The School of Law offers a new Masters Degree Programme for social, legal, police, healthcare and other professionals working with adults. The course is specially designed so that it may be taken by those who are in full-time employment. The central aims of the course are to update and enhance knowledge of relevant law and research literature and to provide an opportunity for experienced practitioners to further develop and critically reflect upon their skills, as applied to safeguarding adults in a variety of settings. It aims to promote anti-discriminatory practice, inter-agency understanding and interdisciplinary working. The course also aims to develop research and analytical skills and to provide a foundation for pursuing further study at doctoral level. It is an interdisciplinary course comprising contributions from law, policy, practice and health. As part of the School of Law, the Centre for Professional Ethics (PEAK) will make an essential contribution to the course. Safeguarding adults work engages with a multitude of ethical dilemmas and understanding of key concepts such as ‘autonomy’ from a legal and ethical perspective are an essential theoretical underpinning to understanding of safeguarding and for competent professional practice Prospective applicants are very welcome to contact the Course Director, Alison Brammer, to discuss the course.

The aims of this programme are to introduce key principles of interdisciplinary, socio-legal research methods and scholarship, facilitate the development of higher-level critical analysis, and develop the students’ capacity for original thinking in relation to the complex issues arising in socio-legal scholarship. More specifically, the programme aims to: Develop a practical and theoretical understanding of safeguarding adults Develop a critical awareness of the social and political contexts in which law and practice is located Develop a critical perspective in the assessment and evaluation of research, law scholarship, policy and practice in adult safeguarding Develop critical and analytical skills in order to interrogate practical legal problems and to justify decisions Develop the ability to work independently in a coherent, focused and productive way. Encourage interdisciplinarity via the student experience - inter professional student groups, learning and teaching provided by a range of academics, professionals and policy makers. The programme is structured in a way that allows students to maintain full-time employment while studying, with teaching for each module taking place over an intensive 3-day period. The programme, therefore, is designed to appeal to both the ‘conventional’ postgraduate student and specifically, those already engaged professionally in this area of activity, in social work, health, the legal profession or otherwise.