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 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

Skills

The student

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

· can apply knowledge of substance abuse and criminality 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

• Can practice conversations with children and young people in a professional and recognizing way

General competence

The student

· has insight into their own preconceptions, attitudes and values, and can reflect on how these affect the relationship with children and young people

· can reflect on ethical issues in the practice of social therapy, and show empathy and recognition in working with children and young people.

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% and active participation. 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.

Individual written semester paper of 9-11 pages. Font and font size: Calibri 12-point. Line spacing 1.5. The approved citation style APA for assignments must be complied with.

Candidates who fail or who were absent from the ordinary exam for a valid reason can take a resit/rescheduled exam.

This course covers legal and sociological perspectives on work with children and young people in different institutions. Particular focus is placed on human rights and sociological perspectives on the use of power and coercion with children and young people, and on the tension between care and control when practising child welfare work. 

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

Knowledge

The student

·         has broad knowledge of children’s rights at child welfare institutions and limitations on the use of coercion with regard to human rights

·         has broad knowledge of sociological perspectives on power and coercion  

·         has broad knowledge of the provisions of the Child Welfare Act relating to retention in an institution on the basis of behavioural problems

·         has knowledge of the overall division of tasks and responsibility for child welfare institutions and an overview of the institutional services

·         has knowledge of institutional sociology and other sociological concepts of relevance to work with children and young people in an institutions

· has knowledge of the rules on criminal prosecution of children and young people

· has knowledge of sociological and criminological perspectives on children, criminality and punishment

·         has knowledge of measures for children and young people in institutions under the care of the mental health services

·         has knowledge of the factual and legal situation of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers 

·         has knowledge of the rules for inter-agency cooperation, and is familiar with collaborative relations and challenges between different institutions

Skills

The student

·         can use legal methods to identify the rules of law that apply to work in institutions

·         can discuss and assess due process protection in relation to different measures implemented in institutions and complaints and supervision mechanisms, and can apply the principles of legality and proportionality in the assessment of different compulsory measures in institutions

·         can problematise the boundaries between the concepts of coercion and care from a legal and sociological perspective

·         can assess different measures targeting children and young people with behavioural problems from a legal and sociological perspective

·         can assess institutions and measures from a power, care and class perspective

·         can describe organisational framework conditions for work in child welfare institutions and concepts and perspectives in the field of institutional sociology, including stigmatising factors

General competence

The student

·         can apply the legal regulations in different institutions

·         can apply institutional sociology perspectives in institutions and in interdisciplinary cooperation

·         can reflect on power relations in work taking place in institutions

The course will be taught through lectures, seminars and self-study work on assignments.