Certificate in Health and Social Care
Online United Kingdom
Certificate
DURATION
8 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 3,462 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* total cost
Key Summary
About: The Certificate in Health and Social Care at The Open University introduces health and social care and higher education through distance learning. You’ll use online materials, tutorials, group work and case studies to explore UK care services and develop study skills and critical thinking. The course runs part-time for 8 months with a 4-year limit.
Career Outcomes: This certificate builds employer-valued skills in communication, critical thinking, data interpretation and IT. It suits frontline staff, unpaid carers and people entering care. It supports progression to vocational or academic study (diploma or degree). Potential roles include care assistant, support worker and care administrator.
This certificate is focused on two things. It provides a valuable introduction to learning in higher education and it also provides an authoritative overview of health and social care. Real-life case studies will give you an insight into what it is like to experience care and of working in care services. Whether you're involved in care work (paid or unpaid), use services yourself, or simply have a general interest, this course helps you build knowledge, understanding, and a range of learning skills, as well as prepares you for further study.
Key features
- Provides a fascinating insight into the provision of health and social care services in the UK.
- Encourages you to draw on your ideas and experiences.
- Introduces the essential skills of academic study.
- Builds a solid foundation for further study.
Accessibility
Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our Certificate in Health and Social Care uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:
- Online study - most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
- Online tutorials
- Group-work
- Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
- Finding external/third-party material online
- Accessing online catalogues and databases
- Assessment in the form of short-answer questions, essays, and examinations
- Feedback - continuous assessment includes feedback from your tutor and using this to improve your performance
- Pre-determined schedules - we’ll help you to develop your time-management skills
How long it takes
- Part-time study - 8 months
- Time limit - 4 years
The learning outcomes describe what you will be able to do once you have completed the certificate. This list of learning outcomes will be a useful reference point if you want to show someone, such as an employer, the value of your study.
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this certificate, you will have knowledge and understanding of:
- The contemporary ethical, cultural, political, legal and social context in which health and social care takes place.
- The nature of professional care includes the values, ethics and standards applied to care providers in a range of contexts.
- The key theories, concepts and principles that underpin practice in health and social care, including the significance of service-user perspectives.
- The influence and application of developing technologies on the delivery of care.
Cognitive skills
On completion of this certificate, you will be able to:
- Review a range of situations in health and social care and assess the appropriateness of different interventions.
- Reflect on the experiences of health, wellbeing and social care from your own and others' perspectives.
- Recognise the social processes associated with the promotion of health and wellbeing, and the creation of inequalities.
Practical and professional skills
On completion of this certificate, you will be able to:
- Show awareness of the diversity of values found within health and social care and their relevance to the conduct required of professional care workers.
- Apply underpinning principles, concepts and theories in health and social care to inform and critique practice situations.
Key skills
On completion of this certificate you will be able to:
- Manage your learning through identifying learning needs, setting objectives, responding to feedback and monitoring progress through critical reflection.
- Search for, synthesise, evaluate and apply relevant information from a range of sources.
- Communicate with others clearly and articulately, using appropriate styles for different audiences.
This certificate has one stage, comprising 60 credits.
Stage 1 (60 credits)
You'll study the following:
- Introducing health and social care (K102)
Skills for career development
This certificate develops a range of key skills that will be of interest to employers in all sectors. These include the ability to communicate ideas and arguments in a logical and well-structured way; think critically; use a computer confidently; read and interpret simple tables, charts and graphs; and plan and manage your time effectively.
Career relevance
If you work in the frontline of care or are seeking employment in this area, this certificate will build your confidence and skills, and give your career a boost. It will supply the knowledge base for progression to professionally recognised qualifications in health and social care and is the ideal starting point for academic qualifications such as a diploma or degree.