Social Work with Children and Families

Social Work with Children and Families

This course at a glance

• Explore the social, political, and legal contexts of social work with children
• Learn the key principles and processes involved in child and family social work
• Understand how to conduct direct work with children, adults, and families
• No prior experience or qualifications needed
• Study online, at home, at your own pace
• Gain a learndirect Certificate of Achievement in Social Work with Children and Families

About your course

Getting started

Modules

Module 1: The Social and Political Context of Social Work with Children and Families.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Analyse the concept of the family with reference to historical, sociological and political perspectives.
• Explore your own attitudes to the family as an institution.
• Develop a critical knowledge and awareness of inequality between and within families.
• Describe and value the variety of different types of families to be found in a multicultural society.

Module 2: Principles of Social Work with Children and Families.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the importance of key principles in social work with children and families.
• Explain the tensions involved in practice with a principles perspective.
• Provide a personal statement of principles.

Module 3: The Process of Social Work with Children and Families.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the process of social work in terms of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Relate these processes to social work with children and families.
• Demonstrate the links between process and good practice.

Module 4: Direct Work with Children and Young People in the Family.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify values and knowledge required for direct work with children and young people.
• Identify and critically evaluate particular skills for direct work with children and young people.

Module 5: Working with Adults in the Family.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the needs of adults in the family.
• Give examples of particular needs and how these might be met with social work support.

Module 6: Working with the Family as a Group.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify ways in which social workers can work with the family as a group.
• Identify some of the skills for working with the family as a group.

Module 7: Immediate Protection of the Child.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Suggest some working definitions of child abuse.
• Identify some of the problems in defining child abuse.
• Suggest some of the main reasons why child abuse occurs.
• Explain the key factors you need to take into account in carrying out an assessment of a child thought to be at risk.
• Outline how the investigation of suspected child abuse can be carried out.
• Explain the main issues involved in working with child protection committees.

Module 8: Protecting Children 2: Ensuring the Child’s Future Welfare.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Appreciate what is involved in planning, carrying out and following up work with a child who has been harmed.
• Work with other family members when a child has been harmed.
• Encourage adults and children to participate in planning, carrying out and reviewing the work.

Module 9: Working with Children being Looked after by the Local Authority.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Define what ‘being looked after in local authority accommodation’ means.
• Specify how some children come to be looked after by the local authority.
• Identify the legal basis for the local authority looking after children.
• Evaluate the risks to children being looked after by the local authority.
• Describe the key features of social work with children being looked after by the local authority.
• Specify how work to place children with foster carers should be carried out.

Module 10: Social Work with Families through Transitions, Loss and Gain.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Describe some transitions family members need to negotiate and explain the impact they have on family members.
• Explain the impact of some losses and gains on family members.
• Identify ways in which social workers may work with the family at times of transition.

Module 11: Children and Families and Special Needs.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify the use and value of appropriate language in relation to children with special needs.
• Describe the legal framework for children with special needs in England and Wales.
• Evaluate the relationship between needs and services for children with special needs and their families.
• Inform your social work practice with an understanding of anti-oppressive issues.

Module 12: Empowerment and Partnership in Work with Children and Families.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Summarise the concepts of empowerment and Partnership.
• Apply the concepts of empowerment and partnership in your work with children and families.

For a more detailed syllabus on this course, click here

Entry Requirements

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds. This makes it an ideal way to explore a career as a children's social worker.

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

At the end of each unit there is a multiple choice test. Learners can sit these tests in their own time at home.

On successful completion of your course you will receive the learndirect Certificate of Completion of Training in Social Work with Children and Families.

Your course certificate will also state the number of CPD points/hours the course is eligible for.

View a sample of the certificate (opens in new window)

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Career

This course is a perfect starting point for anyone considering a career in child and family social work. It provides the foundational knowledge and theoretical understanding required for further academic study, such as a degree in social work. With this certificate, you will have a clear grasp of the principles, processes, and skills needed to become a compassionate and effective children social worker. This programme also offers insight into how do social workers help families, making it valuable for anyone in a related support role.

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