Common Problems and Processes in Education Settings
| Module title | Common Problems and Processes in Education Settings |
|---|---|
| Module code | PYCM083 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 20 |
| Module staff | Dr Robert Kidney (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 2 | 5 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHP) provide support and interventions in schools and colleges that acknowledge the broad range of difficulties experienced by a diverse range of many children and young people and which have adverse effects on their wellbeing. These will include common adverse experiences, traumatic events and common problems occurring in education settings. EHMPs will work within a model of the child and young person that recognises both the effects of adversity on children and the limits of their autonomy. They will promote the wellbeing of children and young people by supporting their cognitive, emotional, social and physical development in the context of their family, school and other systems.
You will draw on theory and research evidence about development and child and adolescent mental health to understand and to help children and young people from a range of diverse backgrounds to develop and increase support from their community of teachers, peers and family members. You will use psychological theories and models and psychoeducation to help children and young people understand and tolerate negative emotions (e.g. worry, sadness, anger, frustration). To help children and young people adapt to their unwanted or distressing behaviours and emotions, you will draw on psychological theories and research about principles of behavior change.
You will be able to understand common problems and experiences (including common areas of adversity and disadvantage) and support education staff through training, implementing peer mentoring approaches and supporting classroom management in education settings. Underpinning your ability to understand and support these common problems and experiences are key common processes that underpin therapeutic and organisational work.
You will need an understanding of the complexity of children’s, young people’s and families’ health, educational, social needs and the services available to support young people’s mental health. It is important for workers to be aware of the limitations of their professional role, to recognise when and where it is appropriate to seek further advice or signpost clients to other services or specialist (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)). Furthermore, you will need to demonstrate an understanding of what constitutes high-intensity specialist CAMHS psychological treatment and how this differs from low-intensity universal work within education settings and have access to knowledge of a wide range of social and health resources available through statutory and community agencies.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module you will develop your knowledge in the core principles underpinning Education Mental Health Practice in education settings and you will become skilled in enhancing your work with children, young people and their families/parents. This module provides you with the necessary knowledge, attitude and competence to operate effectively in an inclusive, values-driven service and in the wider services context.
The module will focus upon common areas of adversity and disadvantage and the cumulative impact of these and associated risk factors. This will include children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEND) and Vulnerable groups. The module will develop knowledge and skills in supporting school / college staff, parents / carers and children and young people to identify common problems experienced by children and young people in schools and colleges and which have adverse effects of well-being.
Development of skills and knowledge to help schools/ colleges, parents / carers and children and young people anticipate and manage common problems and support those who are experiencing them will form part of the module. Interventions to support and manage common problems in schools / colleges include peer support, CBT informed anxiety / exam stress management, and transitions are explored.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand common areas of adversity and disadvantage and the cumulative impact of these and associated risk factors. To include children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEND) and vulnerable groups including Looked After Children (LAC)
- 2. To support school / college staff, parents / carers and children and young people to identify common problems experienced by children and young people in schools and colleges and which have adverse effects of wellbeing. These include (but are not limited to) bullying, challenges in peer relationships, examination stress, bereavement and loss, family conflict and breakdown, relocation, trauma and abuse
- 3. To develop skills in identifying children and young people who are at risk of or are experiencing these common problems
- 4. To develop skills and knowledge to help schools/ colleges, parents / carers and children and young people anticipate and manage common problems and support those who are experiencing them, and intervene to support and manage common problems in schools / colleges including peer support, CBT informed anxiety / exam stress management, and management of transitions
- 5. To understand and develop competency in common process that underpin therapeutic and organisational processes in education settings
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Summarise basic and essential factual and conceptual knowledge of the subject, and demonstrate a critical understanding of this knowledge
- 7. Address systematically complex problems which may be framed within unpredictable contexts, think critically, creatively, and independently, and fully appreciate the complexities of the issues
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, challenge received opinion and develop your own criteria and judgement, and to seek and make use of feedback
- 9. Manage your own learning using the full range of resources of the clinical discipline and with minimum guidance
Syllabus plan
The module content, module-specific learning objectives, style of delivery and assessment for this module are as informed by the curriculum for the training of EMHPs to support the delivery of low intensity CBT and parent therapy. Teaching content will include:
Common problems to include:
- Common adverse experiences
- Traumatic events
- Those occurring in educational settings (e.g. bullying, exam stress, use and impact of social media)
Learning content:
- To understand child and adolescent development and the impact of adverse life events on psychological wellbeing and mental health
- To understand concepts of racism, oppressive systems, marginalisation, discrimination, and intersectionality.
- To understand self-awareness and anti-discriminatory practice as an EMHP.
