Advanced Diploma in Promoting Mental Health in Adolescents and Young People
School of Health and Social Sciences
Programme Leader: Peter Griffiths
Student Name:
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CONTENTS
University and Programme Academic Calendar
WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL
Welcome from the Dean
WELCOME TO YOUR PROGRAMME
Programme Leader’s Welcome
Purpose and status of your student handbook
Programme staff list and contact details
Bridging Materials
Programme Structure Diagram
Module Information
Attendance requirements
Assessment schedule
Assessment Officer support
Careers Service
LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT
Learner Development Unit
Learning Resources
Assessment Feedback
Personal Development Planning
Progressing on your programme
COMMUNICATION
Accessing your own records including your timetable and letter requests
24-7
Middlesex e-mail – your account for life
What is OASISplus?
OASISplus (how it is used in relation to the programme)
SUPPORT
Academic Support
Counselling
Disability Support Service
Health, Safety and Welfare
Middlesex University Students’ Union – The Student Voice of Middlesex
Financial Issues
QUALITY OF YOUR PROGRAMME AND EXPERIENCE
Quality assurance and enhancement of your programme
Feedback from you
Campus Forums
Student representatives
School Board and/or other School committees
Programme evaluation forms
Suggestions and Complaints
APPENDICES
A. Accessing University IT systems
B. Programme Specification and Curriculum Map
C. Module Narratives
University and Programme Academic Calendar
Relevant calendar and dates to be inserted.
WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL
Welcome from the Dean
Welcome to the University and to the School of Health and Social Sciences. This programme handbook should be treated as though it is our contract with you – keep it safely so that you may refer to it throughout your time here at Middlesex. It contains an overview of the framework of your programme and the content of its modules and signposts key contacts and information you need to progress your studies and to get the most out of student life.
From our side we will deliver the best student experience we can so that you can build on your skills and knowledge and fulfil your full potential. In return we expect you to engage actively in the learning process, to be fully committed to your studies and determined to succeed.
In your early weeks, this includes reading through this handbook and consulting the other information sources flagged here. You are not expected to absorb everything in detail, but to be aware of the main resource documents and their contents. In particular as an enrolled Middlesex student, you have certain rights but also specific responsibilities. See the full University Regulations in particular ‘University Membership’, and if you have not already done so, explore the student portal which contains detailed advice and support to assist you further.
We know it takes time to settle in to University life. If you still have questions to ask, your first port of call should be your Student Office. Staff there will be pleased to help and direct you. We wish you well in your future studies. Here at Middlesex we are very proud of our academic programmes and students and we look forward to meeting you.
WELCOME TO YOUR PROGRAMME
Programme Leader’s Welcome
Welcome to Middlesex University and thank you for choosing to study the Advanced Diploma in Promoting Mental HealthAdolescents and in Young People. You are about to start on an innovative, flexible and unique programme. A programme that aims to update and develop your knowledge and skills in adolescent and young people’s mental health work (AMH). The programme will advance knowledge and understanding of adolescent and young peoples emotional and mental development and of the common issues that can impact adversely upon this; the assessments and early work that might be possible to ameliorate later difficulty and how to refer on appropriately to other agencies.
The programme will enable you to identify early mental health difficulties and learn how you can critically undertake brief work with young people, aimed at promoting mental health. The programme will explore, examine and evaluate the contemporary health and social policy initiatives which support such work and develop both the knowledge needed and capabilities required for those working with adolescents and young people to confidently and safely realise that children’s mental health can both be their business (“Children’s mental health is everyone’s business” DoH 2006, DfES 2004 and CAMHS review 2008) and that they feel capable to address it. The programme will address and explore through its taught and supervised components, issues of equality and inequality, diversity, ethnic and cultural difference, ethical considerations in relation to practitioners work with service users and carers in child and family mental health work.
A key unique component of the programme will be developing knowledgeable but crucially capable practitioners for adolescent mental health work, whatever your sphere of practice and at whatever level of tiered provision you may work within, be it in the health, local authority, education or voluntary sector of child care provision. To facilitate this, the content in the taught modules is delivered by experienced and capable Child and Adolescent Mental Health clinicians who share joint appointments as Senior Lecturers at Middlesex University/Camden CAMHS PCT and at the Tavistock Clinic and teaching staff will also be drawn from the resources at the Tavistock Clinic,including the adolescent department as well as other CAMHS providers in London. Supervision and mentorship of practice based project modules will also be provided by clinicians with experience and resonance of students work based issues. All of the course tutors are present at Middlesex University on the days that the modules run. In addition, some tutors are available on other days.
