Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work)

Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work)

This Course at a Glance

• The first step to becoming a Social Worker
• Start a career that helps other people
• Completion possible within a year
• Study a degree without A Levels
• Affordable payment options
• Learn at home
• No exams

About your Diploma

If you’re looking for a rewarding career, becoming a Social Worker is probably one of the best ways you can help other people. By working in this role, you are directly involved in supporting at-risk individuals in your community.

This can no doubt be challenging, but with your help, people can be removed from harmful situations and be put on a care plan that is tailored to their specific needs. The sole focus of this line of work is support, so as a Social Worker, your main goal is to improve the lives of those who need it.

Unlock Degree Level Learning

If a job in social work sounds like something you would find fulfilling, an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work) is the perfect place to get started. Being solely focused on this career path, the knowledge you gain from this online Social Worker course is equivalent to three A Levels, which is what is traditionally required to study a social work degree.

As a Social Worker, the support you provide can take many forms and is largely dictated by the individual’s needs and the areas of their lives that they want to support. Throughout your Access to Higher Education Diploma, you will come to understand the many reasons people need external support, as well as the red flags that can indicate someone is at-risk.

What You Will Learn

During your studies, you will learn about everything from:

• The Role and Responsibilities of a Social Worker
• Understanding the Welfare State
• Biopsychology: Behaviour and the Brain

All of this and more will give you an ideal foundation of knowledge that you can build on with further study at the higher level. For more information on what you’ll explore in the course, see the ‘Modules’ tab.

Another highly desirable aspect of this online social work course, besides the detailed education it provides, is that it can be studied from home. Allowing you to work toward the next stage of your education on your terms.

Getting Started

learndirect is a leading UK distance learning provider. This Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work) is a Level 3 nationally recognised qualification regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).

Learn When it Suits You

Studied completely online, the flexibility of this course enables you to work towards your future career outside of your current commitments. So, no matter if it’s a full-time job or childcare, you can complete your course around them.

Stay On Target for Success

An Individual Learning Plan will be issued, containing submission deadlines for your assignments to help keep you on track. You will have up to two years to complete your Access to Higher Education Diploma. Though, the freedom to move through the course at your pace sees most of our students complete them within 9 months.

*Please note, entry requirements differ between universities. It’s always best to check with your chosen institution that your qualification will be accepted before enrolling on a course.

Modules

Module 1: Academic Writing Skills

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Be able to structure a written response
• Be able to develop a structured response to a plan
• Be able to present the response appropriately for audience and purpose
• Understand how to apply academic writing principles to own work

Module 2: Reading and Note Making

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand a range of reading strategies
• Understand the use of language in terms of the purpose and context of a range of texts
• Be able to use methods for developing notes from a range of sources

Module 3: Perspectives in Psychology

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand different psychological perspectives
• Understand the differences between alternative psychological perspectives
• Understand the application of psychological perspectives to contemporary issues in psychology

Module 4: Crime and Society

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand crime and deviance
• Understand crime statistics
• Understand theoretical explanations of crime
• Understand social and cultural patterns of crime and criminality

Module 5: Developmental Psychology

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the nature/nurture debate in developmental psychology
• Understand early socialisation and the formation of attachment
• Understand cognitive development and the ways in which children process and use information
• Understand the application of developmental psychology theories in the real world
• Understand psychological changes that accompany ageing

Module 6: Family

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the relationship between the family and the wider society
• Understand role relationships within the family
• Understand the influence of feminism on the study of the family

Module 7: The Role and Responsibilities of a Social Worker

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the influence of feminism on the study of the family
• Understand social work values and principles
• Understand the range of employment opportunities available for a Social worker
• Understand the importance of current legislation for the Social Worker and social work
• Understand a range of client groups and the services available to them

Module 8: Cognitive Psychology

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand a range of client groups and the services available to them
• Understand the contribution of cognitive psychology research to our understanding of three of the following:

(a) development

(b) memory

(c) attention

(d) perception

(e) language and thought

Module 9: Understanding the Welfare State

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the historical development of the British Welfare State
• Understand the main welfare services available in contemporary British society
• Understand the differing ideologies of welfare
• Understand a current contemporary issue in welfare provision

Module 10: Biopsychology: Behaviour and the Brain

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the concept of localisation of function
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of methods of investigating the relationship between the brain and behaviour
• Understand the interaction between the brain and behaviour

Module 11: Social Care Provisions

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the adult and child social work provisions in the UK
• Understand the contributions of the voluntary and private sector in the provision of care
• Understand the differing welfare needs of groups of people

Module 12: Poverty in Contemporary Britain

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand definitions of poverty
• Understand the historical context of poverty in Britain
• Understand the different methods used to measure poverty
• Understand theoretical explanations of poverty
• Understand explanations about why certain social groups are more likely to experience poverty
• Understand recent policies for tackling poverty in Britain

Module 13: Biopsychology: Behaviour and Drugs

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand how neurotransmitters in the brain control behaviour
• Understand the action of drugs on synaptic transmission
• Understand how psychoactive drugs change behaviour
• Understand the role of serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of disorders

Module 14: Social Inequality

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the relationship between social differentiation and social inequality
• Understand the main theoretical perspectives on social inequality
• Understand how class, gender and ethnicity influence the opportunities available to people

Module 15: Responding to Prejudice and Discrimination

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand theories for prejudice and discrimination
• Understand legal responses to discrimination and prejudice
• Understand community initiatives in overcoming discrimination and prejudice

Entry Requirements

To study an Access to HE Diploma you must be resident in the UK and have a UK postcode.

