THERAPEUTIC MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACHES

TO WELLBEING PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN AND

YOUNG PEOPLE
INFORMATION

ABOUT TRAINING AND

EDUCATION

WELLBEING PRACTITIONERS FOR CHILDREN AND

YOUNG PEOPLE (LONDON METROPOLITAN
UNIVERSITY)

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

COURSES
If you are interested in continuing professional development the following information
will provide insight into the range of courses available. It will also inform you about who
is eligible to apply, what is entailed, the aims, objectives and content of the courses. After
three years students qualify as Multi-Disciplinary Wellbeing Practitioners for Children and
Young People who are fit for purpose to work within multi-professional frameworks in
statutory, private, charity and voluntary sectors.

Promoting the Wellbeing of Children, Young People,

Families and Organisations
Aims include:

Researching the needs and capabilities of children, young people, families and
organisations
Providing flexible and responsive services that promote multi-disciplinary
approaches to wellbeing
Enabling children and young people to reach their full personal, academic and
creative potential
Educating in emotional literacy to ensure relationally-based safe and effective
child centred practice
Evaluating outcomes from practice-based evidence of therapeutic creative and
relational approaches

What is a Wellbeing Practitioner?

A therapeutic wellbeing practitioner promotes the overall wellbeing of children and
young people and is holistic and child-centred, considering the needs and capabilities of
each individual child in the context of their family and school environment. This

approach is integrative and relational, informed by attachment theory, child

development and applied therapeutic thinking. It is creative in considering the child or
young persons human potential, collaborating through meaningful activities including:
sports, arts, leisure, communications technology and/or complementary health. It is a
multi-disciplinary approach sharing influence from youth work, social work, mental
health, therapy and education. This aims to promote wellbeing in the communities and
organisations children inhabit, in particular schools, developing emotional literacy, selfawareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, communication skills, resilience and recovery
in its approach to personal and social development.
Five disciplines which influence approach - Youth work, social work, mental health,
therapy and education
Five creative methods - Sports, arts, leisure, communications technology and
complementary health
Five core outcomes - Self-awareness, confidence, self-esteem, resilience, emotional
recovery and literacy

Distinctive Features of the Courses and Professional Development

Programme
1.
Multi-disciplinary: including social work, youth work, mental health, therapy and
education
2.
Creative: the arts, sports, leisure communication technology, fashion and
complementary health
3.
Child-centred: adaptable and applicable to different roles, responsibilities
and contexts
4.

Holistic: multi-dimensional wrap around philosophy and approach

5.

Relational: applying dynamic and developmental concepts to practice

6.
Experiential: encouraging personal growth and self development in parallel
with children
7.
Integrative: multiplicity of approach in a unifying paradigm for childcentred practice
8.
Pluralistic: multiple formulations of wellbeing and a range of multidisciplinary perspectives
9.
Original: creative and relational approaches for children, young people,
families and organisations
10. Safe and effective: professional practice to serve the best interests of children and
young people

An overview of the three year-programme each year is a

distinct qualification

Year One: Professional Development Certificate: Therapeutic Communication

Skills for Working with Children 45 Credits Certificate Level
The teaching is delivered on one weekend a month over a year from January to
December. There are nine weekends in total. Students are required to attend regular
reflective practice sessions and complete a professional placement including ongoing contact with children and young people. Through the Professional
Development Certificate students can access a unique holistic wrap-around
approach in the context of dynamic child-centred professional placements and
taught modules. This course educates students in principles of professional practice,
Year Two: Intermediate Diploma in Professional Development in Wellbeing Practice for
Children and Young People 45 Credits Foundation Degree Level
The teaching is delivered on two Fridays a month over one year from January to
December. Students are required to attend regular reflective practice sessions and
complete a professional placement including regular and consistent contact with children
and young people. On the Intermediate Diploma students can access the courses interdisciplinary approach sharing influence from youth work, mental health, social work,
education and therapy. Placements promoting the health and wellbeing of children and
young people are designed to include a choice of specialist options in key-working,
mentoring and creative group work. This course educates students in multi-disciplinary
perspectives, creativity, wellbeing, integrative and relational skills.
Year Three: Diploma in Professional Development in Wellbeing Practice for Children
and Young People 45 Credits BA Honours Level
The teaching is delivered on two Fridays a month over one year from January to
December. Students are required to attend regular reflective practice sessions and
participate in a creative and relational practice project to promote community wellbeing.
On the Diploma course students can access a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency
approach promoting wellbeing through trans-disciplinary practice. This course
consolidates the students learning in a creative, relational and holistic philosophy and
approach with specific reference to children, families, communities and organisations. This
Diploma qualification provides advanced training, knowledge and professional experience
working flexibly in complex situations to address the needs and facilitate the capabilities

