SPRn4005 Social Work with Children and Families at Risk

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2026
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jitka Navrátilová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jitka Navrátilová, Ph.D.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
!TYP_STUDIA(B)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
The course is conceived as theoretical background for social work with vulnerable families with emphasis on the child protection. Through reflection of theoretical knowledge to teaching students to understand current threats to children, youth and their families. Students will gain knowledge not only about the main theoretical concepts, but they acquire an overview in the empirical data and instruments of social work, which promote improvement of the well-beingu children and young people and contribute to improving the functioning of families at risk.
Learning outcomes
Students completing the course will be able to: To assess the life situation of families with children;
To assess the well-being of the children in the family;
Assess the resources of children and families;
Reflect on theoretical concepts in working with families with children;
Choose a suitable theoretical concept for the work with a family with children To design interventions for improving the well-beingu children and families;
Key topics
  • 1.Introduction and course organisation
  • 2.Childhood in the changes of time
  • 3.Social work and the development of child wellbeing with an emphasis on resilience and working with sources of vulnerability
  • 4. Children in foster care
  • 5.Children and young people at risk of substance use
  • 6.Children in long-term institutional care
  • 7.Children of convicted parents
  • 8.Child at risk in the school environment
  • 9.Children at risk of domestic violence
  • 10.Supporting the strengths of children and families
  • 11.Identifying family dimensions and supporting their functioning I.
  • 12.Identifying family dimensions and supporting their functioning II.
  • 13.Practical skills training
Study resources and literature
    required literature
  • Handbook of Child Well-Being Theories, Methods and Policies in Global Perspective. Edited by Asher Ben-Arieh - Ferran Casas - Ivar Frønes - Jill E. Korbin. Dordrecht: Imprint: Springer, 2014, 142 illus. ISBN 9789048190638. URL info
  • COLLINS, Donald; Catheleen JORDAN and Heather COLEMAN. An introduction to family social work. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2010, xxii, 428. ISBN 9780495601883. info
  • Social work with children and families. Edited by Maureen O'Loughlin - Steve O'Loughlin. 2nd ed. Exeter: Learning Matters, 2008, ix, 145. ISBN 9781844451449. info
    recommended literature
  • Changing childhoods : local and global. Edited by Heather Montgomery - Rachel Burr - Martin Woodhead. 1st pub. Milton Keynes: Open university, 2003, xii, 299. ISBN 9780470846957. info
  • KLEIN, David M. and James M. WHITE. Family theories : an introduction. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 1996, xxii, 294. ISBN 0803958536. info
    not specified
  • Parental imprisonment and children's rights. Edited by Aisling Parkes - Fiona Donson. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021, xxii, 216. ISBN 9781138283473. info
  • BOWLBY, John. Vazba : teorie kvality raných vztahů mezi matkou a dítětem. Vydání první. Praha: Portál, 2010, 356 stran. ISBN 9788073676704. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
Lectures, class discussion, presentations by professionals in the family social work field, reading, projects.
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
The course ends with an exam. The course is worth 8 credits, which require:
1 ECTS - attendance
1 ECTS - final exam
1 ECTS - preparation of a professional project of 8 standard pages
3 ECTS - reading English and Czech literature
1 ECTS - data collection and fieldwork
1 ECTS - preparation of a seminar paper related to data collection and fieldwork
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2026, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2026/SPRn4005