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Childhood and Youth

Welcome

Welcome to the Childhood and Youth website! Here you will find all you need to know about studying this discipline at the Open University. Integrated working with children and young people is an increasingly high-profile policy area where many radical changes in practice, service provision and training are taking place across all sectors. There is strong demand for well-qualified people in childcare, education, youth and community work, the probation service, the police, the voluntary sector, research and policy development. Our programme offers a wide range of nationally recognised qualifications from Early Years through to Young People and from entry level to honours degree and beyond.

Below are the latest notices to do with this programme.

Notice 06

Talking to Learn: developing thinking in and through dialogue
Friday 24th June 2011, Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London. This inspirational and practical conference jointly hosted by the OU and UKLA focuses on the development of young people's thinking and explores contemporary research-based approaches to fostering 'talking to learn'. Drawing on research evidence from primary and secondary classrooms, the conference offers the opportunity to explore the relationship between engagement in dialogue and learning. Delegates will be able to attend exciting workshops that offer practical strategies for considering: developing comprehension through conversation, talking in ICT contexts; 'The central role of talk in learning a new language', the relationship between storytelling and story writing. more...

Talking to Learn: developing
thinking in and through dialogue

Friday 24th June 2011, Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London.
This inspirational and practical conference jointly hosted by the OU and UKLA focuses on the development of young
people's thinking and explores contemporary research-based approaches to fostering 'talking to learn'. Drawing on
research evidence from primary and secondary classrooms, the conference offers the opportunity to explore the
relationship between engagement in dialogue and learning. Delegates will be able to attend exciting workshops that
offer practical strategies for considering: developing comprehension through conversation, talking in ICT contexts;
'The central role of talk in learning a new language', the relationship between storytelling and story writing.
more...

Notice 05

Are you interested in representing the student voice on a University Programme Committee?
If so, there are vacancies on the Childhood and Youth Programme Committee. Please see the OUSA website at http://www.open.ac.uk/ousa/governance.php for more information and advice on how to apply.

Notice 04

Important information for people in Scotland studying BA (Honours) Childhood and Youth Studies and BA (Honours) Early Years
From 2011 people who wish to register with the Scottish Social Services Council as a manager or lead practitioner in a day care of children service, for example a nursery, must have an award which meets the Standard for Childhood Practice (http://www.sssc.uk.com/Social+Service+Workforce+Planning/Childhood+Practice+awards.htm). The Open University has made a request to the SSSC that Open University awards BA (Honours) Childhood and Youth Studies (Code B23) and BA (Honours) Early Years (Code B51) be accepted as appropriate alternative awards for manager/lead practitioners who wish to register from 2011 onwards. This request is being favourably considered by SSSC, and a decision will be made by them in June 2009 after which confirmation of the status of B23 and B51 will be issued by the Open University. If you hold one of these awards, or expect to graduate in 2009 you will, subject to agreement of SSSC, be able to use it to register with SSSC as a manager/lead practitioner. If you expect to graduate in 2010 or later you must contact SSSC (registration@sssc.uk.com) to ask if your award will be acceptable.

Important information for people in Scotland studying BA (Honours) Childhood and Youth Studies and BA (Honours) Early Years

From 2011 people who wish to register with the Scottish Social Services Council as a manager or lead practitioner in a day care of children service, for example a nursery, must have an award which meets the Standard for Childhood Practice (http://www.sssc.uk.com/Social+Service+Workforce+Planning/Childhood+Practice+awards.htm).

The Open University has made a request to the SSSC that Open University awards BA (Honours) Childhood and Youth Studies (Code B23) and BA (Honours) Early Years (Code B51) be accepted as appropriate alternative awards for manager/lead practitioners who wish to register from 2011 onwards. This request is being favourably considered by SSSC, and a decision will be made by them in June 2009 after which confirmation of the status of B23 and B51 will be issued by the Open University.

If you hold one of these awards, or expect to graduate in 2009 you will, subject to agreement of SSSC, be able to use it to register with SSSC as a manager/lead practitioner. If you expect to graduate in 2010 or later you must contact SSSC (registration@sssc.uk.com) to ask if your award will be acceptable.

