What Makes This Course So Special?
This is one of the only Masters courses of its kind and is offered as part of a suite of counselling courses at Newport which have an international reputation for excellence. It offers a unique blend of knowledge and skills practice and provides a pathway to many exciting opportunities within the field of therapeutic work with young people.
Course Intro
This course is for you if you are a qualified Counsellor looking to continue your professional development and enhance your career prospects with in-depth training in counselling children and young people.
You will develop an appreciation of the differences in working with this group as opposed to adults and of the theories and practical skills necessary to communicate and connect with this client group. You will learn about your own ‘inner adolescent’ and how to work therapeutically with children and young people in both formal and informal settings.
Additional benefits of this course include the opportunity to gain an insight into British working practices in the field of children’s services, a practice placement in the counselling field for those suitably qualified and a learning package which includes block teaching and distance learning; enabling you to study and work in tandem.
What you study
Diploma Stage
Module 1: Counselling Children and Young People: Contexts and Practice Settings (30 Credits)
This module positions counselling services and practice settings within the wider network of provision and encourages you to examine and understand the policies and aims of the settings in which you work as well as to work in partnership with other professionals and with parents.
It encourages you to examine the ethical issues and dilemmas which face those working with this client group as well as the issues of diversity and equality within their settings. It addresses those important areas of safe, ethical practice and encourages you to find a balance between a children’s rights perspective and child protection.
The module incorporates a practice placement and invites you to use this practice learning to address all the necessary practice issues, including those of assessment and evaluation of service.
Module 2: Working Therapeutically with Children and Young People (30 Credits)
This module has an explicit focus on the skills and knowledge necessary to create a framework within which to counsel children and young people. It provides a sound base in the theories of child development and attachment which affect the child and adolescent’s emotional and cognitive growth and also examines the social and personal issues which are common to many young people seeking help. It explores the ways in which many mental health problems manifest themselves in young people and equips you with the necessary creative tools with which to address these issues and to connect with young people with diverse needs.
Masters Stage
Dissertation – 20,000 words.
A programme specification is available for this course.
Where Next?
This course will enable you to become part of a new generation of professionals working within schools and other formal and informal youth settings.
On completion of the Masters, there may also be opportunities for you to progress into further study via a PhD route on application, both at Newport and other UK Universities.
Interview Required
Yes. We want to give you the opportunity to ask us questions that are important to you in addition to us assessing your suitability for the course. This can be via skype if you are unable to get to campus. Tutors will take time to explain the content of the programme to you and answer questions you have about the course. You will be asked about why you want to study the course and your reasons for choosing Newport as well as more detailed questions about your studies and interests.
Assessment
The diploma is assessed through a combination of essays and skills practice as well as through a supervisor’s report on practice based learning and a portfolio of reflective practice.
Staff Soundbite
“This is the course for you if you want to become part of a growing team of specialised counsellors working in the world of Children and Young People.”