Working with Children, Young People and Families BA (Hons)

UCAS code L517

Duration

3 Years

Location

Stoke-on-Trent campus

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children, young people and their families and carers? Do you want to challenge some of the most complex problems in society, whilst helping individuals to thrive? If so, this course will help you to become a future practitioner who can help bring about positive and sustainable change.

This programme will equip you with the ability to understand what effective practice with families looks like, including the difficulties and challenges of working with children and families, and how to help them fulfil their potential.

You’ll study aspects of child development, looking at how society understands the concept of family and the rights of children. You’ll also look at the complex issue of safeguarding children, models of support such as THRIVE, and consider current legislation and policy initiatives to understand how practitioners can help to protect children.

Utilising cutting edge simulation-based teaching alongside hands-on work experience, you’ll gain first-hand experience dealing with a range of problems that families can face while children are growing up, developing the skills needed to support and empower families, and to deliver therapeutic interventions.

You’ll be equipped with the key professional skills needed for recognising and assessing complex needs, and intervening in children’s lives, especially when in crisis, as well as an understanding of the complexities of multi-agency working. The degree will also prepare you to work across diverse settings, such as family homes, youth centres, youth justice, children's centres, statutory provisions and in the community more widely.

We’ll help you to become a skilled practitioner that supports the confidence and skills of children, young people and families, helping them to overcome barriers and maximise their independence.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families

Blended learning

We take a blended learning approach. A mixture of on-campus and off-campus learning lets you better fit learning around your life.

Course content

This degree will give you the knowledge you need to recognise, navigate and assess the complex needs that children, young people and families often present, especially when in crisis, and will learn how to make referrals to statutory services and plan support interventions.

Using realistic simulated environments, you’ll develop an approach that is respectful, professional and supportive to enable children, young people and their families achieve their potential, whilst staying safe.

You’ll learn the importance of working alongside other professionals, organisations and agencies with the shared responsibility for improving outcomes in specific age groups, across the full age range and specifically with families in community settings. In doing this, you’ll learn how to use evidence-based approaches to inform your judgement, both in simulation and practice.

The BA (Hons) in Children, Young People and Families degree focuses on a number of settings where children and young people may be living on their own or in larger groups, including children’s’ homes, schools, residential special schools and secure children’s homes. In this context, you’ll learn to develop placement plans that will support a child’s health, education, social and day-to-day needs, and the significant role these plans have in helping them to thrive and fulfil their potential.

Alongside these settings, the course also focuses on work within the community. You’ll therefore learn the importance of, and be skilled in, early intervention and safeguarding work, and how to manage risk across the spectrum needs for children, young people and families' in simulated environments.

As well as these practice skills, you’ll also learn about the leadership and management of services, such as residential settings, and will learn about the principles of long-term care and support for children and young people, and the legislation and compliance requirements for running a residential care home. There’s also the opportunity to explore managerial requirements of community-based children, young people and family work including the national systems of social welfare, an exploration of local agencies and community groups and how to conduct a community audit.

Modules**

Year 1

  • Communication Skills and Improving Family Communication
  • Safeguarding Children
  • Safeguarding Adults
  • Children, Young People and Families - Policy and Practice
  • Supporting Health and Wellbeing
  • Personal and Professional Development

Year 2

  • Work Experience with Children, Young People or Families
  • Inclusive Practice with Children, Young People or Families
  • Families: Abuses, Crime, Inequalities or Youth Crime and Justice
  • Community Development Work
  • Supporting Parents: Conflict Management and Managing Challenging Behaviour
  • Preparing for Research with Children, Young People and Families
  • Youth Crime and Justice

Year 3

  • Vulnerability and Trauma Informed Practice
  • Working with Drug Users
  • Leadership and Management
  • Youth Crime; Gang Associated and Violent Youths
  • Managing Activities with Children Young People and Families

** Module structure may be subject to minor changes

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module where available.

Entry requirements

112-120 UCAS Tariff points

  • GCE A Levels - grades BBC or equivalent
  • Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma - grade DMM
  • Access to HE Diploma - Pass Access with a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points. Applicants to Staffs who are taking the Access to HE Diploma receive a reduced tariff point offer as part of our access and participation plan activity
  • UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma - grade of Merit overall
  • OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - grade DMM
  • T Levels - Eligible T Level applications will be asked to achieve a minimum overall grade of P (A*-C) or Higher Pass as a condition of offer

We understand that you might have experienced a challenging run up to higher education and may have not met the entry requirements as listed. If this is the case don’t worry, contact us and our team of expert advisors can guide you through the next stages of application, or help you find the perfect course for your needs.

