Delivery is flexible to suit the individual apprentice and their employer. The apprentice will have a minimum of one tutorial per month either in person in the workplace or remotely via an online meeting. Group sessions may be available on some programmes.

• For those choosing to work as a practitioner in children's residential care, a Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare is required.
• Apprentices who choose to work as a practitioner within the community require a Certificate in Higher Education in Working with Children, Young People and Families.
• Level 2 Functional Skills must be achieved prior to end point assessment (this content will be blended into the apprentice's study programme if it is required).
• Apprentices must be employed in order to study for this qualification. Please see our Apprenticeship vacancies.
• The apprentice must be at least 16 years of age.

These are based on the kind of statements we would typically expect children, young people and families to make about the work that the practitioner has undertaken with them.

"You listened to me, understood what has happened to me and how I feel about my life, and I am confident my voice is heard."

• Communication: 
  • Communication that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard.
• Multiple factors: 
  • Many factors that contribute to uncertainty in the lives of children, young people and families.
• Equality, rights, diversity and cultural differences: 
  • Equality, rights, diversity and cultural differences and the values of the organisation in which you are working.

"You helped me to identify risk, you made me aware when things were unsafe."

• Safeguarding: 
  • Know the range of potential safeguarding risk factors, for example, domestic violence, membership of gangs, missing children, online activity, radicalisation and Prevent agenda).
  • Understand the different forms of harm to children and vulnerable adults, for example, neglect, child sexual exploitation, physical abuse, emotional abuse) and the local and national thresholds for safeguarding.
• Training:
  • Know the safeguarding requirements contained within mandatory local safeguarding training or nationally accredited equivalent. 

"You identified my/our strengths and difficulties and helped me learn about myself/ourselves. We prepared and made plans where we agreed the next steps together."

• Development: 
  • Understand child, adolescent and adult development.
• Needs:
  • Know the spectrum of needs and how they may be met.
• Professional judgement:
  • Understand the principles of effective assessment and the importance of analysis and professional judgement.

"You supported me through the changes, stuck with me and checked how things were progressing and asked whether things were better for me."

• Models: 
  • Know the mModels for monitoring changes in a child, young person or family members' wellbeing.
• Interventions: 
  • Understand a range of evidence based interventions and their strengths and weaknesses.

"You weren't afraid to make difficult decisions when you thought it was the right thing to do."

• Responsibilities: 
  • Be aware of the duties, responsibilities, boundaries and ethical nature of the role.
• Theory:
  • Understand the theories and guidelines underpinning sound practice.

"You knew what you were doing - you understood the law and knew where to find other information and helped me to form creative ideas about how to make things better."

• Systems: 
  • Understand systems and policy frameworks for work with children, young people and families, for example, education, health, care, employment, criminal justice, special educational needs and disabilities, first aid, safeguarding.

"You thought about things."

• Professional judgement: 
  • Know the role of professional judgement and analysis in complex situations.
• Values/systems:
  • Know the importance of considering ethics and values, challenging self and the systems in use.

"You included people who were important to me or could help me."

• Relationships: 
  • Know techniques for establishing shared goals and outcomes when building relationships with others.

Children, Young People and Family Practitioners will need to supplement the CORE standard programme with specialist knowledge, by choosing ONE of the following options:

OPTION 1: Practitioner in Children's Residential Care.

• Work with families, carers and children to devise, deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for the care and support of individual children and young people in residential care:
  • Know legislation and compliance requirements for residential care.
  • Understand the aspirations for a child in residential care.
  • Understand group living and group dynamics.
  • Know legislation and the code of practice for working with those with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Work within a team to promote the ethos of the home: 
  • Understand the ethos of the home and how to create and promote it.
  • Know the team dynamics and collaborative approach in residential environment.

OPTION 2: Children, Young People and Families Practitioner within the Community.

• Forge networks:
  • Forge networks with other agencies and the community, within a specific working context, for example, early years, youth, youth justice, family work, special educational needs and disability etc.).
  • Build sustainable solutions together.
• Have an in depth understanding of a particular age group, context or family system:
  • Understand contemporary social issues that affect family life and the care of children and young people.
  • Have a detailed understanding of working with a particular group, for example, under 5, 5-11, 12+, young adult, parents, families, children with special educational needs and disabilities.
  • Know the key ethical and professional aspects of role.

These are based on the kind of statements we would typically expect children, young people and families to make about the work that the practitioner has undertaken with them.

"You listened to me, understood what has happened to me and how I feel about my life, and I am confident my voice is heard."

