Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is designed for practitioners and policymakers from both state and non-state bodies (such as NGOs, CBOs and private service providers) and anyone working in providing services around children’s care. This might include social workers, para-social workers, community support workers, lawyers, psychologists, child protection professionals, teachers, medical workers and care workers, including those in family-based and residential settings. The course will also be accessible for people not working directly in this field and others with an interest or responsibility in the field of child protection and child care. The course will be conducted in English with some course materials (including text and videos) also accessible in Spanish and French, reflecting the truly global nature of this issue. You can use the hashtag #FLaltcare to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

• Week 1 - Introduction to the Guidelines, the Principles, and Gatekeeping
• Week 2 - Upholding the ‘necessity principle’: Supporting and Strengthening Families
• Week 3 - Upholding the ‘necessity principle’: High-Risk Children and Gatekeeping
• Week 4 - Upholding the ‘suitability principle’: Selecting from a Range of Formal Care Settings
• Week 5 - Upholding the ‘suitability principle’: Deinstitutionalisation
• Week 6 - Leaving Care