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Check our entry and English language requirements for your country.

GO

Facilities

Community House (Stoke)

A fully furnished house used for simulated, scenario-based training. It includes audio and video facilities to record simulated exercises and allow detailed tutor and peer feedback.

Libraries

We have Libraries and service desks at both sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. Our experienced and friendly staff can answer your IT queries, help you to access resources, show you how to research for your assignments and help with referencing.

Careers

Upon completion of the course, you’ll be able to go into a broad range of roles including:

  • Children’s residential care
  • Family support work
  • Early intervention and crisis reduction roles
  • Substance misuse roles
  • Youth justice roles
  • Advocacy roles

All students have access to Career Connect, our dedicated careers team.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Teaching will use a range of classroom, blended, simulation and workplace-based learning strategies.

Assessment

Alongside traditional methods such as essays, reports and presentations, students will complete a range of simulated situations alongside completing work experience and reflecting on practice.

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include:

  • study skills such as reading, note-taking and presentation skills
  • written English, including punctuation and grammatical accuracy
  • academic writing and how to reference
  • research skills
  • critical thinking and understanding arguments
  • revision, assessment and examination skills
  • time management

Additional support

Our Student Inclusion Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Year 1

17% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
84% of time in independent study
0% of time in work based learning

Year 2

19% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
81% of time in independent study
0% of time in work based learning

Year 3

14% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
87% of time in independent study
0% of time in work based learning

Year 1

58% practical assessments
42% coursework
0% written exams

Year 2

17% practical assessments
83% coursework
0% written exams

Year 3

33% practical assessments
67% coursework
0% written exams

Staff

Dawn Lawrence

Senior Lecturer

I joined the University in 2019 and I have been instrumental in the design of the new BA (Hons) Working with Children Young People and Families. I have an interest in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and I am very proactive in driving this forward.

Dawn's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 22 September 2025 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for BA (Hons)-Full-time
Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £9,250 per year of study £16,750 per year of study

UK and Channel Island students: This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation. If the UK government passes appropriate legislation, the fee for subsequent years of study may increase in each academic year. But this increase will not exceed the rate of inflation as measured by RPIX**. Any change in fees will apply to both new and continuing students. The University will notify students of any change as early as possible. Further information about fee changes would be posted on the University’s website once this becomes available.

**RPIX is a measure of inflation equivalent to all the items in the Retail Price Index (RPI) excluding mortgage interest payments.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs

Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

Sources of financial support

If you receive funding from Student Finance you may be eligible to apply for additional benefits. Details can be obtained by reading our additional funding web pages, or visiting www.gov.uk.

Scholarships and additional funding

As an undergraduate student at Staffordshire, you may be eligible for additional financial support through one of our scholarships and bursaries. You can visit our funding page to find out more and check your eligibility.

Our students

For me, making this big leap has been the best decision I could have made. 

As a mature single parent, I decided to take a chance on myself to better my career by studying something that I have always had a big passion about. When I joined the group, I was welcomed with open arms and was made to feel a part of the family straight away. Dawn goes above and beyond for us all. For me, making this big leap has been the best decision I could have made. 

Emma Dutton

Student

I have managed to secure a voluntary position to coincide with the course, using the communication skills gained in Personal and Professional Development. 

I am thoroughly enjoying [the course]. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do as a career for years but since studying the subject areas so far, I now know I want to work with vulnerable young adults and survivors of domestic abuse. To date, I have achieved great marks in the first semester modules and have developed a love of study and reading for pleasure. I have managed to secure a voluntary position to coincide with the course, using the communication skills gained in Personal and Professional Development. 

Hannah Booth

Student

This degree welcomes all, no matter a person’s background, race, gender or disability.

[The course] so far, been a great learning experience. Although I am currently only in semester 2 of my first year, I feel I have already gained valuable knowledge. This degree has been a pleasure to undertake, with the course lead Dawn Lawrence creating a safe space where discussions can take place, broadening not only our own individual knowledge but each other's too and in the process, providing a shared learning experience that ensures everyone’s voices are amplified. Constant learning and improvement are two things that are extremely important when working with children, young people and families. This degree welcomes all, no matter a person’s background, race, gender or disability. If you are considering taking the jump, my advice is do it, you will not be disappointed! 

Courtney Smith

Student

Apply

Location Award Study option Start date Apply Link
Stoke-on-Trent campus BA (Hons) Full-time 22 September 2025 Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University of Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University of Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.

Information from discover uni

Have you considered?

in the UK for Quality Education

Sustainable Development Goal 4, Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021