BA Social Policy - Children and Young People 2019-20 Programme Design Document

	A	C	F	G	I	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	AA	AB	AC	AD	AE	AF	AG	AH	AI	AJ	AK	AL	AM	AN
1	Programme Information & PLOs
2	Title of the new programme – including any year abroad/ in industry variants
3	BA Social Policy - Children and Young People
4	Level of qualification
5	Please select:				Level 6
6	Please indicate if the programme is offered with any year abroad / in industry variants																				Year in Industry Please select Y/N								No
7																					Year Abroad Please select Y/N								No
8	Department(s): Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department
9	Lead Department		SPSW
10	Other contributing Departments:		None
11	Programme Leader
12	Dr Zoë Irving
13	Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
14	Statement of purpose for applicants to the programme
15	In studying for this degree, students will identify and examine the main social, political and economic institutions of ‘welfare’ affecting children and young people. You will explore the policy frameworks and structures for children and young people across a broad range of topic areas such as ‘childhood poverty’, ‘child sexual exploitation’ and ‘teenage pregnancy’. Students will examine the significance of ‘difference’ amongst children and young people (e.g. gender, social class, ethnicity, disability) and how notions of ‘difference’ influence variations in the experience of childhood and youth. Students will be able to critically assess the effectiveness of social policy and practice in supporting (or hindering) childrens well-being and young peoples transitions to adulthood. This pathway will also explore how key theoretical perspectives such as social psychology and sociology have influenced the constructions of childhood and youth. You will appreciate how particular theoretical frameworks have framed ‘social problems’ and then how these in turn impact upon policy and practice with children and young people. Concrete policy examples, such as childhood obesity and child protection, will be drawn upon to complement the conceptual underpinnings of childhood and youth so that students can appreciate how theory translates into policy and practice. By examining social policy in relation to children and young people, York students graduate with the knowledge and skills to work in a broad range of careers aimed at improving policy and practice with children and young people. The degree will equip graduates with the necessary critical thinking, communication and research skills to make them effective graduate employees within such arenas as local and central government; the law; research; and the voluntary or charitable sectors. Students will be independent critical thinkers equipped to tackle complex problems and produce creative solutions through collaborative and participatory approaches in their working lives.
16	Programme Learning Outcomes Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the programme can be expected to do. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
17	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
18	1	Analyse and evaluate social policy to develop informed judgements through a critical understanding of the ways in which social, political, economic and institutional interests shape social problems and policy responses to children and young people.
19	2	Identify and investigate real world ‘social problems’ in relation to children and young people and apply problem-solving skills and critical thinking to those issues in order to contribute to imaginative, flexible and effective policy and practice solutions.
20	3	Retrieve, generate, interpret and critically assess qualitative and quantitative data using innovative research methods, digital resources and policy-relevant analytical techniques to investigate social issues relating to children and young people, assess evidence and produce reasoned written accounts of social policy enquiry.
21	4	Engage in social policy debates at local, national and global level, synthesising complex material and communicating ideas effectively to peers, policy actors, practitioners and client groups across a range of professional settings, both in writing and verbally, using up-to-date visual presentation techniques.
22	5	Work effectively in multidisciplinary teams by acknowledging competing interpretations of the issues children and young people face, and by recognising the value of collaborative and participatory approaches to problem-solving and the shaping of policy solutions whilst being sensitive to the values and perspectives of others.
23	6	Appreciate the drivers of social inequalities taking into account factors such as class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and the differential impact of social policies and practice on disadvantaged groups and individuals, and in particular children and young people.
24	7	Critically reflect upon what constitutes best practice in work with children and young people drawing upon both their academic knowledge and their work placement experience.
25	Programme Learning Outcome for year in industry (where applicable) For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year in Industry’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year in industry b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year in industry by alteration of the standard PLOs.
26	n/a
27	Programme Learning Outcome for year abroad programmes (where applicable) For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year Abroad’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year abroad or b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year abroad by alteration of the standard PLOs.
28	n/a
29	Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
30	i) Why the PLOs are considered ambitious or stretching?
31	Set within a Social Policy framework students will examine the most recent developments in research, policy and practice that relate to children and young people's lives. The programme will require students to draw upon theories and concepts from social policy and apply these to 'real world' problems and decision making processes with a particular focus on children and young people. The PLO's enable students to develop a sophisticated understanding of the contemporary issues facing children and young people's through a range of multidisciplinary perspectives. Drawing from a range of complex theoretical frameworks and applying these to the social policy context, provides students with a strong foundation for a range of professional careers in childhood and youth services and research.
