Childhood in Law & Welfare

Topics covered include:

• Children and the UK and international political arena, Human Rights, Children's Rights and Race Relations
• The marginalisation of children and children's issues in the political arena - with especial respect to Asylum and Immigration, Disability and Sexuality, the Criminal Justice system and Homelessness
• The ‘Child’s voice’ - advocacy, participation and consultation processes in service planning and as service recipients throughout the UK and Europe
• Key themes embodied in or arising from the Children Acts 1989 and 2004
  • Parental responsibility, fathers, residence and contact
  • The right to be consulted - what does it mean in practice?
  • Partnership with parents - how child care professionals interpret their role and responsibilities
  • Domestic violence, contact and the Courts
  • Families by adoption
  • The discourse and language of policy in practice

On successful completion of this module a student will be able to:

• Critically review the way in which the law constructs and understands the roles of children
• Critically appraise the way in which the UK and/or international political systems decide what is and is not relevant to children and the consequences of such decisions
• Explore in depth the way in which the intentions of the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 and other relevant legislation & policy are translated into practice
• Communicate ideas and arguments in a written format, in an online forum and orally in the context of formal presentations
• Select and draw upon a range of sources of printed, electronic and other material as a means to develop the presentation of arguments and evidence
• Critically discuss children’s rights and policy making