BA Honours in Youth & Community Work and Practical Theology (JNC Endorsed)

Information for

Professional Practice Agencies

for September 2017 forward

Revised ~ May 2017

Note a PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AGENCY (PPA) is the term used to refer to a church, a group of churches or a Christian Agency which provides a student with opportunities to learn by doing youth and community work.

For PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AGENCIES commencing in

September 2017 linked to the

BA Honours in Youth & Community Work and Practical Theology (JNC endorsed)

Validated by the University of Gloucestershire

Thank you for requesting information about the Professional Practice Agency system for students who will be studying on the BA Honours in Youth & Community Work and Practical Theology (JNC endorsed) with Youth Link.

Enclosed is the information pack for those interested in hosting a youth and community work student on placement for three years. Please note:

· Information on financial commitments of placements can be found on page 8.

· Training and induction for line managers comprises two parts:

1. “YOUTH LINK Induction for line managers” on Wednesday 30th August at 10am OR Thursday 31st August at 7pm at 10am – an overview of the degree structure and requirements of a line manager. This session will also introduce the Professional Practice competences, explain the various roles within YOUTH LINK and offer guidance in completing observation and assessment forms.

2. “Introduction to Supervision for staff in faith-based organisations” on Wednesday 30th August at 2pm – a practical workshop on supervision and managing youth workers.

· Details on the application process can be found on page 13, including details of selecting a student and terminating a placement. Once a placement is approved by Youth Link, agencies interview to identify and select an appropriate student. Please note: Placements are not allocated a student by Youth Link. As a result, we cannot guarantee a successful match though agencies are welcome to try again in future years.

· The application process should be started as soon as possible as unfortunately students cannot start a placement until a Main Agency Learning Agreement has been received and approved by Youth Link.

· Electronic copies of this information pack can be downloaded from the Youth Link website.

If you have any questions or need further information please contact Joe McKeown (Lecturer/Professional Practice Co-ordinator) on or Suzanne Adams - . Alternatively, you can ring 028 9032 3217.

Yours faithfully

Sharon McKibbin – Academic Studies Manager

Contact Information

Sharon McKibbin Academic Studies Manager

Joe McKeown Lecturer/Professional Practice Co-ordinator

Suzanne Adams Admin Officer

Centre for Youth Ministry Ireland

Youth Link, Farset Enterprise Park,

638 Springfield Road,

Belfast, BT12 7DY

Tel: 028 9032 3217

email:

Contents 3

Structure of the Course 5

Youth Work in the Professional Practice Agency 5

Course Commitments 6

Alternative Professional Practice Agency 7

What Does Being a PPA Involve? 8

Expectations of PPAs 8

Financial Commitments 8

Accommodation 9

Holiday Entitlement 9

Supervision and Support 9

What Does CYM Provide? 10

Term Dates for 2017/2018 11

Developing Skills and Experience 12

Next Steps 13

Process of becoming a PPA 13

Terminating a placement 14

Conflict of Interest 14

Guidelines for completing the Main Agency Learning Agreement 15

Appendix 1 – Amaze Advice on Clarifying Employment Status 21

Appendix 2: CYM Equality of Opportunity and Diversity Policy 23

Appendix 3: Main Agency Learning Agreement 26

Appendix 4: Safe to Practice Form .35

Introduction to CYM

The INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN YOUTH & MISSION (CYM) is a consortium of major Christian youth work training organisations.

For over a decade CYM has been at the forefront of professionally endorsed training in Christian Youth Work and remains one of the largest single providers of JNC accredited Youth & Community training in the UK at undergraduate and postgraduate level with training centres serving England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For more information, please visit our website: www.cym.ac.uk

The vision of CYM is to serve the church in its mission to young people, children and families, through:

a) Professionally qualified, theologically formed and spiritually alive workers educated and trained to the highest standards and able to work in any setting;

b) serving the Christian church by representing its work with children and young people at the highest levels of church, government and society;

c) producing high quality research and

d) stimulating publications which will enable critical thinking and reflection which will encourage new and creative approaches to ministry and work with children and young people.

