National Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care

If you are serious about pursuing an exciting, challenging career in health and social care, and have a genuine interest in finding out about the varying needs of people of all ages, then this National Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care programme can give you a really valuable qualification that opens doors to university, apprenticeship or employment.

Health and social care is one of the largest employers nationally and the ever-changing field of employment requires dedication and committed staff.

The first year of study will comprise of the following:
– Human lifespan development: Understanding human lifespan development, the different influences on an individual’s development and how this relates to their care needs.
– Working in health and social care: Roles and responsibilities of health and social care practitioners and organisations. Roles covered will include social workers, occupational therapists, midwifery and care workers.
– Meeting individual care and support needs: Introduction to the values and skills that you will need to work in health and social care. Exploring the ethical issues that may arise and the challenges that are faced when providing personalised care.
– Principles of safe practice: safe working practices are vital for protecting yourself and service users from harm and for promoting wellbeing.
– Psychological perspectives: Psychology is a science devoted to the study of the human mind and behaviour. You will be introduced to several psychological perspectives and will be encouraged to not only understand them but also apply them to a work setting.
– Physiological disorders and their care: Different types of physiological disorders and how they are diagnosed and treated will be explored in this unit.

The second year content will include the following:
– Anatomy and physiology: Understanding basic human anatomy and physiology is essential to understanding how the body works. You should know how the body functions normally to appreciate what happens when something goes wrong.
– Enquiries into current research in health and social care: Research in health and social care potentially affects the health and wellbeing of everyone at each phase of their lives. You will investigate a current issue in H&SC using a literature search methodology.
– Promoting public health: Understanding the topic of how public health is promoted throughout the world, but especially in the UK. To obtain a higher grade for this unit you will need to evaluate how far health strategies meet the aims of health factors in Britain and how successful a recent health strategy has been.
– Work experience in health and social care: You will reflect on and develop the personal attributes and skills required to work in this sector. This is a practical unit that will teach you the benefits of work experience and provide a two-week placement opportunity in which you can develop, apply and reflect on knowledge and skills in a real-life situation.
– Supporting Individuals with additional needs: While working in health and social care, you may care for a full range of individuals who have additional needs. This unit gives you specialist knowledge that can be crucial to ensuring those with additional needs meet their full potential.
– Caring for individuals with dementia: A diagnosis of dementia can be a challenging experience for individuals and their relatives. By the end of this unit you should appreciate the importance of maintaining independence and dignity.
– Assessing children’s development support needs: Knowing about children and how to support them as they grow and develop are important aspects of working with young people. There are many factors that have an impact on growth and development and you will have the opportunity to explore and understand this process. You will also learn about assessment methods.