Working with Children, Young People and Families
Working with children, young people, and families is a field shaped by an understanding that the challenges individuals face rarely exist in isolation. Poverty, family breakdown, mental health difficulties, educational disadvantage, and social exclusion interact in complex ways, and effective professional responses require practitioners who can think across boundaries, understand structural as well as individual factors, and build relationships of trust with people in difficult circumstances. This degree prepares you for exactly that kind of work.
At Birmingham Newman University, this three-year full-time programme is built around the insight that supporting children and families requires informed, dedicated professionals who understand the social, economic, political, and cultural contexts in which families live. You will study child development, family dynamics, social policy, safeguarding, and the legislative and institutional frameworks that govern services for children and young people. The degree draws on sociology, psychology, and social work theory, giving you a genuinely multidisciplinary perspective on the challenges facing children and families today.
Throughout the programme you will develop the practical skills that the work demands: communication, assessment, reflective practice, ethical reasoning, and the ability to work collaboratively with other professionals and organisations.
The programme develops not just knowledge but judgment, helping you to understand when and how to intervene, how to balance the rights of children with those of their parents and carers, and how to work within professional and legal frameworks.
Graduates go on to work in children's social care, family support services, early years settings, youth work, community development, schools, and a wide range of voluntary sector organisations. Many pursue further professional qualifications, including social work, teaching, or counselling. Postgraduate study in social work, child and adolescent mental health, education, or social policy is a natural next step for those seeking specialist or leadership roles.