Graduate Diploma: Specialist Qualification in Habilitation and Disabilities of Sight (Children and Young People)

This programme will:

• enable you to support, plan, carry out, supervise and evaluate the development of children's and young people's (from birth to age 25) habilitation skills in home, educational and public settings and during periods of transition
• encourage you to become a reflective practitioner
• offer introductory Braille sessions as part of the course, for those not already qualified.

Features

This programme provides the opportunity to:

• benefit from our links with the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) and with Mobility and Independent Specialists in Education (MISE UK)
• obtain a qualification that matches the initial quality standards-based registration requirements for habilitation practitioners
• work with eminent practitioners in the field of visual impairment
• gain experience of working in a variety of habilitation settings and environments, with fellow professionals, parents and carers of individual children and with children supported in schools and services
• exit after one year's part-time study with a graduate certificate (for those wishing to become habilitation assistants).

Who is this programme for?

People who want to become habilitation specialists, directing and implementing mobility and independence work with children and young people from birth to age 25 who are blind or visually impaired and may have other needs.

Entry requirements

Relevant experience of working with children and young people, appropriate post-A level study, and CRB clearance at enhanced level. Teaching qualifications are not required for this course. If you do not meet these requirements, you may be able to qualify through special procedures.

As habilitation training involves periods of sustained physical activity in a range of weather conditions and settings, you will be asked to evidence your general health, vision and hearing. However, a physical, visual or hearing impairment is not a barrier to undertaking these programmes. You may be interviewed as part of the application process.

How are you assessed?

By written assessments, coursework assignments, practical skill assessments, skill observations, placements, presentations and a portfolio.

Attendance

London programme

Weekly face-to-face daytime sessions, with tutorial support and personal study and practical skill activities.

Wakefield and Edinburgh programmes

Daytime face-to-face teaching blocks of five days and three days per module with tutorial support and personal study and practical skill activities.

Where do our students go?

Graduates of this programme are currently working as:

• habilitation specialists and assistants in local authorities
• habilitation specialists and assistants for sensory services consortia or sensory impairment services for national and local impairment-related charities.