Upon successful completion of this module a student should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
Knowledge and Understanding:
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the research ethics process.
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the research process from start to end.
• Debate and critically evaluate current research and practice highlighting the value of each and their contribution to professional practice.
Applying Knowledge and Understanding:
• Apply and critically evaluate current research and practice.
Communication and Writing Skills:
• Develop professional competencies by integrating their professional skills within the research framework to enhance their skills within the topic area and the material explored.
• Communicate accurately, effectively and reliably in written and oral format.

Learning skills:

• Develop and evaluate their own professional competencies by integrating their research skills involved in selection, and analysis of material in order to develop specialist theoretical knowledge.
• Analyse and interpret qualitative data using manual thematic analysis or specialised qualitative data analysis programmes such as NVIVO or similar.
• Analyse and interpret quantitative data using recognised data analysis programmes such as SPSS.
• Students will be expected to be autonomous reflective practitioners and as such work with the material in a mature and evaluative way.
Professional Skills:
• Critically reflect upon their own current practice and their role in the research process and their own professional setting.
• Critically evaluate their ability to handle multifaceted issues in which judgments are made whilst reflecting upon the wider professional issues and the responsibilities of their role as a professional within a research setting.
• Apply and analyse factual information and presented theories, models and frameworks to real world contexts and resolution of problems
• Analyse and evaluate core theoretical concepts; health policy; legal; social; and ethical issues in the context of child welfare and protection

Personal / Professional Development:
• Be familiar with and comfortable working in an online learning environment
• Use online learning resources to further learning opportunities
• Have the ability to critically reflect and evaluate their individual professional practice and knowledge base in order to recognise their need for continuous professional development and lifelong learning.
• Upon completion of the module students will be able to evaluate complex multifaceted issues and judgements whilst reflecting upon the wider professional issues, social and ethical responsibilities of their role as a professional within this area.

The student must have completed a 10 ECTS research module at level 9, and must have a Graduate Diploma or equivalent in Child Welfare and Protection.