BSc (Hons) Health & Social Care

Level One

Introduction to the Social Aspects of Health & Social Care

The module will begin by presenting a variety of major sociological theories. The students will then be supported to apply these theories to a selection of social institutions such as the family, social class and education. They will be introduced to the impact the family has on informal care provision in the UK, the impact social class has on health inequality in the UK and the role education plays on people’s health status.

Introduction to Values, Ethics and Equality

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the subjects of values and ethics in Health and Social Care. Students will develop an understanding of values, both personal and professional. They will explore ideas and discussions relating to values, including personal values, professional values and professional codes of ethics, accountability, dominant social values, organisational values and values conflict.

Lifespan Development

This module aims to provide students with a framework of theorectical and applied perspectives on the study of child, adolescent and adult development across the human lifespan from pre-birth to older age and death, especially in relation to physical, psychological and social changes. IT will offer the opportunity to explore the impact on development of individual factors (such as disability or gender), events (such as abuse or loss) and context (such as belief systems or legal frameworks).

Human Anatomy & Physiology

This module will provide the necessary background in anatomy and physiology for understanding the structure and functions of the human body and its associated organs. The module is structured to promote an introductory understanding of human physiology relevant to students of health and social care.

Public Health

This module introduces students to the concept of public health. It outlines earlier and more recent policy influencing the provision of public health services. The main themes of more recent white papers, Choosing health: Making healthy Choices Easier (DH 2004) and Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services (DH 2006) are explored in relation to public health service provision.

Core Transferable Skills

The Effective Learning Programme (ELP) represents the first level of the University Skills and Capabilities Curriculum (USCC). USCC is designed to ensure that all students have the opportunity to develop transferable skills to help them succeed in their studies and enhance their employability. Students will be provided with the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills of working with information technology, academic writing skills, improving own learning and performance, reading skills, presentation skills, working with others, reflective practice and problem solving.

Level Two

Research Methods for Evidenced Based Practice

This module is intended to enable students to explore and develop a critical appreciation of health care research, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It seeks to develop students'skills in reading, analysing and utilising research, whilst providing students with an opportunity to explore research methods.

Career Planning in Health and Social Care

The module is designed to empower students to understand the labour market in health and social care and to facilitate their preparation for progress to work or further study. Students will be encouraged to evaluate their current position within the labour market and to take part in discussions aimed at allowing them to prepare a professional CV. They will be encouraged to identify and evaluate good practice in seeking jobs, writing personal statements, responding to application requests and interviewing. In order to understand the range of career possibilities students will be introduced to the variety of job opportunities in the diverse field of health and social care. A small number of specialist speakers will be invited to talk to students about their career progression. Students will have a wider awareness of career possibilities and a deeper understanding of the opportunities open to them as ‘health and social care’ graduates including understanding the knowledge and skills frameworks adopted by relevant employers.

Communication and Engaging with Others

The aim of this module is for students to develop a range of communication and interpersonal skills necessary to communicate and engage effectively with others including service users, colleagues and other agencies. Emphasis will be placed on developing the ability to communicate and engage in differing contexts, including groups, and overcoming barriers to communication.

Exploring Transcultural Healthcare

This module will give students the opportunity to explore issues relating to transcultural health care. It will allow them to make a comparative evaluation of different cultures and subcultures, reflecting on the cultural dimensions of health, illness and healthcare. Students will gain an understanding of the similarities and differences between people’s experience of health & social care. The use of language and communication in professional/patient interactions will be analysed. Students will engage with a variety of complex issues and will be asked to evaluate the possible disadvantage faced by members of ethnic minority groups as they access health care. Students will also be given the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of some areas of recent Government policy which have impacted upon the experience of ethnic minority patients.

Health & Social Care Policy

This module will increase the students' awareness of the extent to which health and social policy affects individuals in their everyday personal and working lives. It will build on knowledge through a critical analysis of substantive areas of health and social policy documentation.

Introduction to the Psychological Aspects of Health & Social Care

This module explores the perspective of health and illness, which embraces the interaction of bio-medical, bio-psycho-social and cultural influences. The importance of the bio-psycho-social model will be examined and in particular the student’s attention will be drawn to psychological aspects of health and illness. The role of the rapidly expanding discipline of health-psychology will be discussed in relation to psychological procedures for the assessment, intervention and prevention of ill health. There will also be emphasis on medical ethics, patient consent and confidentiality, patient practitioner relationship and women’s health Issues.

Level Three

Dissertation/Independent study

This module provides the principal vehicle by which students can clearly illustrate their ability to synthesise the differing disciplinary approaches and theoretical perspectives they have studied. The aim of the module is to design and conduct a research study related to nursing practice presented in the form of a dissertation that examines critically the relationship between theory and practice. It aims to provide students with the opportunity to illustrate their potential as independent, reflective graduates in nursing.

