UDHSCARE - BSc Health and Social Care

The teaching and learning strategies applied in BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care degree aim to stimulate the student’s interest, skills and knowledge in Health and Social Care, providing intellectual challenge at BSc level with the overall aim of ensuring that students are fully prepared for employment in the health and social care sector. The use of Weblearn and the University’s blended learning approach is well received by students and will be further strengthened. For instance highly interactive academic content is provided on Weblearn for all modules on the programme; online seminars and video content are used on some current undergraduate Health modules to wide approval from students. These developments will be sustained in the new curriculum

The lecture programme provides the underpinning theoretical foundation in the subject area and thinking skills are developed through complementary activities including case studies, workshops, seminars, tutorials, assignments and practice based learning. The course is designed with a strong emphasis on employability. The teaching team comprises University staff as well as experts from the health and social care professions and elsewhere. Students are expected to complement formal teaching with self directed reading and completion of specified assignments and reflection. Students are encouraged to use all open spaces of study available to them within North campus.

The course will also promote the student’s self management and a reflective approach to their learning with a view to future continued professional development. Teaching and learning is integrated with the assessment within the Faculty learning and teaching strategy. Delivery is through a combination of lectures, practical sessions, seminars, tutorials, case studies and workshops allowing students to be actively involved in the learning process and develop their own learning style. Students will be encouraged to engage meaningfully with personal development planning (PDP) through the curriculum, to enable them to reflect on, plan and review their own personal and health and social care skills. PDP will enable students to develop well supported claims to achievements and be able to articulate these to others and the University will enable students to recognise and record their achievements.

Students will also be given opportunities to use appropriate resources and technology available both within and outside the institution.

The BSc Hons Health and Social Care programme is a broad applied social science-oriented degree for people intending to work in health and social care. The course aims to provide a comprehensive, comparative approach to health and social care provision. It aims to cover all key aspects including public health, health promotion, policy and ethical aspects of care. A clear focus of this programme is developing students’ ability to use evidence to inform their decisions and understanding of critical issues in health and social care and ways of dealing with them. The course aims to equip students with skills for entry-level and intermediate level health and social care employment.

The following learning outcomes incorporate and depend on systematic understanding of the key aspects of the knowledge base of Health and Social Care, including a coherent and detailed knowledge of some specialist areas in depth.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

[LO1] Deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within Health and Social Care;

[LO2] Devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of Health and Social Care;

[LO3] Describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in Health and Social Care, recognising the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge;

[LO4] Manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to Health and Social Care;

[LO5] apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects;

[LO6] Evaluate critically arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem;

[LO7] Communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences;

[LO8] Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts;

[LO9] Undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature.

[LO1] Deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within Health and Social Care:

SS4008 Sociological imagination (I)
SW4003 Social Contexts for Professional Practice (I)
SH4001 Introducing Health and Social Care (I)
SH5002 Health Illness and Society (P)
SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts
(P)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills for Professional
Contexts (A)

[LO2] Devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of Health and Social Care:

SS4008 Sociological imagination (I)
SH5002 Health Illness and Society (I)
SH5001 Health Promotion and Policy (P)
SH6001 Urban health (A)
SH5050 Partnership Working (P)
SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts
(I, P)
SS6057 Homelessness and Housing Policy (A)
SS6058 Housing Issues and Housing Solutions (A)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills for Professional
Contexts (A)

[LO3] Describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in Health and Social Care, recognising the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge:

SS4008 Sociological imagination (I)
SS4000 Cultures, Identity and Difference (I)
SH5002 Health Illness and Society (P)
SH5050 Partnership Working (P)
SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts
(P)
SH6051 Understanding Mental Health (A)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills in Professional
Contexts (A)
SH4001 Introducing Health and Social Care (I) SH6050 Experiences of Later Life (A)SH6001 Urban health (A)

[LO4] Manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to Health and Social Care:

SS4000 Cultures, Identity and Difference (I)
SH4000 Communicating with Different Client Groups (I)
SS4009 Action Learning and Professional Practice (I)
SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts
(P)
SH5051 Self-Directed Development Project (P)
SH6000 Leadership and Management in Professional
Contexts (A)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills for Professional
Contexts (A)

[LO5] apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects:

