BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care with Foundation Year

The health agenda worldwide has increasingly been shaped by recognition of the crucial importance of social factors in determining health and illness. Wide disparities in health - reflecting divisions in social class, wealth, geography, gender, racial or ethnic background - persist between communities, regions and countries, and are growing in many parts of the world. This module examines the wide range of social and cultural factors that influence individual, community and population health. You will explore the causes and extent of inequalities in health status within and between different social groups and identify how these challenges are being addressed so that the health and wellbeing of all groups in society can be improved.

When thinking about health and wellbeing at an individual, family or community level, it is important to first consider what is meant by the term ‘health’; to explore how ‘illness’ and ‘disability’ are defined and to think about we mean when we talk about ‘wellbeing’? It is only through an understanding of these concepts and of the factors that influence them that we can begin to think about how to improve people’s health and how to support those experiencing poor health. However, the very terms ‘health, ‘illness’, ‘disability’ and ‘wellbeing’ may be defined and understood differently, depending on a range of factors. For example, is ‘health’ something people experience and an end in itself, or should ‘health’ be thought of in terms of the capacity it gives people to function and participate in society? Why is it that some people will regard themselves as ‘ill’ whilst others with similar symptoms do not? Are there differences in how clinicians assess ‘health’ and ‘illness’ compared to how we might think about this as members of the public and if there are differences in all of these, what impact might this have? This module explores the challenges of defining and measuring these key concepts and will support you to develop an appreciation of the bio-psycho-social model of health and well-being. Drawing on a range of perspectives the module also provides insight into people’s health and social behaviours, considers the changing health needs of populations (with a focus on the UK) and introduces you to public health and health promotion.

In this module you will be introduced to the idea of research and necessary knowledge and skills required in becoming a researcher. You will learn about research process and an introduction to the different type of research approaches and methods. You will have the opportunity to explore contemporary social care issues to test your research skills. This module will enable you to exercise employable skills by identifying an area of interest that will contribute to setting the foundations to you developing research skills and prepare for future studies.

The aim of this module is for students to gain an understanding of the funding, organisation and delivery of social care services in contemporary Britain. Students will need to show an understanding of the state, market and family and their respective roles within the mixed economy of welfare, as well as the purchaser/provider split and its implications for the funding and delivery of social care services. Students will be introduced to key policies and legislation and there will be a focus on core academic skills such as source selection, referencing, paraphrasing and academic writing, with students required to demonstrate their proficiency in each of these areas in order to progress from the module.

In this module we will introduce you to a number of key ideas that you will build on throughout your studies. The module aims to prepare you for ethical practice through an exploration of personal and professional values. You will study how ethical principles, values and ideology relate to, create, maintain and are challenged by disadvantaged groups.

Mental, physical and social wellbeing are virtually inseparable. Good mental health is a vital asset for individuals, families and society. It enhances healthy lifestyles, physical health and functional abilities and promotes recovery from illness. It also has important social benefits on educational attainment, economic productivity, social and family relationships, social cohesion and overall quality of life across the entire population. This module provides you with an opportunity to explore the concept of mental health and wellbeing from a range of perspectives. You will gain an understanding of holistic approaches to promoting mental health along with knowledge of mental health conditions, the factors that impact on mental health and look at mental health practice / service provision. The module also explores positive proactive steps to promote recovery and draws throughout on the lived experience, legislative drivers and research to further enhance an understanding of mental health and wellbeing. The module has been designed to allow flexibility of choice for you to focus on a specific area of interest.

Those working in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors work within a range of inter-professional teams, organisations, networks and systems in order to support individuals and communities. This requires practitioners to be able to learn and work together in order to overcome the potential constraints arising from different professional and organisational accountabilities, cultures, values and professional codes of conduct. In addition, there is a heightened recognition now at a national policy level that not only do staff need to work together in the best interests of individuals and communities but local health and care organisations must also collaborate more effectively to make best use of public funding and accelerate the integration of services for patients. This module will introduce you to theoretical, legislative and policy underpinnings of partnership and collaborative working, consider professional roles and responsibilities and explore the key skills and knowledge required to engage and work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders across health and social care. There will be an emphasis throughout on understanding how partnership / collaborative working impacts individual service users and wider communities and responding appropriately to diversity.