CYM is committed to:

· Accessibility, flexibility and quality in courses

· Excellence, professionalism and integrity in Christian work with children and young people.

· A conviction that Christian work with children and young people should incorporate good practice from professional youth work and education

· A belief in the value of distinctively Christian approaches to work with children and young people

CYM offers a range of vocational training courses for people who wish to work as Christians with children and their families or with young people and their communities, either generally or in schools. The courses integrate theology at every stage and in every module.

CYM Ireland

The CYM training centre in Belfast is a unique partnership with Youth Link:NI resulting in a dynamic, welcoming and challenging environment for students. For more information, please visit www.youthlink.org.uk

Validated by the University of Gloucestershire, the BA Hons Degree in Youth and Community Work and Practical Theology combines the sociological and psychological frameworks when working with young people with practical skills and theological education.

In addition, studying at Youth Link normally leads to JNC professional youth work recognition as the degree is approved and validated with the National Youth Agency in England and Wales, and North-South Education and Training Standards across the island of Ireland. Graduates with JNC status are successful in careers in local authorities, statutory projects and charities along with faith-based youth work.

Students at Youth Link learn by doing by combining study and practical work. A major part of this learning takes place in the Main Professional Practice Agency (PPA) and will be referred to in this document as ‘agency’, ‘placement’ or ‘professional practice’. It is in the PPA that the student relates theory to practice and theology to reality. PPAs are key elements of the learning process and have been designed to enable the students to develop the skills, knowledge and ability to be professional workers within Christian settings.

Located across Northern Ireland, a PPA (a church, churches or a Christian agency) benefits by having a student for three years, developing the work and enabling long-term work to be established with children and young people. The student benefits from on-going experience in a youth work post, enabling them to develop their skills and expertise, and to relate their studies to their work.

In practical terms, students will:

· Travel to Youth Link’s Training and Resource Centre for classroom based lectures 1 day per week plus an additional day in Youth Link every month for professional formation group meetings

· Work in a professional practice agency 14 hours a week

· Meet with an independent Professional Practice Tutor (experienced JNC youth worker) 1 hour every month who offers one-to-one support in developing youth work practice

· Complete two non-faith/generic alternative placements in Years 2 and 3

Structure of the Course

Youth Work in the Professional Practice Agency

Students have a main PPA for the three years of the course. Normally, students live near the PPA and are involved in youth work within the church and/or local community.

Students need to undertake at least 400 hours per year, including preparation, meetings and record keeping. This works out at roughly 14 hours per week during term-time, plus a six week block placement in Year 2. Students should spend at least half their agency hours in face-to-face work with young people aged 11–25 in a youth work setting. Normally, at least 80% of the face-to-face hours should be with the 13-19 age range.

Youth work incorporates a range of expressions of work with young people. However to meet the requirements for professional validation, students must undertake a minimum of seven hours per week in a youth work setting, where young people choose to associate freely and the aim is personal and social development in order to broaden experience and create opportunities for reflection and learning, such as:

· Group work, youth club, drop in, Girls/Boys Bridge, mentoring

· Detached youth work, after schools clubs, street work or developing relationships with young people at others venues

· Community work: including community activities or projects, work outside a church setting, work within local communities, community development work with individuals or groups.

· Youth outreach: including reaching out to groups of young people, special events, youth congregations or youth church.

· Family work: parenting courses, working with young parents.

· Work with local schools: including informal lunch-time relational work, pastoral care, counselling or chaplaincy and the development of Christian groups or extra curricular activities. School lessons or assemblies do not normally count as Professional Practice Agency hours, as they are compulsory for young people and therefore not ‘informal education’.

The remaining practice hours may include:

· face-to-face work in formal (e.g. assemblies, lessons) or other settings or with other ages

· preparation, evaluation and administration

· supervision, management and team meetings

· research and networking

· required attendance or involvement in worship, Bible study, prayer meetings etc.

