FDA Youth Justice Practitioner Foundation degree at Bedfordshire
FDA Youth Justice Practitioner at Bedfordshire is designed for those seeking to develop professional expertise in supporting young people within the criminal justice system, combining theoretical understanding with practical application relevant to current practice.
About this course
FDA Youth Justice Practitioner is a Foundation degree (FDA) at Bedfordshire, based in Bedford Campus. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Health and social care graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Nursing & Health, see the sections below.
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Introduction to research and social enquiry
Module details
How and why we carry out social science research, and the current debates in the field.
- Career planning for social scientists
Module details
Consider possible graduate destinations, pulling together your own personal development plan.
- Narratives of childhood and youth
Module details
Examine children and young people's lives from historical, sociological and philosophical perspectives.
- Development in childhood and youth
Module details
Use your understanding of human development to help you with assessments and interventions for children, young people, their families and adults.
- Relation-based practice
Module details
Build the skills you need to connect with people using services across social care, youth work, health, criminal justice and education.
- Introducing academic skills
Year 2 9 modules
- Digital childhoods
Module details
Explore young people's rights online; how social media has provided them with a voice; and the risks of digital citizenship.
- Perceptions and discourses of childhood
Module details
How policies shape, and are shaped by, the perceptions and debates around children's rights.
- Work-related experience in childhood and youth
Module details
A work-experience opportunity that lets you show your skills through practice, shadowing, simulations and assessed tasks.
- Research 1: collecting data
- Research 2: exploring data
- Disability in societyOptional
- Addictions and societyOptional
- Living with mental health conditionsOptional
- Leadership and management in early yearsOptional
Year 3 8 modules
- Child protection and safeguarding: the contexts of vulnerability
Module details
Gain enhanced knowledge of developments in child protection; explore past, current and emerging approaches; develop the skills needed to work in this demanding field.
- SASS Change Maker project
Module details
Deliver a project that will create change and address an identified need in a community-based organisation.
- SASS Change Maker research dissertation
Module details
Create a research proposal, address its ethical considerations, and conduct an in-depth study aligned with your course and career goals.
- Childhoods in a global contextOptional
- The lived experiences of children and young people in diverse family and social circumstancesOptional
- Violence in modern societyOptional
- Issues of childhood and social justiceOptional
- Youth justice, gangs and serious violenceOptional
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This Foundation Degree in Youth Justice Practice focuses on equipping practitioners with knowledge and skills for working effectively in youth justice settings. You'll usually begin with foundations in nursing practice, clinical communication and person-centred care, alongside anatomy and physiology relevant to health assessment. As you progress, a course like this typically moves towards acute and long-term care management, medicines and pharmacology, and evidence-based practice. Throughout, placements run alongside theory, approximately 50% of your time, giving you supervised practice in diverse settings such as community, mental health, and specialist units. In your final stage, you'll consolidate complex care skills, develop leadership competence, and prepare for professional registration. Specialisations may include adult nursing, mental health, children's nursing, community and primary care, and leadership pathways.
Who it's for
This course suits practitioners already working or planning to work in youth justice, or those seeking to transition into the field. It is particularly relevant for individuals balancing study with professional commitments, given its part-time delivery. You should have an interest in supporting young people and a commitment to understanding the complexities of youth justice within the UK context.
University & format
This FDA Youth Justice Practitioner degree is studied part-time at the University of Bedfordshire, a university located on the Bedford Campus. The course is taught in English. As a Foundation Degree, it is a nationally recognised UK degree-awarding qualification. The University of Bedfordshire holds Bronze for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is.
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
Year in industry. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code UCAS). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Bedfordshire →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
National funding for this subject
- NHS Learning Support Fund: Eligible nursing, midwifery and allied-health students can receive a non-repayable training grant. Official guidance
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Nursing & Health graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £22,000 – £33,000 | 410 |
| 3 years after | £25,500 | £21,000 – £31,000 | 20 |
| 5 years after | £32,000 | £17,000 – £45,500 | 25 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 410. Cohort 2021-22.
- 1Newly Qualified PractitionerPreceptorship / first post · 0–2 yrs
- 2Registered PractitionerAutonomous practice · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / SpecialistSpecialist or team lead · 5–10 yrs
- 4Advanced / Consultant PractitionerAdvanced practice or management · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Nursing & Health nationally
National figures for Nursing & Health graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Nursing & Health courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,506 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Job market & outlook
How Nursing & Health graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine documentation and triage support
- Scheduling and records admin
- First-pass risk flags from data
- Standard reference look-ups
More human than ever
- Hands-on, compassionate care
- Clinical judgement and accountability
- Communicating with patients and families
- Ethics and safeguarding decisions
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Nursing & Health graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- NHS trusts
- Private healthcare
- Care providers
- Community & mental-health services
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Nursing & Health graduates.
Nursing Home ManagerJarrodean Healthcare RecruitmentSenior Charge Nurse Uist Community Nursing teamNHS National Services ScotlandCare Assistant - Nursing Home | Flexible Hours, Weekly PayMpa RecruitmentCare Assistant (Nursing) - Nightshift - RatheaneMacklin Care Homes LimitedSenior Support Worker: Meaningful Care & Flexible ShiftsPotens GroupDental NurseBupa Dental CareIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Bedfordshire
Subjects allied to medicine across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Bedford Campus
681 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Nursing & Health right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Bedfordshire from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £16,900 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Bedfordshire’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Bedfordshire and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Bedfordshire
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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