Notice 03

First Open Youth bulletin from the Working with Young People Awards Team
Welcome to the first edition of Open Youth, the quarterly electronic newsletter from The Open University’s Working with Young People team. We cannot possibly include everything we want to say in one newsletter but we hope that over the next year these quarterly updates will gradually show you how The Open University can help you develop your workforce alongside other providers. Certificate in Work with Young People The OU is unique in England in having the NYA recognised Youth Support Worker qualification as part of its professional qualification route. This means that workers have the opportunity to study this VRQ through distance education either as part of their professional route or on its own. A worker can study as an individual, be funded by their employer or be part of an employer-based group. It is particularly suitable for those who cannot attend employer training for various reasons or who work for voluntary organisations who cannot provide the infrastructure for NVQs and other VRQs and we accept voluntary work as ‘employment’. All students have a tutor and the extensive support of the Open University whilst they study. In Wales, JNC recognised Youth Support qualifications will be delivered through accredited organisations and, where provided, the majority of local authorities make available the NOCN 3 Certificate in Youth Work. Northern Ireland has introduced the Youth Work Training programme, a suite of programmes accredited at OCN Levels 2 and 3. These are offered through satellite centres of the Youth Work Training Board for NI. The recognition of the Certificate in Scotland is currently undergoing negotiation. If you would like to know more then please visit the following link: http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q01C54 . Grow your own professionals There has been a lot of enthusiasm within the sector for the idea of ‘growing our own’ next generation of workers. A number of HE institutions offer part-time routes and there are one or two other institutions offering distance learning options. Are we claiming to be better? No but we are claiming to be different. The structures and support required in the work place are more flexible with our Foundation Degree than with many others, it matters not where the student lives or works within England, Wales and Northern Ireland (the position of the professional recognition in Scotland is still under discussion) and we accept voluntary work as employment here too. The pace of study is variable and, again, it is particularly suitable for the voluntary sector who often find themselves excluded from other routes. If you would like to know more then please visit the following link: http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q01G03 . Supporting other organisations There are two big problems for many voluntary organisations as they try to qualify their staff. One is that they can sometimes lack a JNC qualified person to provide professional supervision and they are not able to offer their workers an alternative work placement. Some have good connections with their Local Authority and are able to utilise staff or opportunities there but others do not. Whilst we do have some contacts and can help students to find a professionally qualified supervisor or a second placement we always need more. If you would like to contribute to the improvement of the youth workforce and would like to know more about offering support to students please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766 . Fast track routes Some workers having gathered extensive experience over a number of years perhaps with a part-time qualification or NVQ 3 along the way resent having to start at the beginning like all the newcomers. If that is a concern for some of your workers then you might like to suggest they consider a fast track route through one or both of our work related courses in the Foundation Degree or Certificate. These two courses are sometimes referred to as our APEL routes but they are not true APEL. Students still have to complete written assessments but they will need to draw on their experience to move through the material and the assessment in half the time of students studying the normal route. The courses start in February each year and are completed in four months so that students are ready to take the linked work-based learning course in October. If you would like to know more then please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766. Ongoing development As you are no doubt fully aware, workforce development is not just about bringing in new workers. Some of the existing ones need and want ongoing development. Recently qualified students will have studied some leadership and management in their initial training but more established workers will not and yet are being promoted into management positions. How about supporting them to study one of the courses from the Foundation Degree as professional development? E132: Leading Work with Young People would be ideal to introduce them to the language and practice of leadership and management in the sector. If you would like to know more about E132 or other possibilities for CPD then please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766 or visit the following link: http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01E132 . Other OU offers Many of you will work closely with colleagues in the Early Years sector or Sports Development. The Open University also has Foundation Degrees in these areas which may be attractive to them. Please tell them to contact the Student Registration and Enquiry Service on 0845 300 6090 for more information about Early Years or Sports Development. You can also access more information about Sports Development at www.openuniversity.co.uk/sport. Next newsletter The next newsletter will contain brief details about topping up to an honours degree, credit transfer and other possibilities to support workforce development. If you were passed this newsletter through someone else and would like to receive your own copy then please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766 and ask to be placed on the mailing list. If you have received this newsletter in error and would like to be removed from the mailing list, please reply to this email with the word ‘Remove’ in the subject line. The Open University Working with Young People Awards Team.

First Open Youth bulletin from the Working with Young People Awards Team

Welcome to the first edition of Open Youth, the quarterly electronic newsletter from The Open University’s Working with Young People team. We cannot possibly include everything we want to say in one newsletter but we hope that over the next year these quarterly updates will gradually show you how The Open University can help you develop your workforce alongside other providers.

Certificate in Work with Young People

The OU is unique in England in having the NYA recognised Youth Support Worker qualification as part of its professional qualification route. This means that workers have the opportunity to study this VRQ through distance education either as part of their professional route or on its own. A worker can study as an individual, be funded by their employer or be part of an employer-based group. It is particularly suitable for those who cannot attend employer training for various reasons or who work for voluntary organisations who cannot provide the infrastructure for NVQs and other VRQs and we accept voluntary work as ‘employment’. All students have a tutor and the extensive support of the Open University whilst they study. In Wales, JNC recognised Youth Support qualifications will be delivered through accredited organisations and, where provided, the majority of local authorities make available the NOCN 3 Certificate in Youth Work. Northern Ireland has introduced the Youth Work Training programme, a suite of programmes accredited at OCN Levels 2 and 3. These are offered through satellite centres of the Youth Work Training Board for NI. The recognition of the Certificate in Scotland is currently undergoing negotiation. If you would like to know more then please visit the following link:

http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q01C54 .

