BV2600 Psychosocial perspectives - Social-therapeutic work with children, young people and their families Course description

This course will provide an introduction to social therapy with children, young people and their families, with emphasis on work in child welfare institutions. It covers different perspectives on children and young people’s mental and physical health, and how neglect can affect their psychological development and health. The students will also be introduced to various theoretical perspectives underlying social therapy in order to facilitate children and young people’s development and growth. 

The student must have completed and passed the first year of the Bachelor Programme in Child Care and Welfare.

Knowledge

The student

·         has knowledge of the possible consequences of neglect on children’s physical and mental health, and how this can be expressed in children and young people

·         has knowledge of trauma, possible causes, forms of expression and consequences, and how to work with children and young people who have experienced trauma    

·         has knowledge of different perspectives that form the basis of social therapy

·         has knowledge of necessary relational and care-related conditions that enable facilitation of children and young people’s development and improvement of mental and physical health

·         has knowledge of work with unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in institutions

·         has knowledge of working with families and networks and of interprofessional cooperation in the field of social therapy

·         has knowledge of professional ethics, ethical values and dilemmas and issues that can arise in social therapy work

Skills

The student

·         can apply a multidisciplinary knowledge base to practise systematic social therapy with children and young people

·         can apply relevant and applicable legislation, rules and guidelines in social therapy work in institutions

·         can apply knowledge of substance abuse and criminality and knowledge of social and emotional challenges in children and young people in social therapy work in institutions

·         can apply knowledge from children, young people and their families to ensure their participation and co-determination in social therapy work

·         can apply knowledge of cultural diversity and demonstrate cultural sensitivity in social therapy work

·         has insight into and can analyse and critically reflect on documentation that forms part of social therapy

General competence

The student

·         has insight into their role as child welfare officer when working with children and young people living in institutions, including their own preconceptions, attitudes and values, and can reflect on how this affects the relationships

·         can use knowledge, skills and experience to demonstrate understanding, empathy and recognition when working with children, young people and families in vulnerable life situations

The teaching methods vary between lectures, group work, self-study, written assignments, skills training with and without the use of filming and fellow student supervision.

The course includes skills training in writing and documentation carried out across the three courses: BV2200, BV2300 and BV2600, and skills training in professional communication carried out across the same three courses: BV2200, BV2300 and BV2600.

The course has two compulsory activities:

1. Skills training in writing and documentation carried out across the three courses: BV2200, BV2300 and BV2600. Attendance for skills training is calculated across the three courses in BV2600. 

The attendance requirement for compulsory teaching activities is 80%. If a student's overall absence exceeds 20%, a comprehensive coursework requirement is set to compensate. If a student's overall absence exceeds 40%, they lose the right to take the exam in BV2600. 

Each student is responsible for ensuring that their attendance is documented. The length of the teaching days will vary, and it is each student's own responsibility to stay informed about the teaching schedule.

2. Skills training in professional communication carried out across three courses: BV2200, BV2300 and BV2600. Attendance for skills training is calculated across the three courses in BV2600.

The attendance requirement for compulsory teaching activities is 80%. If a student's overall absence exceeds 20%, a comprehensive coursework requirement is set to compensate. If a student's overall absence exceeds 40%, they lose the right to take the exam in BV2600. 

Each student is responsible for ensuring that their attendance is documented. The length of the teaching days will vary, and it is each student's own responsibility to stay informed about the teaching schedule.

Language of instruction: Norwegian

The purpose of this course is to enable the students to describe and assess theoretical and research-based knowledge as the basis for understanding children’s movement development and motor learning. The course provides a theoretical foundation for critical reflection on assessment and the use of outcome measures in treatment and habilitation, health promotion and preventive work. Involvement of children, young people and their families in mapping and target-setting work is central.

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences and hold authorisation as a physiotherapist.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

 Knowledge 

The student

• can describe key theoretical perspectives on children and adolescents’ movement development and motor learning
• can analyse and assess typical and atypical movement development
• can describe choices and use of outcome measures as the basis for describing motor function and identifying functional difficulties
• can describe what forms the basis of clinical decision processes in physiotherapy

Skills 

The student

• can apply relevant theory in the analysis of children and adolescents’ movement, activity and participation
• can critically reflect on and evaluate the use of assessment instruments in clinical practice and research
• can integrate theory, research, experience-based knowledge, and the children’s, adolescents’ and families’ perspective and principles in family-centred services when assessing development, function and life situation 

General competence  

The student

• can analyse and critically reflect on how different understandings of children and childhood can have consequences for physiotherapists’ work  
• can assess and critically reflect on the knowledge-basis for different measures and interventions in physiotherapy practice
• can identify and analyse professional and ethical dilemmas in connection with examination and mapping processes

The course will use varied, student-active work methods. The teaching is session-based with two sessions over five days; four days of teaching and one study day per week. There are four to six weeks between each session. Teaching at the sessions will vary between lectures and student-active learning in the form of seminars, group work and presentations. Aside from session-based teaching, the teaching methods used are self-study and work on an examination assignment. Students can choose to submit a draft examination paper during the course (approx. 1,000 words). Lecturers and fellow students will provide oral feedback on the drafts submitted.

None.