Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £9,535 per year
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How long will I study?
2 Years
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Where will I study?
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What is the UCAS code?
LX53
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When do I start?
September 2025
Course summary
- Explore topics such as; child safeguarding, parenting, child development and refugee support.
- Gain the skills to drive social change and empower the people you work with within interprofessional contexts.
- Develop your professional skills across 400 hours of placement experience.
- Share learning experiences with other students through reflective discussions.
- Boost your employability by enhancing your research skills and digital capabilities.
On our FdA you’ll be part of a nurturing learning community, exploring contemporary topics in working with children, young people and families. You’ll develop your skills by gaining real-world experience on placement, as well as through opportunities to volunteer abroad working with partner organisations in the international community.
After graduating, you can choose to top up your qualifications to a full BA degree – a one-year full-time course of study without placement.
Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
How you learn
On this course we promote active and independent study. You’ll develop your inter-agency collaboration skills for future careers in interprofessional contexts. This will ensure you have the required foundations for working in a diverse range of professional and group work settings.
We’re a team of supportive, dedicated professionals from a range of relevant backgrounds. We provide high-quality work placements alongside enriching and enjoyable teaching sessions. The modules are designed to introduce and develop your understanding of the principles, skills and knowledge you’ll need to work with children, young people and families.
You’ll experience a blended approach to learning and teaching – on campus, online and in work placements – which mirrors how you’ll work in practice.
You learn through:
- Seminars, workshops and tutorials
- Academic adviser meetings
- Problem-based activities
- Skills development sessions
- Scenario-based learning and library support
- Guest lectures and online international events
- Collaborative and self-directed learning
- Group work meetings
- Placements and employer-led learning
- Peer support and critical reflective supervision
- Assessments and presentations
Course topics
Our FdA Working with Children, Young People and Families course is compliant with the Hallam Model – embedding a person-centred approach to your professional knowledge, skills and behaviours in practice.
You’ll explore a range of topics – from child development, safeguarding and parenting to working with refugees and migrant families. The course uses inclusive approaches to learning and teaching which value diversity. You’ll use real-world examples and learn from practitioners and people with lived experience.
You’ll develop your research and enquiry skills while exploring the high-quality research undertaken at Hallam and beyond. You’ll have opportunities to develop your abilities in identifying and using evidence, using methods that enhance your critical reasoning and reflection skills. You’ll also develop your digital capabilities and practise skills in simulated and in-situ contexts.
Course support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment through a number of key areas. These include:
- Access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development.
- Access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
- Employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities
- Individual and group course support from academic advisers and specialist colleagues
- Placement support from your SHU placement tutor and an onsite work-based supervisor.
- Reinforcement and enhancement of writing and study skills covered in prior study.
- Activities to build transferable and employability skills, reflecting on your own experiences and learning.
94% of students on this course were satisfied with academic support in the 2024 National Student Survey.
Applied learning
Work placements
You’ll take part in two 200-hour placements in two different settings working with children/young people and families. These will reflect the different contexts and communities in which services are currently delivered. This will enable you to develop your skills and confidence in practice, as well as enhancing your resilience, integrity, creativity and curiosity as a developing professional.
Your course is designed to give you the knowledge, skills, confidence and readiness to succeed on your placements. Our careers and employability team will signpost you to a variety of staff- and student-directed support resources and employer events; helping you make the most of these opportunities throughout your degree.
Field trips
Field trips are an important way to support our approach to applied learning, helping you understand the wider context of your learning and providing an insight into working practice. We endeavour to provide opportunities for these both locally and globally to develop your confidence, competence and understanding of the sector.
As a department we value the importance of learning from diverse experiences – broadening your professional understanding and becoming a culturally competent practitioner. Through access to the Turing Grant Scheme we have a range of active partnerships across Africa, Europe and India, facilitating volunteering visits to community development or refugee agencies.
Networking opportunities
We have extra-curricular career-focused activities from; careers and job fairs to employer events, volunteering, leadership awards and training to assist with your professional development. As a department we celebrate international social/community work with a global audience, so you’ll be able to engage in a range of online international activities and events.
Our student Social Work and Social Care Society, our Global Majority Student Group and the Diverse Voices Conference are great opportunities for students to come together and share experiences with their peers and academic staff. Colleagues with lived experience and employer partners enhance your student experience and create real links to practice.
Course leaders and tutors
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
This module helps you understand key areas of key child development. You’ll apply current knowledge and research of this subject to practice with children, young people and families.
You’ll study topics such as:
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Key theories and concepts in child development
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Aspects of development
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Adolescence
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Child well-being and mental health
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Low mood, anxiety, self-harm and drug misuse
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Observation and assessment
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Diversity and inclusion in childhood
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Atypical development
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Current issues and debates
This module develops and demonstrates key competencies for safe and effective practice with children, young people and families. You’ll undertake a minimum of 200 hours of assessed practice in a professional CYPF workplace.
You’ll apply your learning and skills to:
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Induction and training
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Supervision and reflection
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Professional behaviour, ethics and values
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Evidence-based practice, theory and research application
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Legal and policy frameworks in practice
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Communication and engagement
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Person-centred approaches
This module develops your knowledge and understanding of the personal, professional and academic development required to work with children, young people and families.