Grow your own professionals

There has been a lot of enthusiasm within the sector for the idea of ‘growing our own’ next generation of workers. A number of HE institutions offer part-time routes and there are one or two other institutions offering distance learning options. Are we claiming to be better? No but we are claiming to be different. The structures and support required in the work place are more flexible with our Foundation Degree than with many others, it matters not where the student lives or works within England, Wales and Northern Ireland (the position of the professional recognition in Scotland is still under discussion) and we accept voluntary work as employment here too. The pace of study is variable and, again, it is particularly suitable for the voluntary sector who often find themselves excluded from other routes. If you would like to know more then please visit the following link:

http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q01G03 .

Supporting other organisations

There are two big problems for many voluntary organisations as they try to qualify their staff. One is that they can sometimes lack a JNC qualified person to provide professional supervision and they are not able to offer their workers an alternative work placement. Some have good connections with their Local Authority and are able to utilise staff or opportunities there but others do not. Whilst we do have some contacts and can help students to find a professionally qualified supervisor or a second placement we always need more. If you would like to contribute to the improvement of the youth workforce and would like to know more about offering support to students please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766 .

Fast track routes

Some workers having gathered extensive experience over a number of years perhaps with a part-time qualification or NVQ 3 along the way resent having to start at the beginning like all the newcomers. If that is a concern for some of your workers then you might like to suggest they consider a fast track route through one or both of our work related courses in the Foundation Degree or Certificate. These two courses are sometimes referred to as our APEL routes but they are not true APEL. Students still have to complete written assessments but they will need to draw on their experience to move through the material and the assessment in half the time of students studying the normal route. The courses start in February each year and are completed in four months so that students are ready to take the linked work-based learning course in October. If you would like to know more then please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766.

Ongoing development

As you are no doubt fully aware, workforce development is not just about bringing in new workers. Some of the existing ones need and want ongoing development. Recently qualified students will have studied some leadership and management in their initial training but more established workers will not and yet are being promoted into management positions. How about supporting them to study one of the courses from the Foundation Degree as professional development? E132: Leading Work with Young People would be ideal to introduce them to the language and practice of leadership and management in the sector. If you would like to know more about E132 or other possibilities for CPD then please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766 or visit the following link:

http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01E132 .

Other OU offers

Many of you will work closely with colleagues in the Early Years sector or Sports Development. The Open University also has Foundation Degrees in these areas which may be attractive to them. Please tell them to contact the Student Registration and Enquiry Service on 0845 300 6090 for more information about Early Years or Sports Development. You can also access more information about Sports Development at

www.openuniversity.co.uk/sport.

Next newsletter

The next newsletter will contain brief details about topping up to an honours degree, credit transfer and other possibilities to support workforce development. If you were passed this newsletter through someone else and would like to receive your own copy then please contact the award team on either 01908 858650 or 01908 653766 and ask to be placed on the mailing list. If you have received this newsletter in error and would like to be removed from the mailing list, please reply to this email with the word ‘Remove’ in the subject line.

The Open University Working with Young People Awards Team.

Notice 02

Useful NHS Web Resource
HandsOnScotland is an online resource for anybody working with children and young people. The website provides practical information and techniques on how to respond helpfully to children and young people's troubling behaviour, build up their self-esteem and promote their positive mental wellbeing. For more information please visit the website at www.handsonscotland.co.uk The website was commissioned by the Scottish government through HeadsUpScotland and was developed by Playfield Institute (NHS Fife) in partnership with Barnardo's and the University of Dundee. It was developed with teachers in mind.

Useful NHS Web Resource

HandsOnScotland is an online resource for anybody working with children and young people. The website provides practical information and techniques on how to respond helpfully to children and young people's troubling behaviour, build up their self-esteem and promote their positive mental wellbeing.

For more information please visit the website at www.handsonscotland.co.uk

The website was commissioned by the Scottish government through HeadsUpScotland and was developed by Playfield Institute (NHS Fife) in partnership with Barnardo's and the University of Dundee. It was developed with teachers in mind.

Notice 01

Claim an Undergraduate Diploma
Students studying both U212 Childhood (60 points at level 2) and EK310 Research with Children and Young People (60 points at level 3) can now claim an undergraduate diploma in Childhood and Youth Studies (Award Code E33).

Last updated: 21st April 2011