This course will help the learner to answer the question "Who is holding me?" from the perspective of the infant and child. The course will cover content related to the local and international policy context surrounding infants and their mental health, review the impact of domestic abuse and parental experiences of childhood on the parent - infant relationship, the legal context of infant mental health practice and how practitioners can hear the child's voice.

20 hours of asynchronous online teaching

None

1. 30% creative written output (leaflet, infographic, academic poster) presenting and critiquing the contribution of a chosen system (ILOs 1, 2, 3 & 5)

2. 70% analysis and response to case study vignette recorded presentation (18-20mins) (ILOs 1-5)

The aim of this course is to provide students with an opportunity to explore the components of the systems which surround the infant, child and family. The course will allow the student to develop knowledge of bio-ecological models and consider what infants and children require to thrive. The student will be introduced to social policy both nationally and internationally which impacts on infant mental health, consider the anthropology of childhood, and the impact of parental perspectives and experiences may have on the infant and child. The course will also provide an overview of the legal system surrounding the child.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Appraise systemic contributions to supporting infant mental health and development and evaluate the tensions between these systems 

2. Critically evaluate the evidence base around the systems presented

3. Appraise the drivers which influence these systems (e.g. ideological, practical, economic)

4. Communicate learning in a concise and engaging manner

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.