At Unitas, we are passionately committed to improving outcomes for children involved in the criminal justice system, by helping improve the knowledge and skills of practitioners who work with them. We are the largest provider of youth justice courses and degrees in England and Wales, having taught over 3000 students since 2012. In 2019 we established the new Youth Justice Institute, which aims to help close the gap between research and the day-to-day practice challenges faced by staff working in both the community and custody.
Written and developed by leading academics, managers and practitioners working in a wide range of youth justice organisations, our courses offer unparalleled breadth and depth of practice-based learning at half the cost of equivalent distance learning courses offered elsewhere, and up to a third of the cost of traditional campus-based programmes.
All our courses fully integrate the knowledge, behaviours and skills outlined in the Youth Justice Skills Matrix – you can see how by using the Youth Justice Skills Audit tool on the Youth Justice Institute website.
Our flexible progression route means that you can build up to a full BA (Hons) in Youth Justice, gaining standalone, recognised qualifications along the way. If you are not ready to commit to a degree, you can start with the Certificate of Higher Education in Youth Justice and then either choose to leave with an accredited qualification or keep adding modules to progress step-by-step to the Foundation Degree, BA and BA (Hons).
The Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) is a stand-alone qualification, accredited by Skills for Justice Awards and widely recognised by employers across the youth justice sector. It also gives recognition of prior learning (RPL) for Module 3 (Effective Practice in Youth Justice) of the Foundation Degree; this means that if and when you decide to continue studying you will already have completed 60 credits of the Foundation Degree, saving you both time and money.
You can see how the individual building blocks combine together here. Hover over the title for highlights of each qualification and click on the module names for what you’ll study.
If you are interested in working in youth justice, taking one of our accredited courses will give you a qualification that is widely recognised across the youth justice sector.
If you already work in either a paid or voluntary capacity in the youth justice system or allied services such as youth work, then our courses will enable you to improve your knowledge and skills and to progress your career. For example, all prison officers in England and Wales who work with children now need to take the Foundation Degree in Youth Justice with Unitas, bringing them increased pay and recognition as youth justice specialist workers.
Whatever your situation, taking one of our rewarding courses will equip you with transferable skills and increase your employability, without having to commit the time and money usually needed to attend a traditional university campus.
Contact us
01603 570365