Credit bearing module Risk and Protection of Children
Explore risk and protection of children and develop knowledge to inform your understanding and professional practice.
Key facts
- Duration
- Part time: One semester
- Level
- Continuing professional development (CPD)
- Academic level
- 7
- Academic credits
- 20
- School
- Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Application deadline
- April for a May start
About this course
This module in Risk and Protection of Children critically examines contemporary childhood from an international perspective with a particular focus on children's experiences of harm in society. You will have the opportunity to understand the legal and policy contexts of child protection and safeguarding work.
The module explores explanatory models for understanding child maltreatment, along with evidence of the signs and symptoms of significant harm to children, including incidence and prevalence rates.
You will be required to critically appraise international research evidence on the risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect. Child protection interventions and responses to child maltreatment will be debated in relation to social and cultural contexts.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
This module is for those who form part of the SCPHN programme.
Students must be from a respective healthcare background and have support from the clinical manager to undertake this module of study.
If you wish to take this as a standalone module then you can apply to be a postgraduate associate student using our online application portal. You will need to register for the portal prior to proceeding with an application.
Fees and funding
Fees
| Fee types | 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Home distance learning | £1,000 per single module |
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.
Questions about fees?
Learning and assessment
The teaching, learning and assessment strategy of the module reflects its interprofessional, student-centred, child and family-centred and practice-oriented approach.
It is a structured programme of varied learning activities, delivered on a weekly basis through the module Moodle site, with synchronous or on campus seminars that build on online work via action learning sets.
Action learning sets allow students to explore their own case studies in relation to the Law, Policy, safeguarding guidance and professional practice.
Outline syllabus:
- Contemporary childhood
- Child maltreatment and harm – defining the problem and its extent
- The legal and policy context of child protection
- Aetiology and consequences of child maltreatment
- Risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect
- Signs and ‘symptoms’ of child maltreatment: facts and fallacies explored
- Safeguarding children - responding to child maltreatment.
- Core assessments and planning for care
- Models of managing child protection: interagency and partnership working
Assessment
Assessment takes the form of a single 3,500 word assignment comprising a critical analysis of one aspect of child maltreatment, law, child protection or safeguarding practice which relates to the student’s own country of origin (or selected country), work or sphere of experience. This assignment is intended to encompass critical appraisal of the scientific knowledge, as well as the evidence-base to inform child welfare and protection work and make recommendations to improve practice.
How to apply
Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)