Social Care and Wellbeing Foundation Degree FdA

Caring for others is an important and challenging vocation and one which provides increasing opportunities for employment and career progression. Emphasis is now being placed within the NHS, Social Services, private and voluntary agencies on the education and training of care workers who are not professionally registered, to enable them to contribute to the improvement in the quality and performance of the care services. Similarly, the aging population in the UK is leading to an increased demand for suitably qualified professionals in the sector. This means job opportunities and the opportunities for career progression are plentiful.

This course is designed to equip you with the values, knowledge and skills that can be utilised and are specifically relevant to employment in Social Care and Wellbeing. Our programme reflects contemporary issues, changing trends and challenges and has an emphasis on improving the quality of care delivery within the sector.

The course provides you with the opportunity to build on existing knowledge and experience and to further develop specific knowledge, skills and values relevant to the current and emerging needs of employment in the adult social care environment.

It will enable you to assess, plan, implement and make sound judgments in effective care delivery in accordance with the core values of care work in line with Skills for Care.

You will explore and debate issues arising from the social, cultural, moral, legal and political context in which care workers operate. You will develop your interpersonal and communication skills and will be encouraged to identify and use relevant information effectively. You will learn to locate and evaluate evidence and research and apply this in your practice and decision making in the work place.

Work Placement

During the course you are required to spend at least 240 hours working in a relevant role in order to improve your knowledge and practice of the subject. This may be through paid employment or via a voluntary work placement in a relevant role. Your work placement is expected to have a focus on applying the knowledge from your degree programme in an employment context.

Please note: work placements are subject to availability. You are also responsible for any costs in travelling to and from your work placements, for any accommodation costs and in some instances the cost of acquiring a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) report.

All students take a total of 120 credits per level.

Level 4 Modules (all modules are mandatory) include:

• Promoting Safeguarding 
• Effective Collaboration in the Social Care Sector       
• Emotional Wellbeing 
• Introduction to Social Care Policy
• Reviewing Academic Literature 
• Principles for Ethical, Professional Practice 

Level 5 Modules (there are 5 mandatory modules and 2 optional modules as indicated by*) include:

• Legal Aspects of Social Care practice   
• Social Policy in a Changing Society
• Mental Health in Adults  
• Promoting Resilience in Vulnerable Adults* 
• Ageing Population: Health and Social Care Crisis*
• Work Based Competencies 
• Research Proposal

You will need to complete at least one of the two optional modules.

If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered.  If an optional module will not be run, we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

You will need a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points.

In addition, you will need a GCSE at Grade A–C or new GCSE Grade 4-9 in English Language, or an equivalent level 2 qualification in English.

If English is not your first language you will need to demonstrate the ability to study in English (please see below).

Applicants who do not meet the standard entry criteria but have relevant work / life experience, on an individual basis considered and invited to interview. The interview will consider your prior formal qualifications, and your evidence of experience gained through employment or other verifiable source. 

We welcome applications from mature students without formal qualifications. Additionally, mature students who gained their Level 3 qualifications more than 5 years ago. If this applies to you, you will be interviewed before being given an offer for the course.

Any offer will be based on your previously gained skills and experience. The interview will consider your prior formal qualifications, and your evidence of experience gained through employment or other verifiable source.

You will need to undergo a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check at a cost of £50 to be paid by the student.

For non-native speakers of English you must demonstrate proficiency of English equivalent to B2 of the Common European Framework, specifically IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no more than 2 sub scores below IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent).

Care Leavers or Young Carers

We want students from all backgrounds to have the opportunity to go to University. If you have spent three months or more in local authority care OR are a young carer, you will be eligible for a contextual offer. This is a grade reduction of 1-A Level grade below our standard entry requirements. For example, a standard offer of CCC, would become CCD. MMM at Level 3 Extended Diploma would become MMP. To apply we advise that you tick the box on your UCAS application which identifies you have spent time in care and to help identify you as eligible for our contextual offer.

A variety of teaching, learning and assessments will be used emphasising the relationship between theory and real life issues /experience in practice. Throughout the course you’ll be assessed by: examinations:

• Examinations
• E-Portfolio
• Practice Focused Essays
• Practice Focused Reports
• Group presentations
• Simulations/role play
• Projects
• Peer assessment

Each module is formally assessed through, for example, open book examinations, group projects, essays, assignments or briefs, presentations, group presentations, portfolio building, self-assessments and peer assessments. This formal assessment will count towards your module mark and feedback is usually given within 3 weeks following the submission of your formal submission of work.

Additionally, some lecturers will provide informal feedback, for example, following an examination they may choose to work through the exam paper in a tutorial. It should be noted that feedback is part of the ongoing learning cycle which is not limited to written feedback. Other forms of feedback include one-to-one meetings with a personal tutor, dissertation and project supervision meetings, a lecturer responding to learner questions or responses during topic or situation discussions.

Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your module tutor.

The learning environment and facilities could include lecture theatres, classrooms, technology suites, laboratories and workshops, library and skills labs, art and photography studios, small group and quiet zones. Learning methods will vary according to the programme of study but will include lectures and group tutorials. In addition, seminars, field trips, work placements, role play or scenario activities, laboratory and workshop practical, demonstrations, guest lectures, discussions and debates all contribute to the learning experience to support the acquisition of subject specific skills and knowledge and the development of transferable and employment related skills.

You should typically expect to have around 15 contact hours per week if you are studying full time.

In addition, you will have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor. 

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course.  The team could include senior academics, professional practitioners with industry experience, demonstrators and technical officers.  You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Timetables

On this course, students generally spend up to 2 days a week in College, if you choose to study the course full-time. As all course timetables are subject to change you should not make definite plans based on this information; this information is intended as a guide only. Please remember that you will be expected to carry out work in your own time in addition to the time you spend in College.

Overall Workload

You overall workload consists of class contact hours, around 15 hours of independent learning and assessment activity and any field trips which may take place.

Academic Support

We have a dedicated Student Engagement Team who will be able to provide support in the following areas:

• Study Skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
• Written English
• Academic Writing (including referencing)
• Research Skills

There are an increasing range of opportunities for individuals to work in all areas of the care environment, with a number of different service users - for example: Family Support workers, management roles in Social Care, Assessing roles as well as students who have set up their own businesses in Social Care as well as working with a variety of service user groups- e.g. older people, people with learning disabilities, young people who offend.

It is possible to Top Up your Foundation Degree into a BA (Hons) Social Care and Wellbeing (Top Up) by studying an additional year at Blackburn University Centre.

Careers graduates have gone on to include:

• Social Care Management
• Health Care Assistant (NHS)
• Mental Health Support Worker
• Perinatal Support Worker
• Rehabilitation support worker/ manager
• Substance misuse practitioner
• Special Educational Needs Worker in classrooms
• Health and wellbeing officer at school
• Further Education
• Nursing
• Human Resources

You will be required to undertake work in your own time and also undertake private study. This will be in addition to your taught hours in class. You may also be required to undertake a work placement/work-based learning. This is in addition to the taught timetabled classes, please bear this in mind with your planning. 

The University Centre reserves the right to change timetables for the year ahead and this information is provided to you as a guide. The days of study in subsequent years of the course may vary.