Social Policy with Foundation Year

This module aims to introduce you to key ideas about social care practice. Key models of practice and values will be explored in order to equip you with the knowledge to meet the requirements of this level of study. The focus on culturally competent practice and service user led provision will help you to understand the needs for practice that recognises a range of needs and is able to respond to individuals living within the community. The assessment strategy is designed to measure academic knowledge and communication skills with an explicit relationship between the lectures, seminars, learning outcomes and assessments.

The module aims to provide you with a firm grounding in sociological substantive and factual knowledge, help build interpretive capacity, and encourage the development of evaluative thought. You will also be encouraged to develop a range of allied transferable skills. Teaching will include formal delivery of material via lectures, supported by online materials, alongside seminars, for which you will be expected to prepare and in which you will be expected to actively participate. Tutorials will give you the opportunity to speak one-to-one to members of the teaching team to discuss any issues, questions or queries they have pertaining to aspects of their learning and development.

This module aims to introduce you to key ideas in social policy. The focus on the British experience of welfare services is designed to encourage you to examine welfare provision from different perspectives, use theory to explain social change and critically assess existing institutions such as the NHS, benefits and housing systems. Lectures include topics such as; meeting needs and the different welfare providers, introduction to social divisions; researching race/ethnicity in the media, political and ideological influence on policy, the feminist perspective (worker, wife, mother, carer), disability and education, poverty in the UK, tax and benefits, the winners and losers.

The module introduces fundamental questions in criminology: What is crime? What causes crime? How does crime and criminal justice affect us? How should we best respond to criminal behaviour? In addressing these questions, key concepts will be explored. You will have the opportunity to choose a particular type of crime or deviance, then apply the various fundamental questions raised by the module week by week. The case studies will help you to apply concepts to contemporary issues. You will have the opportunity to consider different policy and practice solutions for criminal justice ‘industry’.

What is counselling? What does it mean to be an effective citizen? Counselling skills of active listening, empathy, respect and genuineness, identifying our values, beliefs and barriers to communication, enhancing personal development. This module introduces you to basic counselling skills and the skills and qualities required to be an effective citizen. The assessment strategy will prepare you for interview for admission to undergraduate Counselling and Psychotherapy programmes. The assignment is a personal learning statement which will require you to make your own learning plan for the future.

This module has been designed to promote a positive and supportive transition from further to higher education, focusing initially on the importance of wellbeing to successful study.  The module will provide a firm grounding in the key skills required to be able to read, write and present in the academic world.  You will embed your learning through a series of large and small group activities using a problem-based approach.  Small group work will allow for regular, tailored feedback specific to small group tasks and group dynamics with a focus on your future chosen vocation. Following the completion of the module, you should feel very prepared for your journey at level 4 and beyond.

You will explore the history of British social policy and the forces and pressures which have shaped its development.

This module builds upon the module 'The Policy Making Process', taking a more contemporary perspective. For example, it looks at the way fatherhood has become an increasingly significant issue in the making of social policy.

The module aims to provide you with a firm grounding in sociological substantive and factual knowledge, help build interpretive capacity, and encourage the development of evaluative thought. You will also be encouraged to develop a range of allied transferable skills. Teaching will include formal delivery of material via lectures, supported by online materials, alongside seminars, for which you will be expected to prepare and in which you will be expected to actively participate. Tutorials will give you the opportunity to speak one-to-one to members of the teaching team to discuss any issues, questions or queries they have pertaining to aspects of their learning and development.

This module shows how policy is shaped, influenced and translated and enacted in a range of organisations, professions, and contexts, and how this can enhance employability and employment opportunities for graduates of this course.

This module will help you develop and fine tune a range of study skills, including essay writing, time management, presentations, and critical thinking.

This module will develop your understanding of the integration between health, wellbeing, social care and policy.

This module explores key concepts and ideological and theoretical debates about welfare in Britain.

You will gain an understanding of the concept of citizenship in relation to the UK, EU, and global welfare institutions. Issues examined include disability and citizenship, poverty and citizenship, immigration and asylum.

You will gain an understanding of the survey research process, including forming a suitable research question, operationalisation, and types of sampling strategy. You will gain knowledge of key concepts in quantitative research, including statistical significance and probability and practical experience of alternative methods of analysing qualitative data.

Here you will compare the development of social policy globally, including personal social services, health, and housing

Issues explored include race and mental illness, chronic illness, attention deficit disorder, ageism and health care.

You will be introduced to the growing literature on gender relations and explore key areas of contemporary debate, including the changing position and status of women and masculinity today.

This module unpacks the meaning of disability, assessing its impact on the individual and society. Among the themes examined is the rise of the disability rights movement.

This module examines social policies directed at young people and explores issues such as teenage parents, sexuality, youth crime and the transition to adulthood.

This module explores the development of social policy and the ways in which this development has been influenced by ideas and beliefs about race, gender, disability and sexuality. There is a particular focus on education policy.

The term social exclusion is a relatively new arrival in terms of social policy. We explore the origins and value of this concept. The experience of a number of excluded groups will be examined, including sexual minorities, travellers and gypsies and people with mental health problems.

This module will examine in depth the changing policies and structures in the delivery of health and community care. It will allow you to analyse and evaluate alternative systems of provision.

Today the family is very much at the centre of the political and social policy agenda. This module explores the connection between families, politics and social policies. You will look at issues such as poverty, child support, domestic violence and divorce.

This module explores the ways that housing is organised and delivered in the UK. Assessing housing need, access to housing, homelessness and tenure are focused on and you will be able to integrate theoretical knowledge of housing policy and practice and relate this to changing societal contexts.

A supervised research project of 10,000 words.

The placement will offer you an opportunity to gain first-hand experience working in a social policy related setting, and to develop key work based skills such as team work, time management and communication skills.