BA (Hons)

Working with Children and Families

Supported by employers and practitioners, you’ll complete hands-on learning, placements and accreditation to build a career making a difference in people’s lives.

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Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    L590

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Newport

  • Campus Code

    C

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,790*

  • International students

    £17,200*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
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The only Welsh university course endorsed by the Social Pedagogy Professional Association, providing you with sought-after skills, experience and credentials for a broad range of roles in schools, youth justice, social care, prevention and early intervention, and charities.

DESIGNED FOR

This course prepares you to meet the growing demand for professionals with a joined-up understanding of the complex issues children and families face, helping everyone to thrive. The degree opens diverse career paths that make a difference to the lives of children, young people and families.

Career Paths

  • School Settings
  • Children’s Charities 
  • Children’s Centres
  • Social Care

Skills Taught

  • Independent Working
  • Collaboration 
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Creativity

Course Highlights

Professional credibility

Study at the first Welsh university course endorsed by the Social Pedagogy Professional Association.

Co-designed by employers

Get the up-to-date skills and practical experience that employers are looking for.

Carefully matched placements

Become career-ready with a dedicated mentor to build on your strengths, interests and skills.

Expert tuition

Learn from employers and active practitioners who bring real-world experience and connections to your learning.

Outstanding Graduate Outcomes

99% of USW Education graduates are in Employment and/or Further Study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022/23)

Module Overview

Year One focuses on building your skills, confidence, and understanding of children, families, and communities. You’ll explore person-centred practice, communication, resilience, and creative approaches to connect theory with real-world experience.

Employability Skills for Professional Practice 
You’ll begin your degree by recognising your strengths and developing person centred skills through practice learning. You’ll build confidence, collaborate with professionals, and understand how support improves outcomes for children and families. 

Supporting Children, Young People, and Families Through Crisis 
In this module, you’ll explore how to support children, young people and families through crisis. You’ll develop understanding of mental health, safeguarding, and resilience, preparing you to work collaboratively and compassionately in professional roles. 

Skills for Communication, Counselling, Engagement, and Transition 
In this module, you’ll develop communication, counselling and engagement skills to support children and families. Through practice learning, you build confidence to work collaboratively, manage transitions, and use person centred approaches in professional settings. 

Creativity and Social Pedagogy Approaches 
By exploring creative and social pedagogy approaches, you’ll learn how theory informs practice and how partnership working supports children, families and communities across social care and related sectors. 

In Year Two, you’ll apply theory to real-world practice, developing skills to support children, young people, and families. You’ll explore digital tools, family-centred approaches, and choose between youth justice or hands-on adventure learning experiences.

Family Centred Principles and Practice 
Real world case studies and professional insight help you develop practical skills for working with families. You’ll build confidence using family centred approaches, practising meaningful conversations, referrals and decision making to prepare for placement and future practice. 

Digital Skills and GenAI 
Digital tools and emerging technologies are explored to help you support children and families effectively. You’ll learn to use digital platforms and generative AI ethically, while considering inclusion, digital poverty and how technology shapes wellbeing and development. 

Professional Learning Practice 
Linking theory directly to placement, this module helps you apply social pedagogy concepts in real professional contexts. You’ll strengthen reflective practice, planning, and evaluation skills while developing confidence to act thoughtfully and ethically in your work. 

Positive Youth Justice*
You’ll explore how youth justice can better support young people by focusing on their strengths, voices and opportunities. You’ll learn practical ways to help children make positive choices and create brighter futures. 

Play, Games, Adventure, and Outdoor Learning*
Adventure based learning brings this module to life as you explore how play and outdoor experiences support confidence, relationships and wellbeing. Activities such as climbing, canoeing and gorge walking will help you build practical skills for engaging children and young people. 

*Optional

In Year Three, you’ll take a leading role in practice, applying social pedagogy, community engagement, and innovation. You’ll drive real-world projects, mentor peers, and develop the skills to create lasting, positive impact.

Leadership and Inter Professional Practice 
Explore how to lead and inspire change across communities by working collaboratively with professionals and organisations. You’ll apply inclusive, ethical approaches in real-world settings and develop practical leadership skills that make a lasting impact. 

Consultation and Community Participation 
Learn how to listen, collaborate, and drive positive change in communities. You explore social enterprise, innovation, and entrepreneurship while developing practical consultation skills to support the empower people and support communities. 

Major Project 
Take charge of a community-based project, turning your ideas into action. You’ll lead with creativity and innovation, collaborate across agencies, and make a lasting, positive impact for children, young people, and families. 
 
Social Pedagogy in Professional Practice 
Step into a leadership role as you mentor and support peers while developing your professional skills. You’ll apply safeguarding, anti-oppressive practice, and critical reflection to real-world settings, preparing to make a positive impact with children, young people, families, and communities. 