Overview of Module Titles

YEAR ONE

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Professional
Development Certificate
in Therapeutic
Communication Skills for
Working with Children
YEAR TWO

Principles of
Professional
Practice

Applied
Therapeutic
Thinking

Creative and
Relational
Skills

Module 4

Module 5

Module 6

Intermediate Diploma in
Wellbeing Practice for
Children and Young
People

Fundamental
Multi- disciplinary
Perspectives

Fundament
al
Integrative
and
Relational
Skills

YEAR THREE

Module 7

Creativity, Human
Potential and
Wellbeing Options
in Mentoring, Key
Working and
Creative Group
Work
Module 8

Module 9

Diploma in Wellbeing
Practice for Children and
Young People

Advanced Multidisciplinary
Perspectives

Creative and
Relational
Community
Wellbeing

Advanced
Integrative and
Relational Skills

The Content of the Modules

Module One: Principles of Professional Practice with Children and Young People
This module introduces students to the basic principles of professional practice for
working with children and young people including: a holistic child-centred philosophy and
approach, childrens rights, child protection and safeguarding, inter-disciplinary practice,
professional ethics, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice as well as sensitivity
to working with difference, including: race and culture, gender, sexuality, disability, age
and religion.
Module Two: Applied Therapeutic Thinking
This module introduces students to a range of key concepts which can be applied to
creative and relational communication with children and young people. This includes
influence from family/systemic, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, cognitive/ behavioural,
person-centred, integrative and humanistic perspectives linking archetypal,
developmental and relational approaches. It applies attachment theory to practice in
professional placements promoting emotional literacy and wellbeing.
Module Three: Creative and Relational Skills
This module introduces students to the value of creativity in the fulfilment of human
potential. It aims to support students to develop the necessary creative and relational
skills to enhance quality of therapeutic communication with children and young people.
This module places the imagination as central to personal, social and emotional
development providing experiential insight through the use of a wide range of interactive
media, improvisation, spontaneity and play.
Module Four: Fundamental Multi-disciplinary Perspectives
This module introduces students to the fundamental theory and philosophy of interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches to wellbeing. It shares influence from a
range of professional disciplines including: youth work, mental health, social work,
therapy and education. Students attend lectures from a wide range of visiting speakers
who are inspiring pioneers and authors in the field.
Module Five: Creativity, Human Potential and Wellbeing
This module introduces creative approaches to facilitating human potential using the arts,
sports, leisure, communication technology, fashion and complementary health. It seeks
to inspire innovation in the development of original creative and relational approaches to
promoting wellbeing for children and young people. Students are supported to select
from three options in key working, mentoring and creative group work in accordance
with their practice in placements.

Module Six: Fundamental Integrative and Relational Skills

This module is focussed on the practice based implications of child protection,
safeguarding and professional practice. It applies the knowledge acquired in modules
one to five to the experience of holistic child-centred approaches to working with
children and young people. It aims to develop integrative and relational principles and
skills for safe and effective facilitation of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and
the Team Around the Child (TAC). It aims to increase access to joined-up thinking between
professionals creating the conditions for collaborative working.
Module Seven: Advanced Multi-disciplinary Perspectives
This module develops advanced theory and philosophy of multi-disciplinary and multiagency practice towards the development of a trans-disciplinary practitioner to work with
children and young people. A wide range of relevant visiting guest lecturers inform the
students teaching and learning on promoting wellbeing in communities and groups. This
module includes relevant knowledge and information to work effectively with parents,
carers, families and organisations.
Module Eight: Creative and Relational Community Wellbeing
This module is an opportunity to further apply teaching and learning on the role of the
arts, sports, leisure, communication technology, fashion and complementary health in
project management promoting the wellbeing of communities for children and young
people. Students are supervised in the process of designing, planning, facilitating,
managing, evaluating and presenting professional practice projects to enhance
community health and wellbeing.
Module Nine: Advanced Integrative and Relational Skills
This module develops advanced principles and skills for integrative and relational
practice. This consolidates the theory and philosophy from all the previous modules
exploring in depth the practice-based implications in the context of professional
placements and case study. It provides a thorough integration of knowledge and
experience applying integrative and relational principles and skills to creative and
relational practice. This module supports students to contend with the challenges,
opportunities and complexities of multiple roles and responsibilities in multi-agency

