Higher Education Certificate in Health and Social Care

This is a Level Four Certificate, made up of 120 credits. The programme has both theory and practice elements.

The modules are:

• Understanding Public Health
• Understanding Evidence & Values in Person-Centred Care
• Introduction to Health Sciences
• Work-based Learning and Assessment

Plus one of the following:

• Understanding Adult Care
• Understanding Mental Health Care
• Understanding the Care of Children and Young People
• Understanding Learning Disability Care

Method of assessment

You will be assessed using coursework and paper-based exams. The work based learning component of the programme is assessed through either a portfolio of work or through achievement of relevant competencies.

You will study the following Core Modules:

Understanding Public Health: 20 Credits

This module will provide you with an introduction and appreciation of the fundamental theories and philosophies relating to public health and health promotion within contemporary health and social care practice. It will offer an opportunity for you to understand theory and practice the holistic assessment; management and inter-professional care of this service service users across the life span. The module will also introduce concepts such as, key determinants of health, examine factors such as culture, mental health, children’s health and the impact that this has upon health and illness within a multitude of settings; examine health assessment and promotion and relate directly to current government long-term drivers to create a wellness service and to strengthen policy locally and nationally.

Understanding Evidence and Values in Person Centred Care: 20 Credits

Recent campaigns had highlighted the need to place dignity at the centre of care (Royal College of Nursing, 2008; Social Care Institute for Excellence 2009). This module will enable the development of both core academic skills and key principles within health and social care. This module will introduce you to academic study, the principles of professional practice and introduce you to Evidence Based Care. It will encourage you to develop critical and reflective skills to access and discuss research and other evidence in nursing, health and social care.

Introduction to Health Sciences: 20 Credits

This module will guide you through the theories and application of health sciences; well-being and disease that influence health and social care delivery. You will be guided towards understanding that proficient healthcare practice requires a comprehensive awareness of sociological, psychological and biological theories of health in order that you are able to be involved in the delivery evidenced-based care. The module will introduce health sciences by exploring human anatomy, physiology, human and child development and simple pathophysiology as a basis for underpinning health care delivery to patients and clients irrespective of age, gender and condition. You will be guided towards understanding the psychosocial, cognitive, social and biological theories of development and these would be applied to the delivery, principles and practice of holistic, non-judgemental, service user centred assessment and care. The module will ensure that you have the knowledge, skills and attributes required to meet the needs of the service-user, their carer’s and the family in any care setting.

Work based Learning and Assessment: 40 Credits

The purpose of this module is to enable students who work in either domiciliary, residential or nursing environments to demonstrate their application of the principles of health and social care in their everyday work practice. To enable the demonstration of safe and effective practice supported by a sound knowledge base in order to demonstrate the caring and compassionate behaviours expected by the public. This module affords the students with a choice of summative assessment depending on their organisations needs and future career choice. Guidance documents have been developed for each option within the Work-Based Learning and Assessment document to aid successful completion by the student and their supervisor.

You will study one of the following Option Modules determined by your area of work:

Understanding Mental Health Care: 20 Credits

This module will introduce you to the philosophies of health and social care practice, when caring for service users with a mental health condition in any care setting. The module will enable you to use work-based experiences therefore permitting the expansion of the essential skills required to promote proficiency in offering personalised holistic patient/client care. It will help you to learn and apply knowledge and understanding of caring for individuals with a range of needs in a variety of care settings. You will explore and gain an understanding of a range of disease processes and conditions and are able to recognise appropriate care pathways, such as safeguarding, health care problems and solutions and how these can be achieved through risk assessment. You will have the opportunity to increase your knowledge and understanding, of individualised care planning to be used in a range of settings when caring for service users with a mental health condition in any care setting.

Understanding Adult Care: 20 Credits

This module will introduce you to the philosophies of health and social care practice, when caring for adults in any care setting. The module will enable you to use work-based experiences therefore permitting the expansion of the essential skills required to promote proficiency in offering personalised holistic patient/client care. It will help you to learn and apply knowledge and understanding of caring for individuals with a range of needs in a variety of care settings. You will explore and gain an understanding of a range of disease processes and conditions and are able to recognise appropriate care pathways, such as safeguarding, health care problems and solutions and how these can be achieved through risk assessment. You will have the opportunity to increase your knowledge and understanding, of individualised care planning to be used in a range of settings when caring for adults.

Understanding the Care of Children and Young People: 20 Credits

This module will introduce you to the philosophies of health and social care practice, when caring for the service user with infants, children and young people. The module will enable you to use work-based experiences therefore permitting the expansion of the essential skills required to promote proficiency in offering personalised holistic patient/client care. It will help you to learn and apply knowledge and understanding of caring for individuals with a range of needs in a variety of care settings. You will explore and gain an understanding of a range of disease processes and conditions and are able to recognise appropriate care pathways, such as safeguarding, health care problems and solutions and how these can be achieved through risk assessment. You will have the opportunity to increase your knowledge and understanding, of individualised care planning to be used in a range of settings when caring for infants, children and young people.

Understanding Learning Disability Care: 20 Credits

This module will introduce you to the philosophies of health and social care practice, when caring for the service user with a learning disability. The module will enable you to use work-based experiences therefore permitting the expansion of the essential skills required to promote proficiency in offering personalised holistic patient/client care. It will help you to learn and apply knowledge and understanding of caring for individuals with a range of needs in a variety of Learning Disability care settings. You will explore and gain an understanding of learning disability and appropriate care pathways, such as safeguarding, health care problems and solutions and how these can be achieved through risk assessment. You will have the opportunity to increase your knowledge and understanding, of individualised care planning to be used in a range of settings when caring for service users with a learning disability.