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

In this course, you’ll learn through real-world activities that connect theory with practice. Critical reflection, peer dialogue, and formative tasks develop your professional skills, while over 400 placement hours across three years equip you with hands-on experience with children, families, and communities. You’ll engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary learning, including workshops, simulations, and digital platforms, supported by expert tutors and professional networks. The curriculum is co-designed with practitioners and stakeholders, preparing you to act ethically, think critically, and make a positive impact while developing autonomy, digital fluency, and employability as a reflective, confident practitioner. 

How you'll be assessed

You’ll demonstrate your skills and knowledge through real-world tasks, including case studies, reflective journals, practical assignments, portfolios, and digital projects. Some assessments allow you to select the focus or format, enabling you to explore areas that match your interests and strengths. You’ll collaborate with peers and apply learning from placement hours to show your ability to work effectively with children, young people, and families. Your assessments will support your growth as a reflective, confident practitioner and ensures you meet professional standards to qualify as a Social Pedagogy Practitioner.

Teaching staff

Our team come from diverse backgrounds including qualified youth workers, psychology and behavioural specialists, teachers and outdoor activity instructors. They each bring their experiences into the classroom and make sure your degree gives you the skills that employers need. Their rich employer connections mean you’ll benefit from day one and this will pay dividends when it comes to securing placements and roles that are right for you. We get to know our students, applying the same nurturing and supportive approach we use with the children and families we work with. We support their development, building on their strengths and aspirations. 

Placements

Placements give you experience of a wide range of strengths and challenges faced by children and families, and how to support them. Thanks to our strong employer networks, you will spend at least 400 hours in diverse settings ranging from working in prisons with families, children in care or at risk of exclusion, hospices, to homelessness, play, educational and substance misuse projects. You’ll receive strong support throughout, starting with preparing for placement in your first year. Our placement co-ordinator carefully matches you to a role reflecting your strengths and interests and identifies the right mentor to support your needs. 

Facilities

One advantage of our Newport City Campus location is that students can easily walk to various partner organisations for their placements. We’re right in the heart of Newport overlooking the River Usk with everything you’ll need on campus - a library, student union, plenty of study spaces and student accommodation just a few minutes away. The campus is well-connected by public transport and close to shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions, allowing you to enjoy student life and find opportunities for part-time work. Plus, we’re only 20 minutes from Cardiff. 

Accredited By

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

As prevention and early intervention services grow this degree meets the growing demand for professionals in various roles within children, youth, and family services, including schools, social care, youth justice, probation, prevention and early intervention, health, and housing teams. You could continue with MA studies in Working for Children and Young People, Education, Social Work, or Child and Adolescent Mental Health. You’ll find career paths include prevention or early intervention worker, family support worker, social work assistant, education inclusion and pupil support worker, and play or childcare services worker.

Careers Support

The strength of our networks – be it professional contacts, previous colleagues or former students – means we can connect you with people who can support you on your career journey. Our careers and employability service offers one-to-one and group support, in-person and online. This includes creating a strong first impression through CVs, job applications, interviews, and personal statements as well as finding job opportunities, and wider career advice. Also, the University of South Wales Exchange supports students looking to develop enterprise and entrepreneurial skills by setting up their own businesses.

Industry partners

As a USW student, you’ll benefit from our team’s strong professional networks, securing the right work placements, getting interview support, and firsthand lived experiences. Partners include Torfaen Opportunities Group (TOG), Save the Children, Newport Youth Offending Team, Urban Circle, GoConnect, Newport City Council Family Intervention, Newport City Council Youth and Play Service, Torfaen Play Service, and Community House. Our connections with the Social Pedagogy Professional Association mean our team stays updated with the latest resources, research, and networking opportunities, feeding into your learning and experiences.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS Points: 88 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: CCD to exclude General Studies
  • Welsh BACC: Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and CD - CC at A Level to exclude General Studies.
  • BTEC: Merit Merit Merit
  • Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 88 UCAS tariff points
  • T Level: Pass (C and above)

Additional Requirements:

The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on the Child & Adult Workforce and Child & Adult Barring List and subscription to the DBS Update Service is required. (Overseas equivalent required for non-uk applicants).

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£9,790

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£17,200

per year*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

 Students will be expected to pay for a DBS or certificate of good behaviour from their home country. The DBS fee includes £49.50 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee

Cost: £64.74

Subscription required for each year of the course for a yearly fee of £16. Please note the service has to be joined within 30 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate

Cost: £16

A range of books are available in the university library , but students often purchase key texts

Cost: £100

Years 1, 2 and 3 - Cost is dependent on placement location.

Cost: Up to £300

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

Life at USW

Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.

A student sat smiling and talking to friends off camera in Treforest Student's Union
Student Life
University of South Wales Newport Campus.
Newport Campus
A double room at our Pontypridd accommodation featuring a large window.
Accommodation

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.