This course provides social workers and healthcare professionals with understanding and skills of the role of a Best Interest or the Approved mental capacity professional. It is particularly relevant to, Social Workers Occupational Therapists, and Nurses. You should be currently working in an appropriate area of practice prior to applying. Delivery of the module will embody the Herts learning principles – using a blended and flexible learning approach. Please note that the online learning days may include a range of synchronous and asynchronous teaching sessions, and you will need to attend and engage with these on the days specified. This course is for social work and other health care professionals with a working interest in this area. The course can be taken as a standalone course or as part of a postgraduate award. If you take this course as part of a postgraduate award you need to be a qualified social worker with a degree or equivalent.
Course aims
Enhance their skills in critical reflection, decision making and to increase awareness of evidence-based practice when undertaking safeguarding. Students will be able to critically analyze and develop their professional role relating to safeguarding issues and processes and to recognize and work with the risks and opportunities that are created by safeguarding situations.
Content
Students will explore the definition of abuse and the development of protection and preventative services, to include international definitions and policies. They will explore causes and forms of abuse and the ethical issues that arise from this. It will examine current legislation and guidance by applying this knowledge to their own area of work, e.g., Children Act 1989, Working Together to Safeguarding Children (HM Government, 2018), Care Act 2012 and statutory guidance on the Act (Department of Health and Social Care 2018), and address issues for carers & information sharing. The module will enable students to critically analyse the impact of professional interventions and develop awareness of their own impact on others and the aetiology of their own judgements. Critical examination of diversity issues and safeguarding, e.g., Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME), sexuality, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Plus (LGBTQ+) status
If you have any queries about the module, please contact the module leader Brian Littlechild via b.littlechild@herts.ac.uk
The programme is subject to the University's Principles, Policies and Regulations for the Admission of Students to Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Programmes, along with associated procedures.
If you are interested in applying for the MSc Advanced Social Work programme, please contact the programme leader Kim Tran k.tran@herts.ac.uk in the first instance to discuss.
Knowledge and Understanding
Successful students will typically:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to synthesise the key principles and different approaches to safeguarding in relation to working with vulnerable people.
2. Have critical understanding of the impact of risk and safeguarding strategies within one’s professional role, the relevant legal frameworks and evidence including cultural awareness and recognition of diversity.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of how to address power & knowledge imbalances in service users’ personal situations, and with professionals.
Skills and Attributes
Successful students will typically:
1. Gather, analyse and review complex and/or contradictory information quickly and effectively, using it to reach professional decisions that are fully informed by the principles of person-centred care.
2. Work collaboratively with the person or people concerned, their carers and other professionals to evaluate possible options and outcomes, to assess how they might understand what is happening and to ensure that as far as possible they are fully involved at each stage of the safeguarding process.
3. Recognise and promote people’s rights to autonomy and self-determination, willingness to support and challenge as appropriate with a clear understanding of when to intervene, when not to, and how to account for this, within positive risk-taking approaches.
£1730.00
The price quoted above is per 30 credits and relates to students assessed as UK/home self-funded for fee purposes. Prices may differ for students that are assessed as EU Overseas/Overseas. Fees status will normally stay with the student for the remainder of their course. Here you can find further details along with, costs and when your fees need to be paid. You may be able to obtain a Post Graduate student loan, for which you must sign up for the whole MSc programme and not just individual modules or a Post Graduate Diploma, further details can be found at Gov.uk Master’s Loan