The Cert HE Professional Practice in Health and Social Care is the first year (level 4) of the Foundation Degree course offered at Doncaster College and University Centre. The course is designed to develop your skills and competencies for a wide range of roles across the health, social or community care sectors.
The programme combines work based learning through either existing employment or work placements with health and social care education to develop your skills and competencies for a wide range of roles across the health, social or community care sectors.
The course is delivered in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University and the qualification is awarded by Sheffield Hallam University.
This course is a work based learning award which combines health and social care education with either existing employment or work placements to develop your skills and competencies for a wide range of roles across the health, social or community care sectors. For those in employment, the course provides you with your continuing personal and professional development and, depending on your employer, would allow you to undertake a Band 4 Associate/Assistant role. For those who are not in employment, you will undertake a placement in a suitable health, social or community care role, which will allow you to develop the necessary skills and competencies alongside your academic studies to complete the course.
The course has been designed in response to rapidly changing workforce demands and policy initiatives aimed at modernising services and improving quality, productivity and efficiency (Department of Health, 2016, Skills for Health 2015; Centre for Workforce Intelligence, 2015; Willis, 2015; Francis, 2013). Key drivers include: staff shortages, requirements to enhance capacity and cost-efficiency, technological developments, integration of services and reconfiguration in provision including a shift from secondary care to primary, community-based services. Consequently, Assistant Practitioners need to be educated to be empowered workers with ‘time to care’. In principle the tasks that are delegated to Assistant Practitioners are those that can be performed safely with training, under protocol and with supervision. Assistant Practitioner roles are locally designed to work either within single professions such as nursing, physiotherapy or speech and language therapy or where the Assistant Practitioner will have competence to work across professional boundaries.
Key Information
On the course students study key modules to enable progression into a range of professions including nursing, paramedics and social work.
Year One Level 4 (Certificate Stage)
Work Based Learning 1: Academic (20 Credits)
Work Based Learning 1: Practice (20 Credits)
Reflective and Personal Development Skills (20 Credits)
Essential Sciences for Person Centred Care (40 Credits)
Integrated Holistic Assessment and Delivery of Health & Social Care Interventions (20 Credits)
You will be assessed through a range of methods including written assignments, reflections, practice documents and presentations.
Normally 48 UCAS points.
We accept General Studies and Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course.
GCSE English Language or English Literature and Mathematics at grade 4 /D or above or equivalents (please see below)
GCSE English and Maths equivalents:
Level 2 Adult Numeracy/Literacy
Level 2 Key Skills/Application of Number
equivalency test from equivalencytesting.co.uk
We also welcome applications from people of any age who might not meet the standard entry criteria. We would expect to see evidence of competency to pursue the course successfully. You must be able to demonstrate your potential to be caring and compassionate and the ability to develop meaningful relationships with service users and carer.
As part of this programme of study you will be required to have a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. You will be required to pay the cost of this. A DBS must be in place before you start your placement. You may be able to supply an existing DBS but this must be within 3 years of issue.
The course provides potential pathways to professional qualifications including:
BSc (Honours) Nursing (Adult)
BA (Honours) Social Work
BSc (Honours) Physiotherapy
BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography
BSc (Honours) Occupational Therapy
BSc (Honours) Paramedic Science
On successful completion, students can progress to the second year of the FdSc Health and Social Care.
Alternatively, they can apply to enter the first year of a pre-registration nursing course.
Students completing the foundation degree may progress to the top-up in Health and Social Care. From the top-up students could progress to a masters level pre-registration course.
Financial Support
UK students can take out a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of their course and a maintenance loan to cover living costs.
We also have a range of other financial support available.
Course Fees
UK
Full Time – £7770
Additional Costs
Your Tuition fees cover the majority of costs associated with your course (including registration, tuition and assessment.)
There may be some extra costs that you might need to make, or choose to pay, for example:
- Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the HE library, but you may want to buy your own copies)
- Printing and photocopying
- Trips and enhancement opportunities
- Students are required to purchase branded polo shirts to take part in practical sessions and for presentations
- A DBS check will be required, which you must pay for.
Apply or enquire about this course
To find out more and apply for this course, please contact us via the telephone number below.
- Course code: L100
- Institution code: N64
- Campus name: University Campus Doncaster
- Campus code: D
Apply on the UCAS website Make an enquiry Call 0800 358 7474
Information for EU Students
From January 2021, how you apply for a course will change. For more information, read the UK Government's guide for the UK points-based immigration system for EU students (pdf).
Visit our International pages for more information and contact details