MSc Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding

Why study this subject?

Many safeguarding practitioners, regardless of their field, are often appointed safeguarding responsibilities but unfortunately are unable to find the knowledge or resources they need to carry them out correctly. This course is aimed at filling that gap in your knowledge, offering the opportunity to develop confidence, an ethical practice and enhance your leadership. We do this by sharing that specific and experience based knowledge of good practice, ethics, research, reflection, planning, and understanding. 

Safeguarding means protecting our health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling us to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is an important part of providing high-quality health care. Safeguarding children, young people and adults is a responsibility shared by us all, but particularly prevalent for those who work with children and adults. We take great care to ensure you leave BNU with confidence and a complete understanding of your responsibilities in regard to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults. 

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

The diversity of backgrounds of previous students has included NHS staff with a range of specialities such as midwifery, faith leaders, mental health professionals, additional needs and disabilities, including learning needs; social workers; armed forces and education (including Special Educational Needs). Students have come from both UK and international backgrounds, as this course offers knowledge that is transferable.

Our course is unique in the way it explores contemporary safeguarding for both children and adults. We explore safeguarding in the context of a variety of roles and consider different responsibilities and practices. This course offers an educational experience that can be applied to your practice environment as you go through it. If you’re a professional who holds safeguarding responsibilities as part of your role, this course is ideal for you.

Our teaching staff are professionals and have links to social work and healthcare, which gives us a experience based insight. Our professional partnerships enhance your course through both a practical evidence based curriculum and the ability to learn from different visiting lecturers who specialise in specific areas, such as safeguarding in prisons, safeguarding and mental health and many health-related areas, building upon your knowledge of a variety of roles and responsibilities and how the best practice can be applied to policy collaboratively with different needs in mind. 

In addition to all the great benefits you get from studying at BNU, we have a campus located within easy commute range of London, facilities to help you study and a student union regularly voted high nationally by our students. We also won an award for our cost of living support. BNU is all about getting you where you want to be: inspired, empowered, employed.

What facilities can I use? 

The university offers a substantial range of facilities and the library is accessible to you offsite through the online databases and journals, many of these specific to child and adult protection and the environmental factors that increase or minimise risk levels. Our online services means you can access the software you need to use for the course free of charge from home, and our library is open 24/7 with study areas located throughout for you to book out and have as a private area to complete work for a day. We also have our loan laptops incase you want to have home access to a computer.  

We do all we can to make our campus accessible to all, easy to learn in and able to provide everything you need to complete your course. Nobody should be unable to study a course at BNU because they don't have access to the resources they need. Cost of living support, counselling, career advice and accommodation services are available to all students. 

What will I study?

The course uses a contemporary and innovate method of teaching which values your input into the teaching content. Therefore any current trends in safeguarding can be explored and changes in policy considered by it's impact on your individual safeguarding practices.

Our course is delivered through the use of various media and teaching methods, which include discussion-based seminars where you are able to explore the safeguarding practice of your own organisations, and suggest ways you could improve them. Some modules demand your input to shape your learning, giving you the opportunity to influence what is addressed through teaching to benefit your practice.

Our teaching is spread across a number of disciplines including health, social work and psychology. This is supported by experts and specialists who share their knowledge on specific modules, offering a diverse range of knowledge on safeguarding in the practice environment.

The individual role as a leader and manager in safeguarding is given its own module, as understanding the impact of your ability to lead in safeguarding is essential to developing good practice across your current organisation and those you may work with in the future.

How will I be taught and assessed?

Whether you're training to build your skills in your current role or change your career path, this course ensures you can immediately apply your increased knowledge in a professional setting.

As well as support from your lecturers, who are experts in their field, you will also benefit from a range of guest speakers who provide specialised workshops that add to your knowledge. Their expertise and real world experience will inspire and emphasise how your qualification can be used to benefit others.

There are a range of processes used across the course to assess you which include:

• informal and formal blogs
• presentations to the student group
• posters
• exams
• essay submissions.

For the dissertation, you are encouraged to complete either primary research or a specific project that can change practice within their organisations. This makes the course relevant to improving safeguarding for at risk groups within your chosen specific area of practice.

You are supported through two modules to prepare for the dissertation and have the opportunity to apply for APEL if the research modules have been completed in another relevant course.