• Communication: 
  • Communicates in way that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard.
• Engagement:
  • Encourages individuals to engage positively with their community and relevant agencies.
  • Actively participate in the way their care and support is delivered.
• Inclusion:
  • Actively promotes respect, equality, diversity and inclusion.

"You helped me to identify risk, you made me aware when things were unsafe."

• Risk management: 
  • Works together with children, young people and families to keep them safe.
  • Manages risk and promotes the development of skills the family need to successfully manage risk themselves.
• Safeguarding: 
  • Works with and supports other professionals to respond to safeguarding concerns.

"You identified my/our strengths and difficulties and helped me learn about myself/ourselves. We prepared and made plans where we agreed the next steps together."

• Identify: 
  • Identifies the influences on the individual and the family.
  • Supports them to make informed choices and notices and addresses barriers to accessing resources.
• Planning and intervention: 
  • Leads on the development and recording of holistic plans, delivery of interventions and evaluates their effectiveness.

"You supported me through the changes, stuck with me and checked how things were progressing and asked whether things were better for me."

• Evidence-based approach:
  • Identifies and manages evidence-based approaches and evaluates their effectiveness.
• Resilient: 
  • Contributes to the development of a resilient, consistent and persistent approach to practice.

"You weren't afraid to make difficult decisions when you thought it was the right thing to do."

• Decision making: 
  • Models clarity of purpose, clear expectations and a professional approach to decision making.
• Appropriate:
  • Appropriately challenges and/or offers alternative perspectives with the children, young person or family.
• Professional development:
  • Contributes to own professional development.

"You knew what you were doing - you understood the law and knew where to find other information and helped me to form creative ideas about how to make things better."

• Knowledge: Applies knowledge of legal, economic and social justice systems and implements policy frameworks in support of positive outcomes for children, young people and families.

"You thought about things."

• Evaluation: 
  • Demonstrates critical evaluation of practice and insight into own emotions, behaviour and feelings.
  • Uses these insights to challenge own practice.
• Development:
  • Takes an active part in continuous professional development.

Children, Young People and Family Practitioners will need to supplement the CORE standard programme with specialist skills and knowledge, by choosing ONE of the following options:

OPTION 1: Practitioner in Children's Residential Care.

• Working with families, carers and children to devise, deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for the care and support of individual children and young people in residential care: 
  • Assumes the role of professional parent.
  • Contributes to creating and reviewing placement plans based on individual need.
  • Able to support traumatised children and young people to live together and make progress.
• Work within a team to promote the ethos of the home: 
  • Develops and promotes the ethos of the home and models collaborative team working and the ability to support and appropriately challenge each other.

OPTION 2: Children, Young People and Families Practitioner within the Community

• Forge networks:
  • Forge networks with other agencies and the community, within a specific working context, for example, early years, youth, youth justice, family work, special educational needs and disability etc.).
  • Build sustainable solutions together.
• In-depth understanding of a particular age group, context or family system: 
  • Engages effectively with child, young person and/or family members.
  • Supports children, young people or vulnerable adults to identify and take action to deal with safeguarding risk. 

• Care:
  • Respecting and valuing individuals to keep them safe, being affirming and working with them to help them make a positive difference to their lives.
• Compassion:
  • Consideration and concern for children, young people and their families, combined with an understanding of the perspective of those you work with.
• Courage:
  • Honesty and a positive belief in helping children, young people and families.
  • Confident when faced with confrontation and when holding a safe space to manage and contain really difficult behaviours.
  • Working with children, young people and families to challenge and enable them to fulfil their potential.
• Communication:
  • Your work is based on building effective relationships, being perceptive and empathic and building good rapport.
• Competence:
  • The relationships you build to effect change for children, young people and families will be informed by social care ethics and values and will be developed through reflective practice.
• Commitment:
  • Creating sustainable change in others by working alongside children, young people and families.
  • Is authentic, consistent, patient, persistent and resilient.

This apprenticeship does not feature any external qualifications.

• Observation of practice
• Competence interview with portfolio

OPTION 1: Practitioner in Children's Residential Care.

Working in a number of settings such as a children’s home, a residential special school or a secure children’s home. The apprentice will take the lead in developing and delivering the child's placement plan and will work with the child to support their health, education, social and day to day needs.

OPTION 2: Children, Young People and Families Practitioner within the Community.

The apprentice will understand the importance of, and be skilled in, early intervention and safeguarding work as they manage risk across the spectrum of needs for children, young people and families. Settings are diverse and may include family homes, youth centres, early years, youth justice, children's centres, educational settings and the community. They will play a significant role in working across agencies to improve outcomes and may work with particular age groups or specifically with families.