Open University

BA (Honours) in Health and Social Care

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this degree, you will:

• Know the development of health and social care in the UK from the twentieth century to the present day
• Understand the contemporary ethical, cultural, political, legal and social context in which health and social care takes place
• Critically understand the key theories, concepts and principles that underpin practice in health and social care, including the significance of service-user perspectives
• Recognise the diversity of values found within health and social care
• Understand the role of research in underpinning health and social care practice.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to:

• Critically review a range of situations in health and social care and assess the appropriateness of different interventions
• Critically evaluate evidence from research in health and social care and discuss its application to practice. Make appropriate use of a range of sources of information and use them to sustain an argument or develop new insights
• Recognise the social processes associated with the promotion of health and well-being and the creation of inequalities
• Critically reflect on the experiences of health, wellbeing and social care from your own and others’ perspectives.

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to:

• Apply underpinning principles, concepts and theories in health and social care to inform and critique practice situation
• Identify different approaches to service provision in health and social care and critically evaluate strategies for improving practice and service provision
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the significance of leadership and management in health and social care.

Key skills

On completion of this qualification, you will be able to:

• Communicate with others in a clear and articulate manner, using appropriate styles for different audiences
• Identify, interpret and manipulate information from a wide range of sources, including numerical and statistical information
• Manage your own learning by identifying learning needs, setting objectives, responding to feedback and monitoring progress through critical reflection.

This degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

• At each stage, you will study one 60-credit compulsory module focusing on current issues across the health and social care sector.
• For the remaining 60 credits of each stage, you can choose between option modules exploring particular issues or client groups in more depth, for example, mental health, children and young people or death and dying.

Stage 1 (120 credits)

You'll start your degree with:

• Introducing health and social care (K102)

You'll also choose one from:

• Introduction to childhood studies and child psychology (E104)
• Foundations for social care and social work practice (K123)
• Wellbeing across the life course (K119)

Stage 2 (120 credits)

You'll start Stage 2 with:

• Critical Ideas in Wellbeing and Public Health (K212)

You'll also choose one from:

• Death, dying and bereavement (K220)
• Making a difference: working with children and young people (KE206)
• Critical perspectives on mental health in society (K243)

Stage 3 (120 credits)

You'll start Stage 3 with:

• Leading, managing, and caring (K318)

You'll complete your degree with one from:

• Approaches to mental health (K314)
• Investigating health and social care (K323)
• Public health: health promotion and health security (K310)
• Young lives, parenting and families (KE322)

Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

• Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

• You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.
• They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.
• Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

• The final, marked piece of work on most modules.
• Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

• Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.
• You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.
• Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or at an alternative location.
• If a module requires you to take a face-to-face exam, this will be made clear in the module description, and you will be required to take your exam in person at one of our exam centres.

Skills for career development

The BA (Honours) Health and Social Care emphasise crossing professional boundaries and the service users' perspective, and it closely follows care sector priorities. You’ll acquire a strong set of highly valued transferable skills, including skills in written communication; finding, evaluating, and presenting research and other sources of information; problem-solving; leadership and management skills; and time management. You’ll learn to work independently and as part of a team, and gain a good understanding of the role of IT in care settings.

Career relevance

This degree is applicable to a wide range of health and social care careers in the statutory, voluntary, or private sectors, though some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree. Some of our students include:

• Care managers
• Healthcare assistants and healthcare support workers
• Health educators
• Health scientists
• Welfare and housing associate professionals
• Practice managers
• Social work assistants
• Specialist practitioners
• Youth workers and youth justice workers

With our unique approach to distance learning, you can study from home, work or on the move.

You’ll have some assessment deadlines to meet, but otherwise, you’ll be free to study at the times that suit you, fitting your learning around work, family, and social life.

For each of your modules, you’ll use either just online resources or a mix of online and printed materials.

Each module you study will have a module website with

• A week-by-week study planner, giving you a step-by-step guide through your studies
• Course materials such as reading, videos, recordings, and self-assessed activities
• Module forums for discussions and collaborative activities with other students
• Details of each assignment and their due dates
• A tutorial booking system, online tutorial rooms, and your tutor’s contact details
• Online versions of some printed module materials and resources.