WHO CAN APPLY:

Anyone who works with or would like to work with children and young people.
The courses are designed for the childrens workforce, i.e. anyone who is working with
children and young people. These courses will educate students in the theory and
philosophy of multi-disciplinary practice, childrens rights, emotional literacy and therapeutic
communication to enhance the quality of service delivery with children and young people in
health, education, social care, private and voluntary sectors. The course seeks to develop
competent and skilled well- being practitioners. Anyone who is working with children and
young people is eligible to apply and we can provide the opportunity for placements if you
would like these to be organised for practice-based education. Students may apply from a
wide range of backgrounds including:

Counsellors
Parents
Foster Carers
Teachers
Mentors
Inclusion Managers
Occupational Therapists
Learning Mentors
Keyworkers
Speech and Language Therapists
Psychologists and Counselling Psychologists
Teaching Assistants
Learning Support Assistants
Mental Health Professionals
School Nurses
Behaviour Managers
Security Guards
Pediatric Nurses
Life Coaches
Social Workers
Nurses
Sport facilitators
Therapists
Doctors
Youth Workers

Volunteers
Police Officers
Community Police
Artists in all media
Care Workers
Special Needs Co-ordinators
School Support Staff
Playground Workers
Pupil Referral Unit Staff
Young Offenders Teams Staff
Family Support Workers
Allied Heath Professionals
Probation officers

This course makes an excellent introduction to the field of ideas and practice. It can be a
valuable stepping stone for anyone who may be considering commencing a new career
working with children and young people or considering further Continued Professional
Development.

OVERALL AIMS AND OUTCOMES OF THE COURSES

THE YEAR ONE CERTIFICATE COURSE
The Certificate in Therapeutic Communication Skills for Working with
Children:

Educates students in a holistic, child-centred Engages students with the creative process philosophy a
Promotes principles of professional practice and Educates students in creative and relational standard
Provides students with the basic minimum core Mobilises a professional workforce and empowers com
with children and young people
Enhances quality of therapeutic communication skills
with children and young people
Inspires students with vision and imagination
Promotes the dissemination of emotional literacy,
affective education and applied therapeutic thinking in
the context of a wide range of potential interventions

YEAR TWO AND THREE INTERMEDIATE/DIPLOMA

COURSES
The Diploma in Wellbeing Practice for Children and Young People
qualifies graduates as cutting-edge multidisciplinary wellbeing
practitioners for children and young people:

Providing advanced education, training and research into multi-disciplinary

approaches
to professional
Considering
implications
for practiceprac
for
Examining a range of influences that inform multiple formulations
of wellbeing
within multi-agency
Providing
supervised
professional practic
place
Developing advanced knowledge, skills and understanding for working
safely
and effectively
with children
Offering
participants
opportunities
for s
Providing advanced knowledge, skills and understanding of working
with groups,
families
organisations
Equipping
students
withand
advanced
know
Equipping participants with a range of advanced strategies for creative and relational approaches to wellb

ENTRY TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMME
The programme is interested in students who can be areliable, safe and effective role
models, evidence the capacity to play, reflective, empathic skills and an ability to work
flexibly in complex situations with a commitment to child protection. All applicants are
required to fill in an application form, provide references, have an up-to-date DBS, attend a
practical workshop, interview and an induction.
Applicants from all professional backgrounds are welcomed including those who currently
work with children and young people or those who have a vision to do so in the future. It
is suitable for adults of all ages and no specific qualifications or experience is necessary to
apply as previous students have ranged from people who left school with no academic
achievements, to those with PhDs.
Consultancy is provided at the point of interview to match the students needs and
capabilities in accessing appropriate placements. The course team value diversity of
culture, perspective and experience within the student group which continues to be a
genuine strength of the training which is diverse and inclusive.
We welcome applications for the Year One Certificate as well as the Intermediate / Diploma
courses if already qualified in a relevant discipline.

