Working with Children, Young People and Families

This a course with social justice and equality at its heart. It is an exciting, contemporary degree which will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to work effectively with children, young people and families in a range of professional settings.

The ethos of social justice is woven throughout the theoretical and practical aspects of the course. We will provide you with a range of teaching and learning experiences to build on your motivations and existing skills so that you can contribute positively to a changing society, particularly with services who work with, or for, vulnerable children, young people, and their families.

We recognise the importance of giving you the autonomy to shape your academic path. Alongside essential core components which will ensure you explore the breadth of this subject, you will have choices in your placement settings and optional modules, which will enable you to tailor your degree to your career aspirations as they evolve.

Practical placements are an important part of the course, in each year of the programme you will gain valuable hands-on experience working in a professional setting. This will allow you to apply the theoretical knowledge you have gained in classes to real-life situations, developing the practical skills and competencies essential for you to work in the field.

You will have the opportunity to observe and learn from experienced professionals, gaining insight into best practices, techniques, and approaches used in the field. Your time in practice will also give you the chance to build professional networks and make connections that may prove beneficial when you are looking to move into employment after graduation.

Overall, this course will provide you with a rich and rewarding learning experience that will be invaluable to a range of potential future careers in areas of work with young people, community development and education, youth engagement and inclusion, community cohesion, as well as postgraduate study. Whatever path you choose to pursue on completion of the course, you will take with you a professional practice grounded in the theory and practice of community-based, informal education.

With a focus on personal and professional development, our course will support you to understand the complexities of working with children, young people, and their families, in theory and in practice. We want to support you so that you can develop into an effective agent of change, making a difference to vulnerable children and young people, and providing family support.

Many people who choose to undertake this degree do so because they want to make a difference. The rights of children and young people, and a commitment to social justice, equity, sustainability, anti-discrimination, community empowerment and collective action are at the centre of what we believe, teach and research.

As you progress through the course you will work and learn together with experienced tutors and professionals to become a confident and competent advocate of children and young people, developing your own personal and professional skills so that you can be influential in developing sustainable practice, provision, and policy in your future career.

Tutors on the course come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and are research active, understanding the demands of study, work, and family life. They are committed to the agenda of social justice, equity, anti-discrimination, community empowerment, sustainability and collective action that underpins the course.

£1,000 scholarships for 2025/26

If you apply to BCU by 30 June 2025, you could be eligible for one of our £1,000 scholarships:

Accelerate – if you are from a lower income family or household

High Achievers’ – if you achieve 144 UCAS points or more from your main three qualifications

For full details and terms, visit www.bcu.ac.uk/scholarships