Children, Protection and Justice unit (HGA237)

Introduction

This unit engages students in a multi-disciplinary Community of Practice focused on understanding how children and young people become involved with statutory service systems, what their experiences of these systems are, and current directions for system reform and service improvement.  The unit confronts the foundational impacts of poverty, trauma and violence in the lives of children and explores the difficult realities of mobilising complex care within and across community and government services.  Adopting a child-centered, trauma-transformative approach, the unit unpacks the operation of Australian child protection and youth justice systems and services, children’s pathways through these, and foregrounds the different perspectives of children, families, practitioners, advocates, policy-makers and researchers.  A public health lens is mobilised to highlight the positive role of prevention and early intervention in transforming child and family welfare policy and practice and minimising the traumatising impacts of children’s contact with statutory systems.

Summary

Unit name	Children, Protection and Justice
Unit code	HGA237
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Arts and Society Humanities and Social Sciences
Discipline	Sociology and Criminology
Coordinator	Associate Professor Catherine Robinson
Available as an elective?	Yes
Delivered By	University of Tasmania
Level	Intermediate

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the causes and nature of children’s involvement in child protection and youth justice systems
• Evaluate the operations and effectiveness of child protection and youth justice systems
• Engage with contemporary debates on child welfare policy, research, advocacy, practice and lived experience
• Communicate your ideas clearly in written and verbal form.

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Requisites

Mutual Exclusions

You cannot enrol in this unit as well as the following:

HGA337 and HGA437

Teaching

Teaching Pattern	Weekly lecture and Professional Practice Interview (on-campus and online students) Weekly reading and Community of Practice preparation (on-campus and online students) Weekly Engagement Activity (on-campus and online students) Weekly on-campus Community of Practice workshop (2 hours) [HBA, L, CC] (on-campus students only) Weekly online Community of Practice (1 hour Zoom tutorial + 1 hour online Padlet/Discussion Board/Feedback Fruits engagement) (online students only) Weekly individual study for assessment work, including team project meetings (on-campus and online students)
Assessment	Engagement activities (10%)|Issues Pitch (20%)|Issues Briefing - Group Presentation (30%)|Individual reflection (40%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required	The required readings for each week are listed on the unit's MyLO page. The readings can be accessed through the Library Reading List.
Recommended	Recommended Readings will be provided by your Unit Coordinator via MyLO.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.