Program Overview

Health and Social Care FdSc

Overview

This highly practical two-year foundation degree in Health and Social Care will allow you to develop your career. You'll gain a detailed understanding of health and social care policy and practice, which you can use straight away in any workplace that involves caring for individuals and communities.

Why us?

• Our FdSc Health and Social Care course has a 100% positivity score for how well the course develops the knowledge and skills needed for the future (National Student Survey, 2024)
• Have the opportunity to ‘top-up’ this course to a full BSc (Hons) degree with an extra year of study
• Gain a professional qualification whilst working
• Our Health Studies courses are ranked 22nd in the UK (The Complete University Guide, 2023)
• All teaching and learning takes place at our partner college, East Durham College
• Our FdSc Health and Social Care course has a 100% positivity score for how well teaching staff support students' learning (National Student Survey, 2024)

Course structure

This is a highly practical Health and Social Care course, which combines academic study and work-based learning. The elements of the foundation course which are taught in the college include lectures, discussions, case studies, and workshops.

Your progress will be assessed with evaluations of work experience, reports, presentations, and time-constrained tests. Throughout the course, you'll have one-to-one support from academic staff.

Course modules

Year 1 (national level 4):

• Work-Based Learning in Health and Social Care Settings 1 (20 credits) Explore the central concerns of health and social care in a practical setting. Examine the complexities surrounding the understanding of knowledge, theories, issues, and skills required when working within health and social care practice. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills through work-based learning to increase your employability when you graduate.
• Applied Qualitative Research Methods (20 credits) Gain an understanding of the theory and practice of qualitative research methodologies and methods in social science. Discover the history of social science research and the philosophical and methodological debates which have underpinned the emergence of contemporary social science. Carry out your own research, investigating an aspect of contemporary social life, learning how to think about, organise, manage, and report on social scientific research.
• Understanding Health and Social Care (20 credits) Explore the central concerns of health and social care knowledge, topics, issues, and service users from the origins of the Welfare State through to contemporary society. Examine the complexities of what we mean by health and how inequalities in health are endemic.
• Exploring Psycho-Social Theory (20 credits) Consider the roles that biology, psychology and sociology may play in inherent individual behaviour, in order to understand the complexities of individual and collective behaviour in contemporary society. Interpret and apply these theoretical perspectives to specific issues within different areas of social sciences.
• Developing Independent Learning and Professionalism in the Social Sciences (20 credits) Develop your study skills and personal qualities required in an academic and professional context. Explore the social contexts in relation to the practical and emotional effects of transitioning into Higher Education and the impact of this on your learning. Reflect upon this, learning strategies and mechanisms of support to facilitate the transition.
• Dimensions of Health and Social Care (20 credits) Explore what we understand health to mean and the multifactorial perspectives which contribute towards this understanding. Examine biomedical and social understandings of health and illness and the impact of social class, gender, ethnicity, and place, as well as the impact of the media and how health and illness is represented therein.

Year 2 (national level 5):

• Contemporary Challenges in Health and Social Care (20 credits) Examine the contemporary challenges in health and social care and consider the implications these issues have for policy and practice. Learn about how and why these challenges have emerged and the complexities of dealing with them. Analyse the ways in which the challenges covered have been informed and developed as a result of global and local social changes, culture, politics, ideology, and economics converging as current social problems. Investigate a range of empirical sources and use theoretical models to explore some of the possible wider sociological causes of the issues covered.
• Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (20 credits) Learn about the theory and practice of quantitative research methodologies and methods in social science. Apply the principles underpinning quantitative research to the analysis and interpretation of statistical data. Carry out your own research, investigating an aspect of contemporary social life, learning how to think about, organise, manage, and report quantitative research.
• Work-Based Learning in Health and Social Care Settings 2 (20 credits) Build on the knowledge gained throughout the course to develop your own practice, reflection, and ability to apply theory to practice. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills through work-based learning to increase your employability when you graduate.
• Health Improvement and Healthy Lifestyles (20 credits) Study the concepts, theories and models underpinning contemporary health promotion and lifestyle behaviour change. Examine biopsychosocial theoretical approaches, values, and beliefs in relation to the application of models of health promotion and behaviour change.
• Working Together to Safeguard Vulnerable Children, Young People and Adults (20 credits) Study what lessons can be learned by partner agencies about the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, through the analysis of real serious case reviews.
• Early Life Course Approaches to the Health and Social Care of Children, Young People and Families (20 credits) Develop knowledge of life course approaches towards health, incorporating biopsychosocial theoretical perspectives. Gain knowledge and a critical understanding of each early life stage from before birth through to young adulthood, including contemporary challenges which are compared to different historical periods and different geographical places.

Facilities

This course is taught at East Durham College.

Entry requirements

• We don’t currently display entry requirements for Ireland. Please contact the Student Admin team on or .
• To apply for this course, you need one of the following qualifications in a relevant subject area:
• In addition to these academic qualifications, you should have experience in health and social care. The experience can be from paid work or voluntary work.
• You may also be eligible to apply if you don’t have formal qualifications but do have at least two years’ relevant work experience.
• You'll need a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before you can start this course.
• If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.
• Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

• The fees for this course are:
  • £7,777 if you're from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled
• Please note that this course is not available to international students.
• Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements, and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.
• See the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

Career ready

Health and social care is a diverse field with opportunities to specialise in areas such as young people, mental health, or drug and alcohol abuse support.

Academic qualifications in Health and Social Care allow you to work in the NHS, charities such as Age UK and MIND, social care organisations such as Turning Point, and other public, private, and voluntary sector health agencies.

Some careers, such as social work, nursing or occupational therapy, require additional academic and professional qualifications. When you've completed this Foundation Degree, you'll have the opportunity to 'top-up' to the full undergraduate BSc (Hons) Health, Wellbeing and Care in Society degree.