32	ii) The ways in which these outcomes are distinctive or particularly advantageous to the student:
33	Students will benefit from studying in a research-active Department and from a clear emphasis on the application of theories and concepts from social policy, sociology and social psychology to real world issues that affect children and young people. This distinctive approach give students a strong sense of the social, political and economic context to policy in relation to children and young people and the institutional context within which policy is made. As such the programme is focussed on 'real world' problems and decision making processes. Through a combination of classroom experience and placement work they will develop the range of sound academic and transferable skills reflected in the PLO's which will prepare them effectively for the world of employment. The distinctiveness of the PLO's provide students with a strong foundation for a range of professional careers in childhood and youth services and research.
34	iii) How the programme learning outcomes develop students’ digital literacy and will make appropriate use of technology-enhanced learning (such as lecture recordings, online resources, simulations, online assessment, ‘flipped classrooms’ etc)?
35	The PLOs develop digital literacy both vertically through the stages of progression to final attainment and horizontally as part of the learning and assessment strategy for each of the modules. Different elements of digital literacy are addressed at foundational, intermediate and more advanced levels through the stages. While level 1 enables foundational literacy, modules at levels 2 and 3 aim for depth of skill development rather than breadth. Digital literacy development is directly linked to the practices relevant to the discipline, for example, engagement in policy debate which inlcudes both academic knowledge and understanding and the ability to undertake engagement activities across social media fora and to contribute as well as utilise online information sources. This element of digital literacy will feature throughout the 3 levels. Working effectively in groups will require that students manage digital presence and identity sensitively, both as individuals and within their groups. In working towards the PLOs students will undertake reflective and critical use of digital resources and digital practices; use technology for effective communication and to increase the efficiency with which they engage with learning; contribute to and share digital resources. The PLOs enable students to learn to retrieve and evaluate a substantial range of information sources and they will gain familarity with qualitative and quantitative software and online data sources relevant to Social Policy. The PLOs allow substantial use of material provided on the VLE to support learning as well as social media; digital tools for research, production and presentation of communications (both written and visual); management of data and documents (including e.g. the management of references using digital tools); learning support tools such as lecture capture and online library tutorials. The PLOs will equip students with the ability to effectively combine digital and physical forms of learning and working individually and together.
36	iv) How the PLOs support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)? The programme's employablity objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
37	http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/careers/staff/
38	The programme and associated PLO's develop transferable skills that can be applied in a wide range of problem-solving contexts within employability such as being able to read, interpret and critically evaluate complex material and develop and communicate such material to a variety of audiences. The programme has been designed to require students to write in a wide variety of formats for differing audiences and recipients. Verbal communication skills are developed through group and individual presentation opportunities and work-based placements. Students will develop a rounded awareness of a range of perspectives and interests that will be essential for employability in the social policy/children and young people field and more widely. Students will develop independent and team-based working skills, including planning and time-management culminating in their dissertation work in the third year.
39	vi) How will students who need additional support for academic and transferable skills be identified and supported by the Department?
40	At stage 1 students will be introduced to key academic skills and have the opportunity to practise these and identify any particular areas for improvement. Sessions to reinforce and update these skills are embedded in core modules in stage 2 and 3. Module convenors offer open-door hours where students can seek help and it is expected that personal supervisors will discuss these issues with individuals and provide advice and support for additional training and learning in these areas.
41	vii) How is teaching informed and led by research in the department/ centre/ University?
42	All teaching staff are active researchers and these skills are used to inform specific research-based teaching in social research methods and dissertation supervision. The programme content is also driven by research-led interests and strengths, so for example the emphasis on teaching around the policy making process (politics) and the study of children and young people from a distinctly applied perspective is based primarily around departmental research strengths. This programme is also underpinned by wider commitments to research in relation to children and young people that are manifested in a research Centre that draws wider expertise to bear on specific topics for teaching.
43	Stage-level progression Please complete the table below, to summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of each year. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules. Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each PLO, but this can be done if preferred (please add information in the 'individual statement' boxes). For a statement that applies across all PLOs in the stage fill in the 'Global statement' box.
