You should have a Bachelor of Social Services degree or another suitable degree such as Bachelor of Nursing,

Bachelor of Public Health Care or an equivalent predecessor qualification. The programme is also suitable for people who work with children and families and hold a nursing/public health degree completed at a UAS or a predecessor institution.

You should have work experience in child and family services and a keen interest in service development from the point of view of child protection. The programme requires sufficient knowledge and skills relating to child and family services.

The credit load is 30 ECTS credits which corresponds to approximately 810 hours of study.

The programme cost is €1,500 (0% VAT) which can be paid in one or two instalments.

1. Children, young people and families in society – ethically sustainable child protection in changing society (3 ECTS)

• You will be introduced to the theory, research and practice of well-being and inclusion promotion with children, young people and parents/families, and child neglect and deprivation risks.
• You will advance your understanding of the diversity of family structures and specific life circumstances (e.g. the breakdown of relationships in a separation or divorce, trans-generational deprivation, multicultural families).
• You will develop your knowledge about risk factors that can affect the development and capabilities of children and young people.

2. The child protection case process (5 ECTS)

• You will develop your knowledge of the child protection case process, including situational assessment, the evaluation of service and support needs from a client-centred approach and developing a case plan to ensure timely and adequate response according to the needs of children, young people and parents/families.
• You will be able to coordinate the planning, implementation, assessment and documentation of a case process in a multisectoral and multidisciplinary network, ensuring the inclusion of children, young people and parents/families.
• You will be able to analyse the implementation of case processes from the point of view of quality, outcomes and impacts.

3. Participatory casework methods and practices in child protection (2 ECTS)

• You will advance your understanding of empowerment and a strengths-based and problem-solving approach. You will focus on topics such as inclusive expressions, participation and engagement in casework practices.
• You will be introduced to expertise-by-experience.
• You will advance your understanding around the concepts of dialogue and reflection and learn to apply dialogical and reflective practices in casework.

4. Crisis and trauma work in child protection (5 ECTS)

• You will advance your understanding of empowerment and a strengths-based and problem-solving approach. You will focus on topics such as inclusive expressions, participation and engagement in casework practices.
• You will be introduced to expertise-by-experience.
• You will advance your understanding around the concepts of dialogue and reflection and learn to apply dialogical and reflective practices in casework.

5. Preventive child protection methods and practices (5 ECTS)

• You will familiarise yourself with the methods and practices of outreach, detached and community-based work in preventive child protection.
• You will be introduced to practices for working with guardians, the role of parity, and groups as a resource in preventive child protection.
• You will advance your knowledge of multisectoral and multidisciplinary teamwork in e.g. regional context.

6. Methods and practices of non-institutional and foster care (5 ECTS)

• You will advance your knowledge of the approaches, methods and practices of child- and family-centred child protection.
• You will be able to apply methodology in a case process, demonstrate a practical command of reasoned use of methods, demonstrate your competencies and assess methods relative to the operations, competencies and culture of your workplace.
• You will be able to select evidence-based casework methods and best practices.

7. Development of services, approaches, methods and practices in child protection (5 ECTS)

• You will be able to evaluate the suitability of approaches, methods and practices and of the child protection services produced by your workplace and team based on the service and support needs of children, young people and families in child protection settings.
• You will be able to critically reflect on your work methods and practices, your role as a member of a workplace and team, and your role and activity in multisectoral and multidisciplinary networks.

Applications for the child protection specialisation programme have now closed. Details of the next implementation will be released at a later date.