Supporting children and young people's wellbeing
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In this engaging module, you&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;ll discover how to support children and young people&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;s wellbeing from birth to age 25 through evidence-based approaches. You&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;ll explore how relationships, culture, education, and society shape wellbeing, focusing on key themes of rights, health, identity, creativity, and safeguarding. You&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;ll examine diverse family structures, community influences, and the role of both formal and informal learning in young people&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;s lives. Whether you work in education, care, or youth services – or aspire to – this module will help you develop essential skills for understanding and supporting young people&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;s wellbeing across different contexts.
What you will study
The module is divided into four blocks.
In Block 1, you’ll explore how wellbeing is understood in policy and practice for ages 0–25. You’ll focus on evidence and knowledge-informed practice across areas such as children’s rights, conviviality, diversity, sustainable development and wellbeing, all within a social-ecological context. As you explore these foundational concepts, you’ll also develop the academic skills needed for Stage 2 study, building confidence and connecting ideas to your learning and career goals.
Block 2 focuses on relationships and their impact on wellbeing. You&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;ll study diverse family structures, including the roles of parents, siblings, social carers, young carers, and early childhood services. The block highlights the influence of community and peer relationships and considers children’s agency within the cultural spaces and practices they navigate. You’ll explore how aspects of identity – including gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, disability, neurodivergence, and social class – influence children’s experiences and opportunities within these relational and cultural contexts.
Block 3 examines how risk-taking, safeguarding, and health can influence wellbeing. You’ll be introduced to a range of practice settings and practitioner roles and consider how shared responsibilities can be central to supporting wellbeing. The block also examines contemporary concerns such as disparities in physical and mental health, interactions with the looked-after care system, homelessness, and transitions between services.
Finally, in Block 4, you’ll explore different types of learning, both formal and informal, including peer-based, home-based, preschool, community, school-based, and impromptu approaches. You’ll examine how these varied learning contexts affect wellbeing and consider their complex social and cultural dynamics. The block concludes by examining how creative methods, co-production, and participation with young people can offer new insights for effective practice.
You will learn
You&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;ll develop a broad understanding of factors influencing children and young people’s wellbeing, learning to apply evidence-based approaches across different contexts. The module helps you build essential professional skills, including critical thinking, information literacy and effective communication with diverse audiences. These transferable skills will enhance your ability to work with children and young people while deepening your theoretical knowledge of wellbeing.
Entry requirements
There are no formal academic or experiential requirements to study this module.
What's included
The module uses a blend of printed and online material. You&/courses/qualifications/details/ke207/39;ll have access to a module website, which includes:
- a week-by-week study planner
- module materials
- audio and video recordings
- interactive content
- an assessment guide
- access to online tutorials and forums.
Computing requirements
- Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
- Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
- Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
- Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
- Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
- Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.