SS4009 Action Learning and Professional Practice (I)
SH5002 Health Illness and Society (P)
SH6001 Urban health (A)
SH5001 Health Promotion and Policy (P)
SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts
(P)
SS6001 Development and Social Enterprise (A)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills for Professional
Contexts (A)

[LO6] Evaluate critically arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a
solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem:

SS4009 Action Learning and Professional Practice (I)
SH5001 Health Promotion and Policy (P)
SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts
(P)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills for Professional
Contexts (A)

[LO7] Communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences:

SH4000 Communicating with Different Client Groups (I)
SH5001 Health Promotion and Policy (P)
SH5050 Partnership Working (P)
SW4003 Social Contexts for Professional Practice (I)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills for Professional
Contexts (A)

[LO8] Exercise initiative and personalresponsibility, including decisionmaking in complex and unpredictable contexts:

SS4009 Action Learning and Professional Practice (I)
SH5001 Health Promotion and Policy (P)
SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts
(P)
SH5050 Partnership Working (P)
SW6P00 Research and Evaluation Skills for Professional
Contexts (A)
SH5051 Self Directed Development Project (P)

[LO9] Undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature:

SS4000 Cultures, Identity and Difference (I)
SH4000 Communicating with Different Client Groups (I)
SH5051 Self-Directed Development Project (P)
SH6W50 Short Work-based Learning Placement (A)
SH6W00 Work-based Learning Placement (A)

Health Studies

The BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care degree lends itself to a variety of teaching and learning styles and these are, in turn, reflected in the variety of assessment tools employed throughout the course. Within the general principle of mixed mode assessment can be found a diversity of instruments: seen examinations, short answer papers, practical reports and reviews, case studies, group assessment projects, presentations, essays and health profiles. Transferable skills have been embedded in the learning outcomes of the core modules. They have been mapped to ensure that they are assessed at every level.

The Self Directed Development Project is a core module taken by students in their 2nd year. This should help students consolidate their health and social care competences and skills, identify transferable skills and develop networks to explore employment opportunities and career trajectories. There are also two work based learning/placement modules available as option in year 3 (level 6): the Short Work Based Learning/Placement (15 weeks) and the longer Work Based Learning/Placement module (30 weeks).

There will be opportunities for students to study for part of their degree in another European country. ERASMUS is part of the European Union SOCRATES programme for cooperation in the field of education. Under ERASMUS the University has student exchange agreements with 16 different European countries.

University Regulation 3.1.5 specifies that:

‘All undergraduate courses shall be based on a teaching year comprising 30 weeks of formal scheduled teaching augmented, where appropriate, by a summer studies period.’

For the purposes of the level-4 January entry this will read:

‘All undergraduate courses shall be based on a teaching year comprising 24 weeks of formal scheduled teaching augmented, where appropriate, by a summer studies period.’

Level 4:

SH4000 Communicating with Different Client Groups

SH4001 Introducing Health and Social Care

SS4009 Action Learning and Professional Practice

SW4003 Social Contexts for Professional Practice

Level 5:

SH5000 Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts

SH5001 Health Promotion & Policy

SH5002 Health, Illness and Society

SH5050 Partnership Working

SH5051 Self-Directed Development Project

Level 6:

SH6000 Leadership and Management in Professional Contexts

SH6001 Urban Health

SW6P00 Research & Evaluation Skills for Professional Contexts

This course is fully validated by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).

This programme is aligned to Skills for Health competences, the skills sector council for the healthcare sector where you'll be able to map your competences by the end of the programme enhancing your employment opportunities.

Successful completion of this course offers improved career opportunities in the fields of health and social care. This may be within the NHS, voluntary and independent sectors. Our graduates have found careers in mental health and medical rehabilitation, and as support workers in the NHS, housing associations and charity organisations.

This degree programme is also excellent preparation for research or postgraduate study.

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• a minimum of grades BBC in three A levels (or a minimum of 112 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC National or Advanced Diploma)
• English Language GCSE at grade C (grade 4 from 2017) or above (or equivalent)

Applications are welcome from mature students who have passed appropriate Access or other preparatory courses or have appropriate work experience.

We also welcome mature students without formal qualifications who are able to demonstrate enthusiasm, commitment and the ability to benefit from higher education.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.