This module will consider the key stages of interventions in social care, whether in terms of work with individuals, groups or communities. Practitioners in social care organisations - whether in statutory, private or voluntary sectors - work with different assessment frameworks and methods (including systemic social practice), designed to assess levels of need with a multidisciplinary approach. However, in some way, most will follow the progress of making an assessment and engaging with a service user through care planning processes and delivering appropriate needs led/person centred intervention. Students on completion of this module will be able to identify (1) the skills that are necessary to support these practices, and (2) how these practices can be needs led and /or person-centred.

Where we live and our communities are inextricably linked with our health and life expectancies. This module explores the impact that community environments have on health and wellbeing from a multi-disciplinary perspective, investigating both the theory and the practical applications which aim to improve health and wellbeing; empower communities to realise their potential and which contribute to building healthier, resilient and sustainable communities. Community development principles which you will explore and apply to the grassroots dimension of this subject area reflect an inclusivity and diversity framework, as social justice, education, sustainability, partnership and equality are fundamental principles embedded within. The module will support you to work within community settings by looking at local policy and provision and you will be expected to discuss and reflect on your own knowledge and experience to understand and challenge current theories, polices and practice. You will gain an understanding of how community development approaches seek to challenge the power relations embedded in professional contexts and you will be expected to synthesise and evaluate research, policy and practice evidence regarding community development and health.

This module will discuss a comprehensive and contemporary range of issues that affect children in their personal lives and in the wider community. The position of youth and the challenges they face within the community will be explored using appropriate theories, methods and models.

This module will give the opportunity for an in-depth study of a social care topic of your own choosing. This could be based around your personal, volunteer or work experience; it could be something that has particularly interested you during the course.

Law and ethics in health is a fascinating area to study, dealing with some of the most contested and controversial issues of our time. In a changing moral climate, debates about abortion, about stem cell research, about withholding treatment or about assisted dying are very much alive and attract considerable political, media and public interest. There are also challenging ethical and legal questions about psychiatry, about capacity issues in relation to treatment decisions, about the allocation of scarce medical resources, about autonomy and public health, and many other issues. This module will provide you with an understanding of how law and ethics apply when working in health and care settings. It will give you an appreciation of relevant legal and ethical issues, terminology, sources of law and the ways in which law and ethics work in practice.. You will explore the philosophy and principles of ethics and look at the legal requirements of safe practice, using case studies to help you apply this knowledge. You will have the opportunity to deliver a coherent and reasoned solution to resolve a specific dilemma in a healthcare setting in the summative assessment.

In the continually changing health and social care environment it is imperative that all staff are able to adapt and review how they understand and undertake leadership and management within their roles. Leadership in the health and care sectors is considered to be ‘shared’ and ‘distributed’, requiring the efforts of staff at all levels to maintain high quality care and to deliver change and improvement. However, leadership is challenging. It requires a complex set of skills - from motivating and engaging others and working collaboratively to dealing with uncertainty and supporting colleagues. This module will support you to develop an in-depth understanding of leadership and management in contemporary health and social care contexts, whilst considering your own role and future development. You will explore both the theoretical background to leadership and management and the practical skills which required to be an effective leader. You will leave with greater insight into your own leadership style and your impact on others, how to engage others to bring about change and improvement and a deeper understanding of how all those involved in delivering care/services can take on leadership roles.

In this module we will introduce you to the issue of innovation in social care and the current and future role of technology. The module will outline some of the current challenges facing the sector e.g. a larger and increasingly aging population and people with severe, multiple and complicated needs. Innovative and technological solutions have a role in tackling these challenges. The module will develop student’s ability to critically evaluate the challenges and solutions to these issues. This module will further equip students with employability skills to work in practice with these challenges and implement strategies and solutions that are based on technology and innovation

This module will discuss a comprehensive and contemporary range of issues that affect young people in their personal lives and in the wider community. The position of youth and the challenges they face within the community will be explored using appropriate theories, methods and models.