Furthermore we strongly recommend that students do not work more than 20 hours each week during term time.

Course Commitments

The course begins with a 2-day residential for all students held at Castlewellan Castle, on 6th / 7th September 2017 then an induction week, beginning 11th September 2017 This enables key issues to be addressed while students and staff start to build working relationships. Classes start the week beginning 18th September 2017; all classes will be held at Youth Link’s Training and Resource Centre.

There are then three 11-week terms - autumn, spring and summer. During the course, students attend with the following pattern:

· Students starting Year 1 in September 2017 attend teaching days every Wednesday (9.30am-4.30pm) with occasional Thursdays (10am-4:30pm) for professional formation group meetings (please refer to Course Calendar for specific dates)

· Students starting Year 2 in September 2017 attend teaching days every Tuesday (9.30am-4.30pm) with occasional Thursdays (10am-4:30pm) for professional formation group meetings (please refer to Course Calendar for specific dates)

· Students starting Year 3 in September 2017 attend teaching days every Tuesday (9.30am-4.30pm) with occasional classes on other days for optional modules in Terms 2 and 3 (please refer to Course Calendar for specific dates)

The PPA needs to also allow time for the student to engage in:

· Nine meetings each year with their Professional Practice Tutor. Students usually travel to the tutor for one hour each time.

· 5 hours preparation for tutorials each term.

· Around 15 hours assessment preparation each term, towards assignments, journals etc. The amount of time needed for this will vary from student to student.

· Academic work and personal study for taught modules (recommended one study day per week)

PPAs should ensure that the placement does not clash with course commitments as student attendance at teaching days and professional formation group meetings are compulsory. We strongly recommend that students are not required to work on the evenings of teaching days.

Alternative Professional Practice Agency

In addition to their main practice, students are required to complete two 111-hour alternative practices during the course. These can either be completed concurrently or as a block and can be started after Term 2 in the student’s first year. These agencies enable students to learn other skills and abilities and provide a fuller experience of professional youth work practice. Alternative PPAs will be with secular agencies and the Course Team strongly recommends Local Authority or community work settings. Alternative PPAs must be completely separate from the student’s main PPA.

Alternative PPA hours are in addition to the hours spent in the main agency, who need to recognise and release the student for their alternative Agencies during the course. Students discuss and agree the arrangements with their Professional Practice Tutor and should have their proposal approved by YOUTH LINK before starting the Alternative PPA. The Alternative PPA hours need to be completed and the Alternative PPA Line Manager’s reports returned by the Professional Practice submission dates in Years 2 and 3.

When the different commitments are added together, a student will be expected to put in around 40 hours a week for each of the 35 weeks of the Academic Year.

What Does Being a PPA Involve?

A Main PPA is agreed for the three years duration of the course. The agency may either be a church, in which case it should be able to subscribe to the Apostles’ Creed, or an organisation, in which case it should have the promotion of the Christian Religion as one of its charitable aims. Students are required to work in the agency during term time for 14 hours per week, to include 7 hours per week face to face with young people aged between 11 and 25. The majority of these hours should be with 13-18 year-olds.

PPAs are required to provide students with opportunities to develop their skills and experience across different areas of competence. There should be a sense of development in their role within the church or agency, including opportunity to manage work and other workers in the student’s second and third years.

Employment status

The majority of Youth Link students work in a professional practice agency as a volunteer. Due to employment status, National Minimum Wage and tax implications, it is important to make clear that the student is not employed by the agency, but is fulfilling tasks and duties associated with a course of Higher Education related to the role on a voluntary basis. The primary agreement is the agency agreement between Youth Link and the PPA. It is a requirement to have a working “Main Agency Learning Agreement” (see Appendix 3 on page 26) in place to cover the details and arrangements of the placement along with the expectations on the student and placement provider.