Year One Certificate Interview Day

Applicants can access a presentation with information about the courses and participate in
workshops facilitated by the course leaders with other prospective students. There will also
be an opportunity for applicants to obtain consultation about their own interest in working
with children and young people as well as personal and professional development needs.

Criteria for Entry to Certificate Course:

A willingness to be informed by the courses principles of professional practice.
A commitment to supporting children in managing the challenges and difficulties.
The ability to be a safe and effective role model for children and young people.
The capacity to be reliable, trustworthy, dependable and consistent in approach.
An ability to work flexibly in complex situations and changing contexts.
The capacity to work within an inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary team.
Good quality communication skills, empathy and the capacity to play.
A willingness to engage with childrens feelings and enter into their imaginative life.
An interest in promoting the emotional health and wellbeing of children.
A commitment to the creative potential of children and young people.
The capacity to be emotionally literate, sensitive, responsive and resilient.

Year Two Intermediate Diploma - Application Process

This would normally require successful completion of the Professional Development

Certificate. In some circumstances students may be invited to interview and accepted on to
the course on the basis of previous professional training and experience through
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). On the Intermediate Diploma there is also a distinctive
training opportunity to access module five for the purpose of continuing professional
development selecting training options in key-working, mentoring and creative group work.
Entry to the full Diploma would always require completion of the Intermediate Diploma.

Criteria for Entry to the Diploma Courses include the ability to

demonstrate:
Willingness to be informed by the courses holistic, child-centred philosophy and
approach, including principles of professional practice with reference to safeguarding,
the team around the child and child-protection.
The commitment to professional codes of ethics, conduct and practice, as a representative of
the organisation.
Understanding of the importance of working within inter-disciplinary and multi-agency
frameworks and to value professional exchange, collaboration and practice.
The ability to work flexibly in complex situations and in changing environments.
The capacity to undertake assessments, engage with clients in planning their own care,
identify, consult and refer high risk situations, as well as accessing resources and services
for the child, young person and their family.
Willingness to develop professional standards for safe and effective inter-personal
communications.
The ability to use Our forms to produce accurate client records and to participate in
auditing, evaluation, report writing and research procedures.
The ability to be a safe and effective role model for children, young people and their
families, with respect for diversity of perspective and experience.
The capacity for self-awareness, as well as reflective, analytic and evaluative skills.
The potential to be emotionally literate, sensitive, robust and resilient, with an
understanding of the importance of remaining empathic in the context of challenge.
The commitment to equal opportunities, anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice,
including being able to recognise, challenge and support the use and misuse of power.
Willingness to enter into the childs world through verbal and non-verbal, unconscious and
symbolic forms of communication.
The ability to use resources, support, reflective practice and supervision to ensure that
these are used to benefit both clients and the professional development of the student.
The commitment to abide by relevant health and safety procedures.

Professional Placements
Throughout the courses placements require students to have on-going consistent contact
with children over time. Placements can be organised, co-ordinated and managed by the

course in education across health, education and social care. Many students work full-time
with children and young people.
This can include: the arts, sports, leisure, technology, fashion and complementary health.
Placements have included musical mentoring, poetry, positive play, martial arts, yoga,
dance, rap, sports, games, boxing, cycling, fitness, drumming, gardening, carpentry, crafts,
jewellery-making, origami, cooking, drama, sand and water play, singing, story-making,
sculpture, puppetry, comedy, circus, fashion, film, journalism, performance, work in nature
and adventure play for the promotion of health and wellbeing.
Placements can also be in the context of on-going employment in any professional discipline
within allied health, education or social care.
The Teaching Team is from a wide range of relevant backgrounds and provide quality
specialist training,
education and support to students to enable each practitioner to
evolve their own unique abilities.

For further information, please contact Jocelyne Quennell, Course Director

jocelyne.quennell@wellbeingeducation.org