I’m representing a commissioning organisation. Why should my organisation consider the Crossfields Institute Level 3 Diploma in Social Pedagogy for our workforce?

You can also download the Information for Commissioning Organisations – Crossfields Institute Level 3 in Social Pedagogy (pdf).

Social Pedagogy

Social pedagogy connects care and education through relationship-centred practice. Its central idea is that each person has inherent potential, is valuable, resourceful and can make a meaningful contribution to their wider community if we find ways of including them.

A range of evaluated pilot projects and demonstration programmes have demonstrated that participants in social pedagogy courses grow in confidence, enjoy an enhanced toolkit of skills and knowledge that equip them better for their practice and benefit the people with whom they work as a consequence.

The impact observed includes improved educational attainment, reduced material damage and restraint incidents in children’s residential homes, improved experience of transitions, greater engagement in creative activities, improved self-reported wellbeing, enhanced relationships, improved inter-professional working, to name a few. Independent evaluations of social pedagogy developments are available here.

Social pedagogy has been positively noted by Ofsted and the Care Inspectorate in inspections. In February 2014, the Derbyshire County Council Ofsted inspection report stated:

“The Local Authority is committed to further improving outcomes for children through the use of systemic practice across frontline teams and the social pedagogy model within residential care. This is already having a positive impact on outcomes for children. For example, the social pedagogy model has resulted in reductions in the need for restraint and a reduction in the numbers of children missing education. It has also been effective in improving staff morale and reducing sickness levels.”

The 2015 Care Service Inspection Report of Camphill Blair Drummond stated:

“Staff spoke very positively about training and how this influenced their day to day practice. In particular we were aware of the positive impact social pedagogy training was having on the way staff worked. […] All staff we spoke to were enthusiastic about social pedagogy and were keen to learn and link the theory to their practice.

In April 2013, the ADCS position statement What is Care For? drew attention to social pedagogy as a single conceptual framework as a way of thinking and working across complex systems, with a common outcomes focus.

Sectors

The Crossfields Institute Level 3 Diploma in Social Pedagogy is applicable across all sectors and for practitioners working with a wide range of people, from early years, to education support, youth and community work, family support, residential care, justice and youth justice, foster care, working with adults and older people.

Social pedagogy has the unique potential to provide a common language and overarching conceptual framework that integrates existing practice and approaches used in order to improve direct practice, team cultures and multi-agency working.

Qualification

The Crossfields Institute Level 3 Diploma in Social Pedagogy is on the Ofqual register and approved by the Social Pedagogy Professional Association as meeting its standards of proficiency in social pedagogy. This will enable your organisation to demonstrate its commitment to social pedagogy.

The qualification aims to equip learners with an essential theoretical and practical understanding of social pedagogy, supporting them in developing important interpersonal skills such as communication, relational, reflective and creative skills. In turn, they are expected to impart and model these within their working practice.

We will take a holistic approach to assessment of learners, which may include: reflective journaling, tutor observation, peer assessment/witness testimony, written assignments, report, presentations, products and professional discussion.

Please click here to review the qualification specification to assess for your organisation how this may meet your training needs and any mandatory requirements.

If your organisation has been developing social pedagogy for some time and is at a point of developing a tailored support programme to grow and nurture an internal capacity for social pedagogy learning and development, please be aware that SPPA will be developing Standards for Education and Training that will be of interest to you. If you would like to be kept informed about this, please sign up to the SPPA mailing list. SPPA recommends that co-facilitators undertake the Level 3 qualification and progress to the Level 5/8 qualification when this becomes available in 2018. It is also recommended that this is coupled with a tailored facilitation skills programme.

Fees and practicalities

To date, two centres have been approved to deliver this qualification: Jacaranda Assessment Centre and ThemPra Social Pedagogy.

We have learners who have already completed a social pedagogy course (minimum six days)

The fee is £1,100 per learner for two days of top-up learning and development, access to our Virtual Learning Environment and assessment. This also includes the learner registration fee of £350 that we pay to Crossfields Institute. This is the fee if you have already completed a minimum of six days of social pedagogy learning and development with ThemPra or Jacaranda. For the first 50 learners this fee is payable via the UCL Online Store as it is subsidised by the Scaling up Social Pedagogy project.

It is advised that your organisation considers appropriate local support for students. We need approximately eight learners per organisation.

Learner fee: £1,100 (no VAT), payable to UCL as part of the Scaling up Social Pedagogy project

A few individuals who would like to complete a course and do the qualification

We are offering open courses in London and Preston from October 2017, with further locations becoming available in 2018 subject to demand. This comprises an eight-day social pedagogy course and support for self-guided learning and holistic assessment. These courses will be run jointly by the Jacaranda and ThemPra centres. The maximum number of participants is 20, with learners coming from a maximum of five organisations.

Learner fee: £2,400 (+ VAT), payable to the centre

A cohort of 16 learners, or multiples of thereof, would like to complete the course and qualification within our organisation.  

In this case, you would work with one centre, who will facilitate courses locally, with you. Typically, such courses run hand in hand with wider development initiatives, guidance in creating the organisational conditions conducive to social pedagogy practice, which would be priced separately.

Course cohort of 16, with all undertaking full qualification: £35,500 (+ VAT), payable to centre

It is possible that only a proportion of learners complete the full qualification and have their learning assessed and accredited.

Course cohort of 16, with some learners undertaking full qualification:
£17,500 (+ VAT) for course delivery plus £1,150 (+ VAT) per learner for assessment and accreditation, payable to centre

Is there a learning pathway for people who are interested in continuing their learning beyond Level 3?

Yes! The Scaling Up Social Pedagogy project aims to develop a Level 5 (Level 8 in Scotland) qualification during 2017. This qualification intends to offer learners half the credit points required in year 2 of a related Bachelor’s degree. It is likely to involve 14 days of guided learning, substantial self-guided learning and more in-depth assessment. If you would like to be kept informed about these developments, please contact us here.

You may also wish to read these Frequently Asked Questions for prospective learners.

Download Crossfields Institute’s Level 3 Diploma in Social Pedagogy qualification specification

Download Crossfields Institute’s Level 5 Diploma in Social Pedagogy qualification specification