44	Stage 0 (if your programme has a Foundation year, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
48	Stage 1
49	On progression from the first year (Stage 1), students will be able to:											Global statement
50	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
51	Appreciate key social policy concepts and the ways in which social, political, economic and insitutional interests shape social problems and societal responses.		Identify and critically analyse real world social 'problems' and apply theories and concepts from the wider social sciences to those problems.			Retrieve, qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate digital resources to develop knowledge about the sources of evidence used to investigate social questions					Identify key policy debates and gain experience of communicating ideas to peers both in writing and verbally, using up-to-date visual presentation techniques.					Work in teams to begin to understand the value of collaborative and participatory approaches to problem-solving					Understand the drivers of social inequalities, and begin to recognise the differential impact of social policies on social groups and individuals					Critically reflect upon what constitutes best practice in work with children and young people, drawing upon their academic knowledge.
52	Stage 2
53	On progression from the second year (Stage 2), students will be able to:											Global statement
54	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
55	Analyse policy in relation to children and young people to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which social, political, economic and institutional interests shape social problems and societal responses.		Investigate real world social problems, particularly as these apply to children and young people; and apply theories and concepts from the wider social sciences to those problems using problem-solving skills to produce policy and practice solutions.			Retrieve, generate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate research methods, and policy-relevant analytical techniques to investigate social questions, assess evidence and produce reasoned written accounts of social policy enquiry.					Appreciate the complexity of policy debate at local, national and global level, particularly as they relate to children and young people; communicating ideas effectively to peers, policy actors and practitioners both in writing and verbally, using up-to-date visual presentation techniques.					Work in multidisciplinary teams by acknowledging competing interpretations of issues that affect children and young people, and by recognising the value of collaborative and participatory approaches to problem-solving and the shaping of policy solutions.					Critically understand the drivers of social inequalities, and recognise the differential impact of social policies on disadvantaged groups and individuals, and in particular children and young people					Critically reflect upon what constitutes best practice in work with children and young people, drawing upon their academic knowledge.
56	Stage 3
57	(For Integrated Masters) On progression from the third year (Stage 3), students will be able to:											Global statement
58	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
59	Individual statements
60	Programme Structure
61	Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme. ‘Option module’ can be used in place of a specific named option. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided in the next section. From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA') . It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets). If summative assessment by exams will be scheduled in the summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7) a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place.
62	Stage 0 (if you have modules for Stage 0, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
76	Stage 1
77	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
78		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
79	30	SPY00002C		Introducing Social Policy		S										A													E		A
80	30	SPY00001C		Introducing Sociology & Social Psychology		S										A													E		A
81	30	SPY00020C		Exploring social policy and social justice		S									A														EA		A
82	30	SPY00003C		Politics and Economics of Social Policy		S										A													E		A
90	Stage 2
91	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
92		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
93	30	SPY00012I		Social Research Methods		S																							E		A
94	30	SPY00023I		Understanding Childhood and Youth		S										A													E		A
95	30	SPY00002I		Policy Process		S										A										A			E		A
96	30			Option		S										A													E		A
104	Stage 3
105	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
106		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
107	20	SPY00015H		Placement		S									E	A
108	20			Option		S									E	A
109	20			Option												S									E	A
110	20			Option												S									E	A
111	40	SPY00003H		Dissertation		S																								EA
132	Optional module lists If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
133	Option List A Level 3 Term 1 (Subject to change)		Option List B Level 3 Term 2 (Subject to change)			Option List C Level 2 (Current)					Option List D					Option List E					Option List F					Option List G					Option List H
134	SPY00039H - Vulnerability, Deviance & Social Control		SPY00001H - Housing Policy			SPY00027I - Communities, Advocacy and Social Change
135	SPY00036H - Poverty & Inequality		SPY00051H - Education Policy: Divisions and Inequalities			SPY00025I - Debates in Criminal Justice
136	SPY00035H - Welfare States in Crisis		SPY00052H - Sex Work: lived experiences, policies and perspectives			SPY00018I - Citizenship, Difference & Inequality
137	SPY00046H - Prisons & Penal Policy		SPY00053H - Migration, immigration and social policy			SPY00016I - Victimisation & Social Harm
138	SPY00019H - Love, Intimacy & Family Policy		SPY00050H - Social Policy, Crime & Criminal Justice			SPY00001I - Comparative Social Policy
139			SPY00011H - Criminal Justice & Policing
140			SPY00012H - Illicit Drug Use