Teaching staff from Robert Gordon University (RGU) spent three days in Shetland this month as part of a new distance learning model for child care workers.
The new course, entitled BA Residential Child Care, has been approved by the Scottish Social Services Council and was launched by the School of Applied Social Studies in January.
It builds on a previous course in Social Pedagogy and was adapted and developed to meet the specific needs of residential child care workers.
The blended learning course is made up of online elements, such as e-tutorials, to supplement teaching at RGU’s Garthdee campus. The university has also arranged to deliver 22 days of face-to-face teaching with distance learning students from the Shetland Islands Council.
The first days of distance teaching took place earlier this month, when Associate Head of School and Head of Social Work Janine Bolger, and Social Work lecturer Sharon Munro spent three days with residential child care workers in Lerwick.
Mrs Bolger said: “We at Robert Gordon University are delighted to be able to offer this kind of tailored teaching model to our prospective social work students.
“Through our ‘flying faculty model’, we can take the same programme that our Aberdeen-based cohort follow and deliver it to students at their place of work, therefore reducing the time that they spend away from working with accommodated children and from their own homes.”
Scott Hunter, executive manager of Children’s Resources, Shetland Islands Council, said: “Shetland Islands Council is pleased to be working closely with Robert Gordon University on this degree level qualification that will ensure that our children and young people receive the very best residential care from understanding and qualified practitioners.”