making Child Protection Work. Bristol: Policy Press

Simulation Suites

Virti or other digital tools to aid in the delivery of phenomena or simulation-based learning