Interprofessional Courses at City University

Interprofessional Responses to Victims and Survivors of Violence

Do you work with other agencies or professions?

Do you really know what they do and how they work?

Are there better ways you could work together?

Much police work nowadays requires an interprofessional response. This is, perhaps, most important when providing services to survivors of violence whether the violence is intentional (child abuse, domestic violence) or unintentional (road and rail crashes or caused by natural disaster).

There is increasing awareness that a true interprofessional response, where agencies work together to a common goal, is far more likely to meet the needs of the people involved than a multi-agency response where each organisation provides its own service irrespective of others' involvement. It is important that services focus on the needs of individuals and communities rather than providing a one-size-fits-all service to a set of pre-determined procedures.

There is overwhelming evidence in the media and in the professional literature that supports the concept of individuals from different organisations learning together to work together. Consider, for example, such matters as acronyms, culture and procedures of one service not being readily understood by those from the other services involved. Government requirements for effective partnerships, e.g. Home Office strategies such as MAPPA, can also, arguably, best be achieved through joint educational programmes.

Expert practitioners learning together are able to share experience in a mutually respectful manner where each values highly the opportunity to learn about the stresses as well as the achievements of each discipline. By sharing learning in this way, individuals build confidence in working across disciplines and barriers are broken down. Experienced practitioners following courses designed to build on their existing experience and professional knowledge can help one another address what are often difficult issues in practice.

Research into the interprofessional courses at University London shows that they have a positive impact on partnership approaches. Students from many different professions have reported beneficial outcomes for their practice. Many students have gained benefits in their careers either through promotion, new avenues or jobs and increased satisfaction with their own, professional performance.

The courses advertised below are designed to accredit prior knowledge and experience through the award of a formal, internationally recognised qualification by building on existing skills and knowledge. It is not necessary for applicants to have a first degree or, indeed, any formal qualification (students who had left school before taking GCSE exams have achieved the MSc). The modules can be taken as stand-alone units, earning a certificate for professional development purposes. Those wanting to achieve the MSc (Post-graduate diploma if not wishing to write a major project) can take the modules in any order to suit their professional and personal life and have five years in which to complete the eight, taught modules. Every student is allocated a personal tutor who will guide and assist the student as well as challenging them to stretch their capabilities. City University London has an excellent Academic Support Unit where the friendly staff will assist students with such matters as how to write an essay or how to benefit from reading text books.

The courses are committed to developing practice and all assessments are based on a requirement that students address an aspect of professional practice in their own organisation. Most importantly, the timetable for each module is just six study days over 12 weeks with students getting together for self-directed learning and reading at their own pace.

For further details about this course or other courses available to you visit the website at
http://www.city.ac.uk/study/courses/communityhealth/society-violence-and-practice-msc.html