module specification

This module aims to enable students to:
- Understand the rights of children and ways to support them to ensure that these rights are met at both national and international levels.
- Explore how different legislation and policies are used to advocate the rights of the child and the roles of advocates within both national and international context.
- Develop a clear understanding of the importance of safeguarding of children and its impact on children’s wellbeing. 
- Understand types of abuse, early intervention, and the benefits of it, and also ways to identify, assess and support children and families.
- Be aware of the historical and contemporaneous legislature and initiatives within the UK context

Some of the key areas include:
- Definitions of children and childhood within the socio-cultural context
- ‘Children’s rights’ and brief history on the development of children’s right, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and its principles.
- Definition of advocacy and the importance of advocacy
- The ‘child’s voice’, social justice and exclusion
- The rights of the child within national and international contexts.
- The importance of safeguarding and the impact on children’s wellbeing.
- The role of advocates and professionals working within early childhood with regard to identifying possible abuse and supporting the child and their family.
- Current policies regarding safeguarding. LO1,LO2,LO3,LO4

A range of learning and teaching strategies will be used. The teaching and learning will involve a participatory, active learning approach with an emphasis on critical reflection and peer to peer learning.  Students will be expected to undertake pre-reading and to contribute through the discussion board and blogs.  Students will be expected to participate in all class activities as outlined in the Module Handbook and on Weblearn. Students should make themselves aware of current issues, which will form the basis for discussion during teaching sessions.

1. To analyse the rights of children and suggest ways that such rights can be upheld within one’s practice
2. To analyse how any forms of abuse may affect a child’s well-being and ways that the practitioner and other agencies/professionals/services may support the child, both in the short-term and longer-term
3. Evaluate the legislature and procedural guidance in light of current safeguarding provision
4. Discuss the principles of advocacy and its barriers/limitations, and consider how the advocate works in partnership with other professionals and agencies

Students will demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes through the submission of:
1. Promoting children’s rights project (poster, blog, leaflet, webpage, video) (equivalent to 2500 words)
2. Four e- portfolio tasks, each to cover a different aspect of safeguarding based upon current UK policies (500 words for each portfolio tasks)

Alderson, P. (2008), Young Children’s Rights. Second Edition. London: Jessica Kingsley/ Save the Children

Burton S., and Reid J., (eds) (2014)  Safeguarding and Protecting Children in the Early, Oxon: Routledge

Children’s Rights Alliance for England (2012), State of Children’s Rights in England. London: CRAE

Hanson, K. and Nieuwenhuys, O. (eds.) (2013), Reconceptualizing Children's Rights in International Development: Living Rights, Social Justice, Translations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Jones, P. and Walker, G. (eds.) (2011), Children’s Rights in Practice. London: Sage.
UNICEF (1989) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx

Guggenheim M., (2005) What's Wrong with Children's Rights, USA: Harvard University Press

Jones P., and Walker G., (2011) Children's Rights in Practice, London: Sage

Department for Education,(2015) Working Together to Safeguard Children https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/419595/Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children.pdf

DfE: (2015) What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/419604/What_to_do_if_you_re_worried_a_child_is_being_abused.pdf