Edexcel is the leading provider of vocational and higher qualifications offering in the United Kingdom and recognised internationally for their quality.

The BTEC National Certificate in Health and Social Care are designed as stand alone qualifications that provide learners with knowledge and understanding of the health and social care sectors, and specialist knowledge and understanding according to their choice of titles and specialist units.

The BTEC National Certificate in Health and Social Care will prepare learners either for employment in the sectors or for higher education.

This programme is intended for high school & college graduates and individuals who are interested to pursue their career in Health and Social care sector world-wide or it provides opportunities for full-time learners to gain higher education qualifications such as a full-time degree in health and social care.

One year full-time. Students should expect to spend at least 16 hours a week on their studies including class room lectures, directed self study and private study on assignments. Outside of official teaching sessions, you should expect to spend around 5-10 hours per week on assignment preparation and self-study for this course.

There are three intakes during the academic year. Please contact the college for more details and dates of intakes.

The fee for the course is £4,500 per year must be paid in advance. Students currently in the UK, please contact the College for subsidised fees / further details.

Students should have a good standard of spoken and written English and have completed a secondary school certificate overseas. Mature students with appropriate experience will be considered without formal qualifications.

Applicants of 18 years of age or more may be admitted at the discretion of the college, foregoing minimum entry requirements, provided they can satisfy the college that they are sufficiently motivated. The College staff will make the final decision based on qualifications, experience and interviews.

All students are required to have a level of competence in English appropriate to the intended scheme of study. The minimum competence level is usually IELTS 5.5 level or WELT – DCC level.

Please note that students will be reassessed by the staff on arrival at the College to confirm their level of English and any requirement for further English study before starting on the academic course.

The College offers the ‘English Language Foundation Course’ to help students with a lower level of English to achieve their academic and professional goals by providing a high level of fluency and expression in the English language. There is an exam at the end of the English course. A good pass in the exam is sufficient evidence for admission, that you are ready for college study and that you do not need to sit external exams such as WELT or IELTS or TOEFL.

BTEC National Certificate in Health and Social Care covers 8 core units and 4 specialist units.

At the heart of effective health and social care practice lies a thorough understanding of the immense diversity amongst individuals found in contemporary British society, and how good health and social care practice accommodates this diversity. The promotion of equality and rights within services provided for individuals, who may be disadvantaged and disenfranchised, is crucial for effectiveness in health and social care services.

The unit is concerned with the concept of care planning for individuals, within the framework of equality and rights. It begins by investigating the care planning cycle and the processes involved, then progressing on to how the care planning process may be influenced by legislation.

This unit also aims to explore values and ethics in social care work. It provides learners with opportunities to consider and discuss some of the complexities involved in making decisions and supporting service user interests. Social care work often involves making difficult decisions about issues such as resource allocation or the type of care required by individuals, therefore an awareness of ethical and legal issues is crucial to the adoption of good practice. Understanding of the Care Value Base is essential in order to demonstrate a full understanding of the issues involved in effective care delivery.

Public health is concerned with protecting and improving the health of the population, rather than with individual health. It is therefore important that practitioners working in the health and social care sectors are aware of the implications of public health on services and patients/service users. They need to be able to consider the reasons for improving public health for both individuals and wider society.

This unit aims to develop understanding of the role of public health systems, their origin and development, and the range of key groups in influencing public health policy. Learners will also identify current patterns of ill health and consider factors affecting health in the United Kingdom. The unit also gives learners opportunities to consider different methods of promoting and protecting public health, in terms of health education, specific protection, and environmental measures.

The aim of this unit is to introduce learners to the principles of health education, the approaches used, and to health education campaigns. Health education is a central component of Health Promotion, which in turn is a major component of Public Health.

Health education could be described as any activity that promotes health-related learning and therefore brings about some relatively permanent change in the thinking or behaviour of individuals. Learners will initially consider a range of different approaches to health education, including the role of the mass media and social marketing. They will then examine different models of behaviour change, relating these to the social and economic context.

People working in health and social care need to have an understanding of the health risks in the global and local environment that could affect themselves and patients/service users. Learners need to be aware of the range of concerns that can affect individuals and society.

This unit is designed to give learners a broad knowledge of the factors that lead to environmental damage and how these factors can lead to damage of human health. The opportunity exists for learners to investigate how risks to human health are minimised in an area of choice. On completion of the unit learners will be able to understand the wide range of factors influencing health and the environment, and how these relate to legislation.

Participation in a variety of teaching and learning methods which include interactive lectures, seminar presentations, group projects, Independent directed study, Study Skills workshops, guest lectures. Students are expected to participate in classes which are designed to be interactive.

All assessments are internal using a variety of methods including oral examination, coursework, e-assessment, multiple choice examination, portfolio of evidence, practical demonstration / assignment, practical examination, task-based controlled assessment, written Examination and work-based practices.

All assessments are externally verified by Edexcel.

On completion of the course you will receive a prestigious industry recognised qualification, the BTEC National Certificate in Health and Social Care.

Students are able to apply for jobs in junior roles in different areas of Health and Social care. Potential job occupations for students after completion includes jobs such as Care Worker, Healthcare Assistant, Hospital Play Specialist, Nursery Nurse, Play worker, Childminder and various other administrative functions.

On successfully completion of the course, students could apply for a higher level course such as a Higher National Diploma, Degree or Foundation Degree in a Health or Care related discipline such as nursing, occupational therapy.