On completion of the programme you will feel more confident in the recognition and identification of mental health problems in adolescents and be familiar with referral pathways for further assessment and treatment. You will become aware of both the different disciplines and agencies involved in such work and have an awareness of some of the difficulties that can arise with such complex interdisciplinary and inter-agency work. The programme will crucially provide you with the opportunity to reflect on your current practice and upon your own work environment and perhaps take a lead in developing aspects of both in relation to adolescent and young peoples mental health work.
Students are expected to attend the programme study day on a fortnightly basis and undertake the necessary additional study, related to academic activities. We have also asked you to undertake one study/ information visit to another team, unit or organisation which works with adolescents with mental health issues/problems. As well as your study here at Middlesex, there is a considerable amount of study to be undertaken in your own time and you need to make some space for this. We will provide a letter for your employer highlighting this and an introductory letter to outside agencies. As part-time students in paid employment and often with responsibilities for family outside of work and study, we recognise taking up study can occasionally put students under tremendous pressure, if this happens to you, please do not hesitate to contact the programme leader.
You will find information about the modules towards the end of the handbook followed by a series of appendices which you will need to use and which offer guidance. Any comments or suggestions for improvement to the structure and/or delivery of the programme are very much welcomed.
We wish you every success as you embark on your Advanced Diploma Programme.
Peter Griffiths Programme Leader
Programme Team members
Martin Smith
Daniel Middlehurst
Janet Holmshaw
Purpose and status of your student handbook
The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with information about your Programme of study and to direct you to other general information about studying at MiddlesexUniversity.
This handbook must be read in conjunction with the University Regulations at .The material in this handbook is as accurate as possible at the date of production.
Your comments on any improvements to this handbook are welcome - please put them in writing (with name of handbook) to:
Peter GriffithsClerkenwell Building (2nd floor)
Principal Lecturer andArchway Campus
Programme LeaderLondon N19 5LW
Telephone 020 8411 5598
Email:
Programme staff list and contact details
Teaching staff
Peter Griffithssee above
(Fridays only)
Daniel MiddlehurstF Block
Senior LecturerHolborn Union Building
(Mondays, Tuesdays & Fridays)Campus: Archway
Telephone: 020-8411 4645
Email:
Martin SmithF Block
Senior LecturerHolborn Union Building
(Thursdays and Fridays)Campus: Archway
Telephone: 020-8411 6736
Email:
Chris BakerClerkenwell Building (2nd floor)
Senior LecturerCampus: Archway
Telephone: 020-8411 4187
Email:
Janet HolmshawClerkenwell Building (2nd Floor)
Senior LecturerCampus: Archway
Telephone: 020-8411 4507
Email:
Other invited staff from Middlesex University, The Tavistock Clinic and Local Child and Adolescent Mental Health teams
AdministratorF Block
Mental Health ClusterHolborn Union Building
Shui ManCampus: Archway
Telephone: 0208-411 5533
Fax: 020-8411 5276
Email:
Office hours: 09.00 - 17.00
Postal address for Archway Campus Middlesex University
Archway Campus
Highgate Hill
London N19 5LW
Staff cannot guarantee to be available throughout normal office hours due to various commitments. If you wish to contact a member staff you are advised to make a prior appointment. The best way to communicate with staff is through e-mail via Oasis plus.
Bridging Materials
Prior to entry you will have received access to the ‘My Middlesex/getting started’ and ‘My Programme’ materials on OASISPlus. The ‘My Middlesex/getting started’ materials will have given you an insight into studying at MiddlesexUniversity, what is expected of you as a student of Middlesex and also what to expect from the university. Information on the services and facilities to support your studies and transition to student life can also be found here.
The My Programme materials provide an introduction to many aspects of your programme including; your programme team, the modules you will be studying, assessments methods and also hints and tips from previous students studying on that programme.
Programme Structure Diagram
MHR 3627: Promoting Mental Health in Young People from 11 to 21 years of age30 credit module level 6 (previously level 3) / MHR 3630: Practice Based Learning Project module
30 credit module level 6 (previously level 3) / Advanced Diploma in Promoting Mental Health in Young People
Students undertaking this programme have to successfully complete two core modules MHR 3627: Promoting Mental Health in Young People from 11 to 21 years of ageand MHR 3630: Practice Based Learning (30 credits) in order to be awarded the Advanced Diploma in Promoting Mental Health in Young People.
The taught module MHR 3627 needs to be started prior to commencement of the Practice based Learning Project Module MHR3630.
Change to levels of modules and programmes
MiddlesexUniversity will change the way it describes the levels of its modules and programmes. The university will adopt the widely used Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) levels, as defined in the table below. The new level structure will be fully adopted across the university by September 2011. Until then you may experience some inconsistency in the description of module levels.
