Whether you work within or with the Education, Health, Social Care, or Voluntary sector, our innovative, flexible, and applied degree is ideal for you if you are passionate about actively supporting the mental health and well-being of children, families, and communities.
Informed by dimensions of happiness and well-being and associated concerns regarding societal progress in these areas, the degree empowers you in examining child and family mental health by taking a holistic approach, which also encompasses physical and social well-being and is viewed across the lifespan.
Evening and Saturday teaching to fit into your work and family commitments
Flexibility to study fully online or a blended approach to suit your location and learning preferences
Opportunities to apply your learning directly to community practice throughout the degree
This degree aims to support you, as life-long learners and reflective practitioners in:
Striving to achieve the sustainable promotion and improvement of mental health and wellbeing for children and families that are at the heart of our practice;
Championing the voices of families so that they are positioned at the forefront of the policies created to support them;
Advocating for compassionate, ethical, and inclusive practices to support child and family mental health;
Practicing self-and collaborative leadership for the purposes of lifelong personal and professional development and the committed pursuit of best practice;
Embracing an eco-systems and relational approach to working with children and families;
Prioritising an evidence-based, research-informed approach to ensure that the highest quality and standards are maintained for children and families.
Within this degree, you can expect to examine areas relating to:
Integrated Positive Practice in Mental Health and Wellbeing,
Trauma-Informed Practice with Families, and
Global Perspectives of Mental Health.
You will also design and conduct a piece of research focusing on an aspect of child and family mental health.
Further Information
The university has developed Exit Awards in order to recognise the achievement of undergraduate students where it was not possible to award the highest qualification for which they were registered, these include CertHE and DipHE.
Course IMHCF Competency
The Association for Infant Mental Health UK confirms that the University of Warwick utilised the IMHCF(The Infant Mental Health Competency Framework) in the development of its BA (Hons) Child & Family: Health & Wellbeing course for students following the mental health pathway and addresses key domains at Level 1 which includes:
Infant neurodevelopment and the primary attachment relationship
Relationship-based practice
Safeguarding, supervision and support
Working with safeguarding and data protection guidelines
Entry requirements
Entry requirements are flexible
Whilst prior academic experience is an advantage, this course has been designed to equally value the life experience of our students
NVQ Level 3 or prior academic/vocational study and experience is an advantage
GCSE grade C or level 4 in English and maths is an advantage
If you are offered a place on the course, you will automatically be welcomed onto the Thrive+ Programme and it is free to attend. Thrive+ is an interactive, online personal development programme, designed to help build your confidence, resilience and agency ahead of you starting your academic studies on this Degree. An experienced team of facilitators will support you throughout the programme.
This programme offers people the chance to combine study with work and family commitments.
The degree is designed to support people who are new to university study.
It is for people who can:
commit to attending one evening session per week and two Saturdays per term
commit to gaining substantial and broad experience in one or more children, families and community settings, either as a volunteer or employee
This course will appeal to staff and volunteers working with (or aspiring to work with) children, families and communities. This includes, but is not limited to:
social work assistants
nursery nurses
parents
health care assistants
students in/aspiring to work in pastoral roles within a range of settings
play workers
portage workers
parenting workers and
family hub staff
This programme offers students the chance to combine Degree-level study with work and family commitments.
Modules
Note that the module catalogue is subject to change for future years of study, as we evolve our courses in response to the latest developments in academia and industry. If optional modules are listed below, these can vary from year to year.
Pathways
During your studies you have the option to specialise in a particular area to gain a named award, including a BA (Hons) in:
You have the choice to either pay all of tuition fees for the whole academic year at the start of their course, or pay in instalments. Students on modular-based courses are required to pay for each module within 21 days of the invoice being applied to their account. See more on Student Finance - when to payLink opens in a new window.
Currently, the University of Warwick is NOT sponsoring students on part-time or distance learning courses with a Student Visa (formerly known as Tier 4 visa).
If you require a visa to enter the UK, a general visa can be used to attend face-to-face intensive learning (workshops).
This would not enable you to be resident in the UK for the duration of your course, but enables you to visit to attend the workshops.
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2025/26 year of study). Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Are there any course specific costs?
BA (Hons) Degree Child and Family: Mental Health Recommended core books cost approximately £80 each year of study.
Printing costs for dissertation poster: approx £20
This degree programme is run by a dedicated team of experts in the field who have a wealth of experience in supporting students to flourish.
Our module sessions are based upon fun, interactive and critical discussions and activities that ensure that you are supported in understanding and applying your learning to your own professional and personal contexts.
Our teaching is based upon building trusting, authentic relationships with our students, that provide the foundations for you to confidently progress.
We ensure that you can focus carefully on one module per term – ensuring that you have the time and space to build your understanding and draw meaningful connections to practice.
You will engage in ongoing reflection for the purposes of lifelong personal and professional development and the committed pursuit of best practice.
By its interdisciplinary nature, the course equips you to engage, through relational, integrated practices, with multi-agency teams and therefore with a variety of professionals, as well as with children and families within varying contexts.