Health & Social Care Campaigns

This module will provide the students with an insight into theories and concepts developed and explored in health campaigns and their application to health. There will be a focus on the design, implementation, and evaluation of health campaigns/interventions designed to change health behaviour of individuals, groups, and entire populations.

Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Care

The module will allow students to study a range of contemporary issues in health and social care. The course team will keep the curriculum content exciting and current by updating the curriculum on an annual basis. The areas that are included will reflect the expertise of the team as well as the current concerns for health and social care. At the present time the curriculum is likely to include the following themes/areas: mental health, transcultural health care, substance misuse, infectious diseases including HIV/AIDs, and other relevant contemporary areas.

Aspects of Health & Social Care Management

The Health Service is constantly improving clinical effectiveness due to current Government Policies and Directives and consequently there is a continuing need for staff to acquire the necessary managerial skills to function effectively. The aim of this module is to develop knowledge and awareness of the effects of recent and current changes in services together with the requirements for enabling the delivery of care through the management of staff and resources in the context of clinical governance.

Work Experience Study

Although not engaged on a vocational programme with formally assessed placements, many students on programmes such as Health and Social Care and Psychology with Child Studies acquire relevant experience, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, whilst undertaking their undergraduate studies. This elective module provides students with an opportunity to utilise relevant experience acquired in Health, Social Care, and Education and associated welfare practice environments as a basis for organisational analysis and practice reflection.

Contemporary Development in Complementary Medicine

Complementary Medicine has become more and more popular as an alternative or a complement to conventional medicine. This elective module provides a broad overview about complementary medicine in order for students to have a systemic understanding about complementary medicine. This module is to introduce students to the current development, and different issues including health and safety, current scientific research, and the legal situation of complementary medicine.

Counselling and Guidance Skills

The module will introduce students to a range of contemporary models of counselling and guidance practice. The elective module will be delivered by qualified and experienced practitioners, who will promote and enable students to develop their own skills and attitudes that can be of value in a variety of human service settings.

Students will be taught using lectures, seminars, tutorials and directed independent study. These sessions will employ a range of learning experiences including formal didactic input, student interaction and role-play, discussions and debates.

Some elements of study will be undertaken alongside students on Social Work, Nursing and Complementary Medicine programmes.

Attendance is for approximately 10 hours per week.

The degree uses a variety of assessment strategies including essays, reports, oral presentations, reflective journals, campaign materials and examinations.

This course incorporates a core theme of career development in health and social care, which includes a single module of work experience study at Level Three.

This is intended to provide students with the necessary underpinning knowledge and professional skills to assist them as they progress to the world of work.

Successful graduates will gain underpinning knowledge and a range of skills (such as communication skills and team working skills) that will equip them to gain employment in a wide variety of health and social care professions. They will gain independence, research and analytical skills that can be easily transferred to the workplace or into higher educational study.

It is expected that all students will have the opportunity to gain some work experience during the final year of their degree. The course puts a high value on career planning and career development throughout all levels of study.

Graduates go on to work in a variety of health and social care settings. These include working in the healthcare, social care, clinical effectiveness, education, public health, health promotion and the charity sector as managers, project workers, researchers, policy officers, lecturers and workers with vulnerable client groups.

A good background of academic work OR vocational work, preferably in the field of health and social care but not exclusively so. A commitment to the course and to the curriculum content. A desire to work in the broad field of health and social care, though the precise area of work may be something the candidate has not identified at this stage. A good supportive reference.

Students will need to have real enthusiasm for the subject of health and social care and a wish to work in the health care arena. IT competence would be a useful skill to have and good communication skills would also be an asset.

260 points on the UCAS tariff, vocational A level, NVQ level 3 or equivalent. Students must process three GCSEs at grade C or above one to include English Language. Key skills are not acceptable. Mature students are invited to apply and applications will be assessed on an individual basis.

This course may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults, also known as regulated activity. This means from November 2010, all students will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS). This is administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) which has recently been established as a single agency to monitor all individuals wishing to work with children or vulnerable adults. The University will send you further instructions on registering with the VBS as part of the admissions process.

A registration charge is payable, which covers both the cost of registration and an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.

Further information can be found at www.isa-gov.org.uk.

2012 Entry	UK/EU	International
Full-time	£9000	£12033
Part-time	£75 per credit point	£100 per credit point
Placement (optional)	Exempt	Exempt
Assessment Only	£38 per credit point	£50 per credit point

 

2013 Entry	UK/EU	International
Full-time	£9000	£12755
Part-time	£75 per credit point	£106 per credit point
Placement (optional)	Exempt	Exempt
Assessment Only	£38 per credit point	£53 per credit point

For further information and funding your study please see our Fees & Funding pages.

Fees and Funding