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Fully funded courses from the University of Sunderland supporting people in children’s services across the North East

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The University of Sunderland are delivering three courses to support anyone who works with children or in children’s services. These courses are fully funded for North-East organisations by the European Social Fund.

These are all post graduate level 7 courses and therefore, participants will typically be university graduates. However, interested delegates who are non- graduate professionals or practitioners with considerable and relevant experience in working with children, young people or their families may also be considered for all of these courses.

Professional Practice Working with Families

• Tuesdays from 4-7pm starting 10th January 2023

This 30-credit course will be of special relevance and interest to anyone working with children or their families across education, health, children’s services, youth justice and policing as well as community interest groups.

The main aim of the course is to introduce a framework of thinking about child – family relationships and to enhance the skills of front-line professionals. The modules will introduce students to a range of family intervention approaches and strategies including, but not exclusive to, Low Arousal, NVR and Solution Focused Approach.

The diverse needs of families will also be explored to include, but not exclusive to, SEND, the impact of trauma, adversity, and loss.

Infant Mental Health

• Starting 25th January 2023

Our fantastic ‘Infant Mental Health’ course is another ten-week course which aims to introduce a framework of thinking about parent – infant relationships and to enhance the skills of front-line professionals working to promote infant mental health and development.

The course is a practical and theoretical introduction to some essential themes concerning the foundations of emotional, cognitive and personality development in babies and young children in the context of their primary relationships and experiences.

The practical side of the course involves in-depth discussion of participants’ own casework and experiences from practice. The overall aim is to deepen the participants’ framework of understanding of conscious and unconscious factors involved in early developmental processes.

Speaking on the course, Dr Lindey Cookson, Associate Head of School ‘Childhood, Health and Society’ said: ‘I am delighted that my team are able to offer this exciting range of CPD opportunities for the children’s workforce. We have worked positively and pro- actively with the ESF team to develop courses that really do respond to the needs of local employers, practitioners, and families in supporting children’s development and well-being. An added bonus for employers is that these courses are fully funded, and participants achieve accreditation at post graduate level study!’

In addition to the 30 credits, participants completing this course will receive certification from the Association of Infant Mental Health UK and 35 CPD points (on the AiMH CPD framework).

Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood practice (60 credits)

• 28th January – 3rd July 2023

Our ‘Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Practice’ consists of two 30 credit modules at level 7 (postgraduate level). The modules relate to the areas of the Early Childhood Practitioner Graduate Competencies.

The course covers a wide range of topics, some of which include safeguarding and child protection, holistic child development, advocating for young children, inclusive practice and how to have effective partnerships with parents and caregivers.

This fully funded course is a great opportunity for you to refresh your knowledge and skills on childhood theory and also on the role of leadership and management within early childhood contexts.

Being assessed in your work setting enables you to apply these modules to practice and you will develop your reflective skills whilst enhancing your employment opportunities or career progression goals.

If you’re interested in enrolling on to any of these courses or you’d just like to find out more, please email esf@sunderland.ac.uk and the team will be happy to help!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by University of Sunderland .