You’ll study topics such as:
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Study skills
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Academic and reflective writing
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Delivering presentations
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Referencing
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Self-assessment and action planning
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Evidence-based practice
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Literature searching
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Exploring evidence critically
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Research processes
This skills-focused module equips you with a range of skills and knowledge to help you work effectively in a range of settings, supporting work with children, young people and families. Each weekly session on campus will be supported with a PowerPoint presentation and a range of pre and post-session activities – including videos, reading materials and individual and group tasks.
You’ll study topics such as:
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Communication and engagement
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Professional boundaries and expectations
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Becoming a reflective practitioner
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Self-awareness and self-assessment
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Professional resilience and wellbeing
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Planning, preparing and delivering activities
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Teamwork and collaborative practice
This module develops your awareness, knowledge and skills in relation to safeguarding and protecting children, young people and their families.
You’ll study topics such as:
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The background and context of safeguarding and child protection in the UK
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The four categories of abuse and how to recognise them
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Contextual safeguarding: assessment of risk outside the home
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Observation and assessment
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Thresholds for intervention
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Safeguarding and child protection policy and legislation
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Collaborative practice and effective information sharing
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Case studies, practice examples and scenarios
Final year
Compulsory modules
This module further develops your competence, skills and knowledge in working with children, young people and families in a range of multi-agency settings
You’ll study topics such as:
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Knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and practice guidance
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Collaborative practice with service users and carers
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Effective multi-agency working skills
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Professional resilience and wellbeing
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Reflection, ethics and values in practice
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Conflict behaviour and management
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Skills in communicating in challenging situations
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Chairing meetings
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Professional development and responsibilities
This module builds on your Children, Young People & Families Practice 1 experiences to further develop and demonstrate a range of skills and competencies for effective practice in the children, young people and families workplace. You’ll undertake a minimum of 200 hours of assessed practice in a professional CYPF workplace.
You’ll apply learning and skills such as:
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Induction and training relevant to setting
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Supervision and reflection
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Professional behaviour, ethics and values
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Evidence-based practice, theory and research application
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Legal and policy frameworks in practice
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Communication and engagement
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Person-centred approaches
This module develops your skills and knowledge in working with children, young people and families from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
You’ll study topics such as:
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Global and national perspectives
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Impact and outcomes
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Interventions and approaches
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Child and family experiences of trauma
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Trafficking
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The refugee journey
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Safeguarding refugee and migrant children
This module develops your understanding of research skills and the applicability of research to children, young people and families practice.
You’ll study topics such as:
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Research approaches, methods and tools
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Understanding research literature
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Conducting literature searches
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Research ethics
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Evidence-based practice
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Evaluating literature
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Current research
This module develops your skills and knowledge for working with families in a prevention or early intervention setting to develop parenting capacity.
You’ll study topics such as:
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Theories and strategies for improving behaviour
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High-risk parenting situations
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Parenting teenagers
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Parenting in challenging circumstances
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Mental health, learning difficulties, substance misuse and parenting
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Assessing parenting capacity
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Planning and evaluating parenting interventions
Elective modules
This module is for undergraduate students to study abroad in their second year, Semester 2 (only for courses that offer this option). With this module, you can spend a semester at one of the University’s approved partner institutions worldwide – from Europe to the Americas, Asia Australia or Canada.
Study Abroad plays an important role in the University's commitment to an engaging, challenging, and thriving learning culture. It offers opportunities to experience other academic cultures and foster intellectual maturity while enhancing co-curricular skills and students' long-term employability.
Study abroad for credit is permitted on existing university-approved courses only. Students are awarded credits and grades at the partner institution, which are converted into Sheffield Hallam credits and grades on return and included in the Sheffield Hallam degree classification.
Please check and refer to the webpage How study abroad works. You must submit a Learning Agreement outlining the modules you will be taking at the partner institution. The Learning Agreement will be signed off by your academic tutor to ensure that the Learning broadly covers the Learning Outcomes set out in your course curriculum during your study abroad.
Future careers
We work closely with Hallam’s Employability Advisors to provide integrated and timetabled employment support throughout the course. This covers a range of career opportunities with local, regional and national employers.
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work in:
- Family support and early intervention (local authority and voluntary sector
- Educational settings in schools, colleges and pupil referral units (PRUs)
- Social care and health settings (local authority and voluntary sector)
- Community development and outreach
After graduating from the course, students are able to progress onto our BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families (1 year top-up). In addition students have the opportunity to apply for the BA (Honours) Social Work (at level 5) – which is a competitive interview route.
Equipment and facilities
On this course you’re based at our Collegiate Crescent campus which includes:
- Our £13 million purpose-built Robert Winston Building
- Specialist facilities, including a courtroom and simulated spaces
- A 24-hour library and learning centre
- Virtual learning environments
- Online databases and search tools
- Online apps and platforms that support collaborative learning
- Electronic tools and platforms for academic and professional work
- Employment-based databases and client-record systems
360 tour - social work facilities
Learn more about your department
Health and Social Care Facilities Tour
Learn what it's like to study health and social care at our Collegiate Campus from our adult nursing student Alex.
Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities
Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEntry requirements
All students
We will offer flexibility on our usual entry requirements for clearing applicants. Please call us on 0330 024 6390 to check your options and apply.
Additional information for EU/International students
This course is not open to international students who require a student visa to study in the UK. If you are an international applicant but do not require a student visa, email our Admissions Team to find out whether you’re eligible to apply.
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 279KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
