Cardiff School of Education & Social Policy>Courses>Foundation Certificate in Youth and Community Work

Foundation Certificate in Youth & Community Work

Entry Year

Youth and community workers play a central role in today’s society, working in a wide range of formal and informal educational settings, supporting individuals’ personal and social development and enabling them to realise their potential.

The Foundation Certificate in Youth & Community Work at Cardiff Met aims to equip you with the skills, values, confidence, experience and knowledge necessary to fulfil the Level 3 professional requirements for youth work and to progress to the BA (Hons) Youth & Community Work

This programme is distinctive in that you are able to obtain the Certificate in Youth Work (Level 3), the professional qualification for Youth Support Workers. This qualification is endorsed by Education & Training Standards Wales (Youth Work) and is delivered in partnership with Monmouthshire Youth Service

All lectures are undertaken in small cohorts and delivered by qualified staff with significant experience in youth and community work. You will be on placement throughout the course in a wide variety of youth and community settings. These placement opportunities will enable you to obtain the 100 hours of youth work experience required for progression on to the BA (Hons) Youth & Community Work degree. 

This course supports and enables you to develop:

  • Youth work practice informed by relevant theory;

  • The skills, knowledge, qualities and values necessary for effective youth work practice;

  • Relevant study skills.

Students who successfully complete the Foundation Certificate have the option of progressing to the BA (Hons) Youth & Community Work.

Course Content

Foundation Year:

The programme is delivered as a full-time mode of study over one academic year. Delivery runs across a 24 week academic year comprising of two full days a week engaged in university-based studies and an additional 100 hours of professional practice placements in negotiated placement settings. 

The course is structured to ensure on successful completion of the course you will have gained the key skills and competencies required to gain the Level 3 Youth Support Worker qualifications required by the Education Workforce Council so that they are well placed to access paid employment as a qualified Youth Support Worker.

The programme is modular in structure with four modules making up the programme ensuring you get a good range of study skills and professional practice skills that prepare you for effective transition onto the BA (Hons) Youth & Community Work degree.

All four core modules are undertaken by all students: 

  • Preparation for Learning & Practice in Youth & Community Work (40 credits) 
  • Introduction to Youth Work Practice (20 credits)
  • The Social Context of Youth & Community Work (20 credits)
  • Developing Youth Work Practice (40 credits)

 

Learning & Teaching

The key features of this programme are that it offers you both academic and professional qualifications in youth work simultaneously, underlining the fundamental link between theory and practice.

The programme teaching team encourage your learning by using teaching methods that reflect effective youth and community work practice. The programme is therefore taught according to the following principles: 

  • You bring with you experiences that can be used as resources for learning and to which new learning should be related; 
  • You and your fellow students can support each other because of the range of your experience and your capacity for collective learning; 
  • The learning environment is structured to provide a safe and accepting environment. 

Participative and interactive lectures, self-directed study, peer-led seminars and small group tutorials will be the most widely used teaching methods in university while individual tutorials will tend to take place in placement settings.

You will be encouraged to develop your reflective practice on this programme and this will be utilised in both the university and placement setting.

Assessment

There are no exams on this programme, instead you will complete a wide variety of formative and summative assessment methods designed to complement the non-formal learning environment experienced by practitioners. These may include:

  • Written assignments
  • Reflective journals
  • Presentations
  • Portfolio
  • Workshop delivery
  • Resource development
  • Practice-based exercises
  • Role play / simulation

Assessment includes both individual assessment and group assessment, to reflect the demands of professional practice.

In addition to your minimum 100 hours of professional placement, our focus is on ensuring your assessments provide you with opportunities to show case your strengths and skills and have been designed to enhance your employability and prepare you for the requirements of Youth & Community work in a wide range of settings.

Employability & Careers

Students who successfully complete the Foundation Certificate have the option of progressing to the BA (Hons) Youth & Community Work course. 

The Foundation Certificate course is distinctive in that students are able to obtain the Certificate in Youth Work (Level 3), the professional qualification for Youth Support Workers that allows you to register with the Education Workforce Council (EWC).

Obtaining this qualification and registration increases your employability options and may open up additional placement opportunities and part-time work during degree level study.

The course is perfect for you if you are interested in pursuing a range of community based professional practice career options. These options include careers in youth work, youth justice, youth mentoring, supported housing, alternative education, outdoor education, social justice, mental health and wellbeing, faith-based work, substance misuse, rights based and participation projects in maintained and voluntary sector organisations across the UK and internationally.

Entry Requirements & How to Apply

Typical Offers

  • Tariff points: 48
  • Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
  • GCSE: Five GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above to include English Language / Welsh First Language, Mathematics / Mathematics – Numeracy.
  • English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in all elements, or equivalent.
  • A level subjects: Minimum two A levels. No specific subjects required.
  • BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: PPP
  • T Level: Pass.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma: No specific subjects required.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: No specific subjects required.
  • Irish Leaving Certificate: No specific subjects required.
  • Scottish Advanced Highers: No specific subjects required.
  • Level 2 Award in Youth Work or NVQ/VRQ level 2.
  • Other requirements: 20 hours recent and relevant professional experience in the field of youth or community development work, successful interview and DBS.

Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search.

Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found here.

If you are a mature applicant, have relevant experience or RPL that you would like us to consider, please contact Admissions.


How to Apply

Further information on how to apply can be found here.

Contact Us

For general enqui​ries, please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk

For course specific enquiries, please contact the programme leader, Louise Cook 
Email: lcook@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Tel: 029 2020 5947

We endeavour to deliver courses as described and will not normally make changes to courses, such as course title, content, delivery, and teaching provision. However, it may be necessary for the university to make changes in the course provision before or after enrolment. It reserves the right to make variations to content or delivery methods, including discontinuation or merging courses if such action is considered necessary. Please read our Terms and Conditions for the full information.

Key Course Information

​UCAS Code:

The foundation operates as a Year 0 to the following programme. ​Please refer to the programme for the relevant UCAS code:

BA (Hons) Youth & Community Work​

Place of Study: 
Cyncoed Campus

School:
Cardiff School of Education & Social Policy

Course Length:
One year full-time.

MEET THE TEAM
Meet the Team: Louise Cook

Meet Louise Cook, Senior Lecturer and Programme Director in the undergraduate Youth and Community Work programmes at Cardiff Met. Louise talks about her experience and how youth workers can really make a difference to young people.

STUDENT & GRADUATE EXPERIENCE
Blog
From Foundation to BA: My amazing study journey with Youth and Community Work

Esther tells us about her studies and how she secured her first paid youth work employment from her placement hours.
Read more.