Health and Social Care (Acute and Critical Care)
FdSc

Course summary and entry requirements

Course duration
Full-time: 2 years min, 4 years max

UCAS code BL75

About the course

This course is full-time and practice based. It is for health care assistants, support workers, assistant and associate practitioners and others currently in employment in acute care settings wishing to further their knowledge and enhance their opportunities for professional development. Students develop valuable employment skills for this sector: communication, teamwork, problem solving, decision-making, multi-agency working, and risk assessment.

Typical entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are for students starting their course in 2013. Individual offers may vary
GCSE (minimum grade C):
at least 3 subjects including English language and mathematics and a science.
or one A-level
or BTEC National Diploma.
For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.0 overall, 6.0 in writing.
Other:
NVQ at level 3 (with key skills level 2 in Maths and English)
Applicants need to have experience of working in the health sector.
Evidence of study at QAA level 2 within the last 5 years.
Other qualifications that have equivalence to the above will be considered by the course leader.
Course content

Course structure

Placements are in the work place of the employer seconding the student. The work-based supervisor may facilitate external visits and placements to meet the negotiated learning outcomes of the work-based learning modules. In year 2, for the Current Issues in Practice module students have the opportunity to research practice in alternative practice settings.

Areas of study

Students spend one day studying at the university and two days in practice, with supernumerary status, studying work-based learning modules. In practice, students are supported by a work-based supervisor and personal tutor who helps set learning outcomes to ensure the course meets their individual learning needs. In the second year students select one optional module and design and implement a work-based project.
The year 1 modules are in study skills, the core areas of health care ie life science, communication, caring, legal and ethical issues, and professional issues. Some of the year 2 modules are core, preparing students for their work-based project but the focus of the year is the student's area of practice. Students become familiar with current literature and policy in this area and critique its implementation through discussion and practice.

Syllabus

Year 1
Study Skills
Life Sciences
Fundamentals of Care
Working in Health Care
Applied Life Sciences
Communication in Health Care
Work-based Learning
Year 2
Evidence-based Practice,
Current Issues in Practice
Project Planning
1 option
Work-based project
Practice Skills Development

You can view the programme specification for this course as a PDF file by clicking on the link below:

Programme Specification
Fees and costs

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2012-13. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or criminal record checks, field trips or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply please check with the school that provides your course using the contact details on the left of this page for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

Our website www.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

FdSc Health and Social Care (Acute and Critical Care)

Please contact us directly for exact tuition fees for this course.
Location

Location Falmer

Our Falmer campus is located on the edge of the South Downs National Park on the outskirts of Brighton. Approximately 7,000 students are based here.
View campus maps and directions
Living in Brighton
Brighton’s rich mix of historic architecture, lively arts scene, varied shopping and cosmopolitan community make it a vibrant, enjoyable place to live. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.
Social scene
Alongside the traditional seaside attractions, Brighton is famed for its exciting social scene with a wide choice of pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Arts
The highlight of the city’s cultural year is the Brighton Festival. The event is held each May and is England’s biggest arts festival, which showcases arts and performance from around the world. Brighton is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, the Duke of York’s, which shows alternative and mainstream films. The city is also well known for its exciting music scene and hosts The Great Escape music festival.
Sports
Whether you take your sport seriously or just want to keep fit, Brighton offers all kinds of sports opportunities and facilities, on and off campus. You can also make the most of the location, and play volleyball, basketball and windsurfing down by the beach. The seafront is also the finishing point for the famous London – Brighton bicycle ride and the quirky veteran car run.
Career opportunities

Graduates are able to demonstrate the skills and competences required in Agenda for Change pay bands and the NHS Modernising programmes.
Students who graduate from this programme may progress to the Health Studies top-up degree. The course may also provide entry requirements to other degree and professional courses.

Visit the careers service website.