Course Resources Archive

This module extends professional development in Level II by considering the particular skills necessary for professional work within a multi-agency team. Students will develop their practice, understanding and skills in working with other professionals relevant to their chosen specialism, as well as develop their use of IT.  Ethical issues for professionals will also be critically examined. Support for the development of Level III academic skills will include: report writing, critical analysis of literature, and using debate for assessment.

This module will support students' research skills as reflective practitioners and to be pedagogically literate within a multi-agency team. Importance will be placed on analyzing social care services for supporting vulnerable children.  Key aspects related to collaborating with other professionals will be considered, including the CAF process, Child Protection issues and effective communication skills.  Ethical issues and data protection will be critically examined. The PDP will be fully supported in this module and students will reflect on their own roles and practice as part of an inter-agency team, as well as develop their skills in IT and in writing professional reports.

i. Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
a) Reflect analytically on their own professional role in a multi-agency context
b) Critically evaluate the principles and practice of inter-agency collaboration in early years settings
c) Develop a critical understanding of effective communication and multi-agency team work
d)  Critically examine  the ethical issues concerned in gathering detailed evidence of child development
e) Demonstrate sensitivity when handling data involving many agencies
f) Critically analyse research and theory in multi-agency working and evaluate findings in relation to own professional practice

ii. Skills
By the end of the module students should have developed skills in:
a) Critical evaluation of  academic and professional strengths
b) Focused target setting for professional development
c) Adopting a broad ranging and flexible approach to study
d) Communicating effectively in a range of academic and professional contexts
e) Using IT to process information and data and access material from a wide range of sources including the Internet
f) Report  writing

Staff/student contact approx. 20%
Student directed learning approx 80% including four week placement.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.