You must hold Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths, or be working towards them alongside studying your Access to Higher Education Diploma.

University Entry Criteria

It must be reiterated that each university will set its own admission criteria. So, you must check with your desired institution if your Access to HE Diploma and other qualifications will be accepted. In many cases, to get started at university you will need: - A certain number of credits passed with a merit or a distinction grade - A face-to-face interview at the university - Literacy and numeracy assessments provided by the university - Course-related work placements or work experience - GCSE Grade C/4 or above in Maths and English (or equivalent Level 2 such as Functional Skills/Key Skills, etc.) It is your responsibility to check that your Access to HE Diploma will be accepted as part of these entry requirements for your chosen degree. learndirect will not be held accountable if completing this Access to Higher Education Diploma doesn’t secure you a position with a higher education institution.

Minimum age restriction

Access to HE Diplomas are designed to support students to progress to university who have substantial experience of life outside of formal education which they have gained since completing compulsory schooling.

Average completion timeframe

The average time it takes our learners to complete the course is 9-12 months.

Assessment requirements

A range of assessment methodologies are used, including: academic report, essay, case study analysis, academic poster, journal article, experiment, portfolio, academic poster, presentation (video and audio recording), academic writing skills tasks

Exams required

There are no exams included in the assessment of the course.

Is Membership Required?

No membership is required to enrol on this course.

Additional requirements

Learners must be actively studying for a minimum of six months before results can be ratified and certificates ordered. The six month period does not start until you have passed unit 2 of your course and you must be submitting assignments regularly (in line with the deadlines in your Individual Learning Plan) to meet this six month requirement. Certificates can only be issued once your course is paid for in full.

Certification Timeframe

You can expect to receive your certificate 12-16 weeks from your final assignment being marked and graded, depending on the time of year. You will be provided with regular updates throughout the certification process so that you are fully informed of your individual timeframes.

Course Fees

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

A range of units make up this qualification, with an assignment at the end of each. You will submit your work to your tutor for marking and tailored feedback.

Credits

You must acquire 60 credits in total in order to achieve the Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work), which are broken down into two categories:

• Graded - 45 credits will be taken from graded units which focus on the academic subject areas included in the course
• Ungraded - The remaining 15 credits come from ungraded units included to help you to improve your academic writing and study skills

As part of your programme, you will also receive help as well as guidance on your university application and the research you need to do to get the most out of your diploma.

Skills & Education Group Access

On successful completion of the Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work), (QAA aim code: 40011963), you will receive a Skills & Education Group Access, QAA recognised, Access to Higher Education Diploma at Level 3. As part of your programme, you will also receive help as well as guidance on your university application and the research you need to do to get the most out of your diploma.

An access validating agency with a strong social purpose to recognise achievement, particularly for those who have benefited least from their previous educational experiences, Skills and Education Group Access supports the needs of learners, providers, businesses and communities by enabling progression into higher education.

Career

The careers an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work) and a subsequent social work degree can lead to are incredibly broad. Social work in itself takes numerous forms and, depending on your interests and abilities, you could focus your efforts on supporting children, people with disabilities, the elderly, individuals with mental health issues or people suffering from drug and alcohol misuse.

What You Could Specialise In

Social Workers cover a large range of sectors in society, including:

• Youth and community work
• Mental health care
• Palliative care
• Elderly care provision
• Young offenders
• Education services
• Working with people with disabilities
• Drug and alcohol misusers

As such, the type of role you can work in will vary depending on your specific focus. During your training to become a Social Worker you will get the opportunity to work with several different at-risk groups. This will help you get an understanding of what it takes to be a Social Worker in each of these fields. From there you can position your new career to work in that area of social services.

The Social Work Jobs on Offer

Upon graduating, you could become a:

• Mental Health Social Worker
• Child Social Worker
• Hospital Social Worker
• School Social Worker
• Homelessness Officer
• Daycare Social Worker

Further Qualifications and Prospects

As such a diverse area of work, there are many ways you can progress your career. You could study a specific area of social work to transition into another avenue of support. Or you could become a specialist in your field and take on more organisational responsibilities in terms of running practices.

You could also study courses in leadership and management that would help you progress to a management position or become a Senior Social Worker, where you would supervise a larger network of social care in the local community. With experience, you could progress to director level.

Postgraduate Study

If you’re happy to go back to university to get postgraduate qualifications, you could advance your career by taking higher level social care qualifications. With these, you can transition to becoming an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) or a Best Interests Assessor (BIA).

Alternatively, you could study the ProfDE that is delivered by the British Association of Social Workers, after which you could progress to:&

• Social work management
• Become a Senior Practitioner
• Teaching and lecturing
• Specialise in a social sector
• Become a Social Work Director
• Run an NHS Trust

Frequently Asked Questions