Social Care & Early Years

Children's Care, Learning and Development (Leadership and Management Pathway) - Level 5 Diploma

Start Date: 18th September 2023
Code: YHPY1928A1

Higher Education
Part-Time
Ballymoney
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Essentials

Duration: 2 Years Part-time
Start date: 18th September 2023
End date: 2nd June 2025
Day: Mon
Time: 13:00-21:00
Information event: Y

Course fee: To be confirmed

Course Content

The course content, delivery and assessment will be tailored to meet the needs of both the busy student and the children’s care, learning and development employer. The College will provide blended learning (a mix of face to face and online) designed to provide a thorough understanding of the key requirements of the role and qualification.

An occupationally competent assessor will also provide support and feedback crafted to match the development needs of the student.

The course is designed to recognise the current knowledge, skills and experience of the student and to support development needs.

Students will be required to attend a mandatory pre-course information session

Course Aims

The Level 5 Diploma is designed for busy senior practitioners in a leadership or management role within childcare settings or for those practitioners who may have the opportunity or ambition to be appointed into a senior role.

Assessment Methods

The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership is a work-based qualification. Consequently, students will be assessed by direct observation in the workplace and by the creation of an online portfolio of evidence.

Course Update

Please note that due to ongoing major campus construction projects courses at Ballymena, Coleraine and Ballymoney may be relocated to alternative suitable locations as required.

Candidates must be:

18 years old or over and working as a Leader, Deputy Leader, Assistant Manager or Deputy Manager in a children’s care, learning and development setting (minimum contract 10 hours) or be in a position to carry out management activities in a setting with the support of management (if not currently in a management role)
Hold a Level 3 qualification in Childcare & Learning Development or equivalent
Satisfy an ACCESS NI Assessment and health checks.

Where mature students wish to have prior education and/or experience taken into account, in lieu of meeting the full course entry requirements, they should contact the relevant Course Director or Admissions by 12th August, as an application deadline will apply. It is at the College's discretion to consider APEL enquiries after the dates stated.

In the event of oversubscription, the College reserves the right to increase the entry criteria for this programme to GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above in preference to Essential Skills or lower graded GCSEs. Applicants will still be reviewed in date order and by order of preference.

Students who have completed the Level 5 Diploma can progress onto a Foundation Degree (offered with Stranmillis College, Queen's University Belfast) or to the top up Early childhood degree with the University of Doncaster.

Grace Kearney

Grace Kearney from Clady Portglenone, is currently working in the Loughgiel Early Years After School Club, having progressed from a supervisory role to deputy leader. She has worked with the playgroup for 13 years and two or three years into the role became a supervisor. In her present role as deputy leader she has embarked on the Level 5 Diploma in Childcare Learning and Development.

“Doing the course has really helped my professional development. It helped me take a critical look at how I perform in practice and I can take what I learn in class back to others. The support from the lecturers and others in the class is always great and very helpful.”

Karen Traynor

Karen Traynor is a leader at Stepping Stones Playgroup in Ballymoney. She did the course because it is a requirement of her funded job but she was delighted to get the opportunity to do it.

Karen started Stepping Stones 2004, she did a Level 2 in Children in 2003, and this helped her get a job as assistant in the playgroup.

She progressed to Level 3 at the College, studying part time, while working full-time in Stepping stones. In 2017, she was appointed deputy leader which required her to complete the Level 5. It has been a great time for her professionally and she would recommend the course

“Before I started the course, I wasn’t computer literate and I panicked when I realised what was involved in putting together the e-portfolio.

I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do it but I’m so glad I persevered and managed to get through with the support of the lecturers and others in the class.

I’d no idea about Powerpoint presentations but had to produce a leaflet as part of the course. Now that I can do it, it will really help me in my job as I can do things myself that I would have had to asked others to do before. We needed funded for ICT equipment for example and I was able to help write and submit the application.”

Karen continues, “When the leader retired, I took on the role and there is a lot more to it so the course has been a great help for my own professional development. I would have no hesitation in recommending the course.”

Natasha Lyttle

Natasha Lyttle from Ballymoney works with Dervock Communiy Playgroup. To progress within her workplace, she needs the Level 5 qualification as it is a requirement for the post of deputy leader of the playgroup.

After completing her GCSEs at Ballymoney High School, Natasha attended Northern Regional College to study Level 2 in Health and Social Care and then progressed to Level 3. After College she applied for a job in a Ballymoney school as a SEN Teaching Assistant and stayed there on temporary contract until June 2017 and then worked with Kidz Club.

Natasha describes her experience of the course, “I enjoy the course but it can be difficult to get the right balance. I’m the youngest in the class so I learn from the others who have much more practical experience. I’m learning on the job all the time and there is great support from the College staff.”

Now that she has the bug, she is considering her options, among them doing another course so that she can become an assessor.

Natasha explains, “Level 5 can be a progression route to university and I could get exemptions if I was doing Childcare. I’ll way up my options more once I finish my course.”

Josephine Campbell

Josephine Campbell has previously completed a number of courses at the College including Level 2 and 3 in Childcare Learning and Development and Level 4 Autism and is currently enrolled on the Level 5 Childcare Learning and Development.

For some the Level 5 Childcare Learning and Development course is a requirement by Social Services to complete the course for their job role but for Josephine it wasn’t. She wanted to study the course to improve her own professional practice within her job role as Manager of Dalriada after schools’ club –Kidz Club.

Josephine explains, “I enrolled on this course as I wanted to improve my own personal practice which I can say I have done in leaps and bounds. I think I have a better understanding of my role and because of this, I can do a better job and give staff more support. It has also helped me to keep on top of changing legislation like Data Protection and Child Protection.

“Everyone thinks it’s a time consuming course, and it is. It is a great course and a good way of learning from best practice elsewhere in the sector but you need to be prepared to put in the effort. I couldn’t have done it without the support of the lecturers. I would fully recommend this course to others.

2 Coleraine Road
Ballymoney
BT53 6BT
028 2766 0401

Contact

Elaine Hegarty Send Email

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