- To critically evaluate the impact of risk and protective factors on the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people
- To identify indicators of distress or impaired wellbeing in in children and young people and demonstrate awareness of the distinction between transient distress and symptoms of mental ill-health
- Psychoeducation: To be able to provide evidence based information and psycho education, face to face or remotely, to children and young people, parents / carers and education staff.
- Peer mentoring: to understand how peer support and interpersonal relationships are related to wellbeing and mental health in children and young people. To critically evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of structured peer support as an intervention to promote wellbeing and improve mental health. Train and support students and staff to provide/ implement structured peer support in schools and colleges for children, young people and teachers who are experiencing common problems
- Training others: to support and provide structured workshops and training either face to face or remotely, based on principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, to help children, young people parents / carers and teachers to manage anxiety and stress.
- Classroom skills including contingency management of behaviour.
Common processes learning objectives:
- To be able to use supervision effectively and evidence reflective practice in education settings: to reflect on own learning and clinical skills, prepare for and use supervision to enhance own learning and clinical outcomes for the child, young person and family.
- To understand and promote of whole school / college approaches.
- To understand Emotional health promotion in education settings.
- To be able to work effectively with school / college staff.
- To be able to use outcomes informed practice in education settings.
- To be able to audit and assess mental health need in education settings.
- To develop the ability to provide and support multi agency co-ordination and working including signposting and stepping up / down.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 88 | 112 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 8 | Practical classes these will be used to develop and enhance clinical competencies through tutor supervised small group role-play |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 50 | Lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 30 | Seminars these will be led by the tutor and engage students in discussion concerning relevant topics concerning diversity |
| Guided independent study | 70 | Reading and preparation for seminars in flipped classroom delivery model |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Self-practice and self-reflection on role plays of interventions with fellow students undertaken outside of teaching sessions |
| Guided independent study | 12 | Undertaking structured reflective blogging of clinical practice in the workplace with patients |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outline of intervention planning for mental health needs in an education setting | 500 words | 1-9 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical report of intervention (this assessment must be passed; failure in this assessment will lead to failure in the module and the programme) | 100 | 2500 words | 1-9 | Written |
| Practice outcome document with portfolio assessment of competency in clinical practice and is pass/fail only (this assessment must be passed; failure in this assessment will lead to failure in the module and the programme) | 0 | 1200 words | 4-8 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical report of intervention | Clinical report of intervention (100%) | 1-9 | Three weeks from the date feedback was provided |
| Practice outcome document with portfolio | Practice outcome document with portfolio (0%) | 4-8 | Four weeks from the date feedback was provided |
Re-assessment notes
Two summative assessments are required for this module. Re-assessment will be the same as the original assessment. Where you have been referred/deferred for any form of assessment detailed above you will have the opportunity to retake within the period specified above from the date that feedback was provided.
If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), the overall module mark will be capped at 50%.
If you fail re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), you will be failed in the module and as a consequence you will be failed in the programme and your registration as a student of the University will be terminated.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Core reading:
- Day, L., Campbell-Jack, D., & Bertolotto, E. (2020). Evaluation of the Peer Support for Mental Health and Wellbeing Pilots. Department for Education.DeLucia-Waack, J. L. (2006). Leading psychoeducational groups for children and adolescents. Sage Publications.
- Guskey, T. R., & Sparks, D. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Corwin Press.
- Jindal-Snape, D., Cantali, D., MacGillivray, S., & Hannah, E. (2019). Primary-secondary transitions: a systematic literature review.
- Kennedy, A. (2005). Models of continuing professional development: A framework for analysis. Journal of in-service education, 31(2), 235-250.
- Knowles, M. S. (1984). Andragogy in Action. Jossey-Bass.
- Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group and Organization Studies, 2(4), 419-427.
- White, J. M. (2000). Treating anxiety and stress: A group psycho-educational approach using brief CBT. Chichester: Wiley.
Wider reading:
- Department of Health (2015). Future in mind. Promoting, protecting and improving our children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
- Lester, H., & Glasby, J. (2006). Mental health policy and practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Pilgrim, D., & Rogers, A. (2005). Sociology of mental health. Open University Press.
- Rogers, A., & Pilgrim, D. (2003). Mental health and inequality. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Thornicroft, G. (2006). Shunned: Discrimination against people with mental illness. Oxford University Press.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 20 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 10 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | PYCM079 Children and Young People’s Mental Health Settings: Context and Values, PYCM080 Fundamental Skills: Assessment and Engagement, PYCM081 Evidence-based Interventions for Common Mental Health Problems with Children and Young People (Theory and Skills), PYCM082 Working, Assessing and Engaging in Education Settings, and PYCM084 Interventions for Emerging Mental Health Difficulties in Education Settings |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 16/01/2019 |
| Last revision date | 08/12/2023 |