Description / New MiddlesexUniversity / FHEQ levels(from Sep 2011) / Current MiddlesexUniversity levels
Foundation level / 3 / 0
Certificate level / 4 / 1
Intermediate level / 5 / 2
Honours level / 6 / 3
Masters level / 7 / 4
Doctoral level / 8 / 5
Module Information
MHR 3627: Promoting Mental Health in Young People from 11 to 21 years of age explores the difficulties that adolescents and young people are contending within modern British society such as parental break up, parental substance misuse as out lined in the government report Hidden Harm (DfES, 2005), physical, sexual and emotional abuse, media pressures, punitively interpreted legislation in the form of Parenting Orders. ASBO’s, Dispersal Orders along with educational pressures. All these problems impact on the mental and emotional well-being of young people, often exacerbated by unrealistic societal views and expectations.
The module aims to address and explore and develop a practical understanding of these issues and aid those working with this group to better understand the contemporary context for adolescents and young people, the emotional and mental health difficulties they can encounter and be better equipped to address them directly or through interventions by others.
On completion of this module, students feel more confident in understanding the context and policy drivers, the recognition and identification of mental health problems in these age groups and are familiar with referral pathways for further assessment and treatment for adolescents and young people. Students become familiar with the application of systemic theory, attachment theory and psychodynamic theory principles in relation to young people and the wider system.
Learning and teaching opportunities are provided for students to reflect on current practice within their own work environment and consider changes that may be beneficially made to their own or colleagues practice. There is a real focus here on exploring both the impact of mental health work on the practitioner and their colleagues/service and the difficulties of inter-professional and interagency work in this field, gaining a greater understanding of both of these and capabilities in working with them.
MHR 3630: Practice Based Learning Project moduleaims to give students the opportunity to review and reflect on the learning that they have achieved during the first module and to plan and negotiate a professionally and academically coherent project for practice based study. The rationale, aims and objectives of the practice based learning project module are drawn up by students in a learning agreement negotiated with the module leader and a designated person in their workplace e.g. their manager.
Each project will be unique in terms of its aims; however students will be required to demonstrate that the module clearly links the learning for the related module to practice development within the student’s own workplace, and that the project leads to useful outcomes for practice and service improvement.This work is facilitated by the policy and practice review assignment required in the first half of the earlier MHR 3627module and will demonstrate to employers the benefits of such modular provision through clear outputs at the student’s work place.
Academic support for the Practice Based Learning Project module consists of three workshops and individual tutorial support. Integral to this module is the acknowledgement that module members bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience which can be utilised to promote both individual and shared learning. Student participation is encouraged in discussion and peer feedback on projects as well as through critical evaluation of current practices.
Attendance requirements
You should attend all scheduled classes and prescribed activities to be eligible for formal assessment. We believe attendance at the lectures, seminars and practice discussion is a crucial learning component of the taught module. The Practice discussion is in particular an opportunity to explore and apply ideas and theories’ and where students can crucially learn from their colleagues practice experiences and workplace issues. Not attending in a consistent regular way disadvantages both the student concerned in terms of their learning and in their ability to undertake successfully the modules formal assessments. It also deprives their module colleagues of their student colleagues input. Where your attendance fails to meet the minimum required 75% (in normal circumstances’) to meet the learning outcomes of the modules you may be excluded from the assessment and be graded X in the module. The definition of the X grade is “Fail – incomplete without good reason: may not be reassessed”. It is your responsibility to ensure that your attendance fulfils the published attendance requirements.
The X grade is applied if you fail to participate in the learning processes of a module for which you are registered. It is not a “punishment” for poor attendance but recognition that you have not been able to prepare yourself for assessment in the content of the module. It is also given when you drop a module without formally removing it from your registered programme of study.
If you receive an X grade you may have the opportunity of taking the whole module again with permission from the Programme Leader, without grade penalty, though you will have to pay the module registration fee. You may only do this at Summer School (if available) or at the end of your programme.
For further guidance on attendance requirements, refer to the section entitled “Attendance & Withdrawal” which is also available at The formal regulations about attendance can be found in Section C2 of the University Regulations and at .
Policy on late arrival
Late arrival for programmed events is disturbing both for presenters and fellow students and can interfere with the learning process. Students arriving 10 minutes later than the designated start of a lecture, seminar etc will be asked to not join the group until the next scheduled break. Students consistently late will be asked to meet with the module leader to discuss and review the reasons for this, the effects on their and others learning and make plans to avoid this happening.