Access to HE Diploma (Health and Social Care)

Key Facts

Qualification Summary

The Diploma has a strong emphasis on the skills required of the health or social care worker in the 21st century. The mandatory group ensures that learners have a good understanding of underpinning knowledge relevant to the role of the health or social care worker, including an introduction to the role of the health or social care worker and the healthcare system, care principles which underpin all activity across the sector and safeguarding which is vital in protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults. Learners can select from a range of optional units linked to health or social care skills which are also strongly based around equality and diversity and the relevant values required within the sector. They can choose to study units around ill health and the role that socio-economic status and life choices have on health; they also can choose to study a specific medical condition, dementia or the impact that the media has on perspectives around health and social care.

Learners must choose from a selection of mandatory and optional ungraded units to support underpinning skills, including a mandatory working with others unit, which is a vital skill for any health or social care worker.

Learners who have followed these routes may not have come from a health or care background, so they may need to brush up their skills in specific areas as well as learning more about subjects in which they have an interest. If the learner has gone straight into employment, they may not have studied at Level 3 and so this Access to HE Diploma will help them to build on existing skills and provide a good grounding for further academic study.

Why choose this qualification?

This Diploma has a strong emphasis on the skills required of the health or social care worker in the 21st century. The mandatory group ensures that learners have a good understanding of underpinning knowledge relevant to the role of the health or social care worker, including an introduction to the role of the health or social care worker and the healthcare system, care principles which underpin all activity across the sector and safeguarding which is vital in protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults. Learners can select from a range of optional units linked to health or social care skills which are also strongly based around equality and diversity and the relevant values required within the sector. They can choose to study units around ill health and the role that socio-economic status and life choices have on health; they also can choose to study a specific medical condition, dementia or the impact that the media has on perspectives around health and social care.

Learners must choose from a selection of mandatory and optional ungraded units to support underpinning skills, including a mandatory working with others unit, which is a vital skill for any health or social care worker.

Learners who have followed these routes may not have come from a health or care background, so they may need to brush up their skills in specific areas as well as learning more about subjects in which they have an interest. If the learner has gone straight into employment, they may not have studied at Level 3 and so this Access Diploma will help them to build on existing skills and provide a good grounding for further academic study.