University of Warwick was recently awarded Gold in all categories of the government's latest Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) rankings.
Our Assessment Strategy prioritises inclusivity, authenticity and personalisation – meaning that we assess you in a variety of ways (no exams!) and that you have the flexibility to tailor the assessments to suit your own related passions and interests. You’ll see that we also foster your digital capabilities throughout the Degree, for instance through the creation of your own Podcasts and E-Portfolios.
Assessment modes include: portfolios, podcasts, training package design and delivery, essays, posters, proposals and a research project.
Location and Dates
The course offered by the University of Warwick is delivered primarily through distance learning, giving you the flexibility to study from wherever you are. Your timetable will include a blend of scheduled online teaching and independent study, with the opportunity each term to join four sessions either in person on campus or via live‑stream. This approach allows you to engage in the way that best suits your circumstances while still feeling connected to the Warwick community.
2026/27 cohort dates and time
Weekday sessions (blended):
Part-time study: Wednesdays 6:00-9:00pm
Full-time study: Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00-9:00pm
Saturday sessions (blended):
5 December 2026
6 February 2027
13 March 2027
15 May 2027
You will get personalised assistance for assessments, including submission dates and guidance. You will also engage in discussion forums and collaborative activities to build relationships with peers in your group and your tutors. Building trusting professional relationships are integral to your success and progression in this degree.
Careers
Our current students work in education, childcare, and community support roles—including teaching assistants, job coaches, early years practitioners, and pastoral staff—across schools, nurseries, charities, and local authorities, while others assist in law firms, public transport, or animal therapy programmes for neuro-divergent young people and vulnerable families.
New roles are emerging in education, health, social care, community and voluntary settings. You’ll be ideally prepared for careers in:
Family Support
Advocacy work
Health Promotion
Health Work in Schools
Pastoral care
Community Work
Family Centres
Parenting Support
Childcare Teams
Targeted work with vulnerable families
You will develop skills and knowledge to help you progress your career into leadership and management roles.
The Student Support Team supports the pastoral and academic needs of our diverse student body, including:
Supporting the academic development of undergraduate and postgraduate students
Ensuring a learning experience of the highest quality, both at the University and in partner colleges.
Communicating with students in order to ensure a positive learning experience at CLL
Careers and Development
Careers planning
CV writing
Application forms
Cover letters
Interview tips
Hear from our students:
"I did a taster session before applying for the degree and by the end I felt a surge of excitement. I knew then this was the right course for me. Every step of the way we have been made to feel supported and motivated. I feel the degree is making me become the best version of myself and I am excited for my future."
Zara, current student
Life at Warwick
This is where your journey begins. Our campus is the heart of it all. It’s more than just a campus - it's the places you visit, the people you meet, the fun that you have; the experiences you have here will be transformative.
Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities.
Our campus is where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus
Follow our students around campus on our social channels to see their experiences first-hand.
Teaching facilities
Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs. You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.
Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas
Different study spaces offering you flexible individual and group study spaces, computers, printing and scanning facilities, multimedia resources and more
Supporting you
Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.
Whether you live in a campus residence or in partnership accommodation off campus, you’ll be part of a community to get the most from your experience at Warwick.
Societies and sports play a huge part in community life at Warwick. With over 300 to choose from, getting involved is one of the easiest ways to make friends and share in experiences. Whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.
Your university experience is defined by far more than your course or the career path you follow. At Warwick, it’s where you discover who you could become.
74th
Warwick is ranked 74th in the world and top 10 in all major UK league tables
Our alumni community still call Warwick home. From a few hundred in 1965 to more than 310,000 alumni, and it's ever-growing.
As Warwick graduates, our students have access to employability support for two years after graduation, including access to careers appointments, job vacancies and professional networks.
(We work with over 20 partners, including professional bodies and partner colleges, and are always looking to build new partnerships)
85%
1st and 2nd class degrees
(From 2016 to 2022, 85% of our undergraduate have achieved a first or second class honours degree)
Accessible, flexible, world-class Warwick education for lifelong learners
For more than 30 years the Centre for Lifelong Learning has been a centre of expertise in the education of lifelong learners in different contexts, with a focus on enabling adult learners to achieve their personal and professional goals by accessing a Warwick education, irrespective of background.
Who we are
A global network - There are 42 nationalities among our current students
A local community - 74% of our students are based in West Midlands
Accessible Higher-Education - In 2022, 32% of our students joining the courses do not have A-levels or level-3 qualifications
A nurturing place - From 2016 to 2022, 85% of our undergraduate have achieved a first or second class honours degree
A learning hub for many - We are home to over 1000 undergraduate and postgraduate students
A collaborative institution - We work with over 20 partners, including professional bodies and partner colleges, and are always looking to build new partnerships
This information is applicable for 2027 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our web page 'Important information to consider before making an application' in advance of applying to Warwick.
Next steps
Experience campus at an Open Day. Can't visit? Receive regular email updates or ask current students and staff questions about life at Warwick.
