Childhood & Youth and Social Care

Childhood and youth studies combined with social care examines the experiences and needs of children and young people from both an analytical and a practice-oriented perspective. Childhood and youth studies is a multidisciplinary field that draws on sociology, social policy, psychology, and cultural studies to understand how young people's lives are shaped by the social, economic, and institutional contexts they inhabit. Social care adds a directly professional dimension, focusing on the knowledge, values, and skills needed to support children, young people, and families facing difficulty or disadvantage.

At Liverpool Hope University, this four-year full-time programme, which includes a foundation year, gives you the opportunity to explore the issues and challenges that children and young people face, both in the UK and around the world. You will engage with questions about child development, family dynamics, child poverty, safeguarding, and the design and delivery of services for children and young people. The social care element grounds this academic understanding in the realities of professional practice, developing the values and interpersonal skills that effective care work demands.

The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you extensive professional and international experience. With a typical entry tariff of 120 UCAS points and a foundation year for those who need additional preparation, the programme is accessible to a wide range of students.

Graduates from childhood and youth and social care programmes are well placed for careers in children's social work, family support, early help, residential care, youth work, education welfare, and local authority children's services. Many graduates continue to postgraduate social work training, using the degree as a foundation for qualifying professional practice. Health visiting, education welfare, and third sector roles working with children and families are further destinations.