Management for Health and Social Care Online Degree Pathway

Management for Health and Social Care Online Degree Pathway

This Course at a Glance

• Globally recognised online alternative to Year 1 and Year 2 of university
• Get on the pathway to obtaining a BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care
• In partnership with the international awarding organisation ATHE
• Complete Year 3 with Arden University or University of Bolton
• Flexible online study rather than on-campus lectures
• Get on the fast track to your university qualification
• Avoid rising loan repayment fees
• Save on expensive living costs associated with on-campus study

Achieving a degree in health and social care or a relevant subject can propel you towards a range of careers within health, education, social care, public services, or charities. With our online degree pathway, which consists of the first and second years of an Honours degree, removing in-person lectures and restrictive timetables, you have the option to complete Year 1 and Year 2 within a year.

About Your Online Degree Pathway

This undergraduate online degree pathway in management for health and social care is made up of 240 credits and is designed as an online alternative to completing Year 1 and Year 2 at university. Studying with us will fast-track you to the final year of an associated Honours degree, which can be completed online at our partnered university.

This has been made possible through our partnership with ATHE, an Ofqual-regulated global awarding organisation that spans more than 55 countries worldwide. ATHE partners with 25 UK and international universities, providing top-up degrees to learners seeking an alternative to traditional university learning.

The course is delivered online, through an engaging array of online learning materials. So, you will find your education both interesting and rewarding. As a self-paced online course, you can also work towards your qualification without pressure, around your existing commitments.

What Will You Learn?

The course focuses on building essential academic skills to prepare you for higher education, so you are more than prepared for your final year at university by the time you reach that point in your studies. You will also cover critical foundational topics such as health and social care context and principles, to cement your understanding of its need and purpose.

As the online degree pathway progresses, it takes your knowledge to a deeper level, teaching you all about supporting those with complex needs in health and social care, so you understand what’s required when supporting individuals who are at risk, unwell or have specific medical requirements. You will also learn about the management of quality, and partnership working, and you will undertake a research project.  

University Progression

Upon successful completion of Year 1 and Year 2 with us, you will be guaranteed admission to complete Year 3 of your undergraduate degree at one of our partnered universities, including the University of Bolton - named in the top 30 best UK universities in The Guardian Guide (2024) - and Arden University, the 16th best university in the UK for student satisfaction.

Payment for your third-year fee is an additional cost and is made directly to the university.

Study for a Degree Without Expensive Fees

If you’re looking for a high-value, faster, and more flexible way to get a health and social care degree, you’ve come to the right place. This online programme allows you to complete the first two years of university from the comfort of your home, at a time that suits you. Once completed, you’ll be guaranteed a spot at university to study in your third year. What’s more, this alternative option means you won’t be burdened with hefty student debt.

This makes it much easier to qualify for a health and social care career while managing your existing commitments. By swapping classes and fixed timetables for online learning, you can progress freely and qualify for the final step as soon as you’re ready.

A More Affordable Alternative

The latest change in student finance rules will see university graduates doubling their student loan repayments. This is in addition to repaying their student loans when they earn an annual salary of £25,000, instead of the £27,660 it was before.

With inflation and interest rates rising in the UK due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, university graduates are affected. For the 2022/23 academic year, there was a risk of student loan interest rates reaching 12%, further hitting the pockets of students.

Due to the current economic uncertainty, a university graduate could end up with an average of £42,900 of student loan debt, with tuition fees costing an average of £9,250 per year.

According to YouGov, 37% of people feel that current tuition fees are unfair, so it’s no surprise that many are looking for alternative options. Here at learndirect, we can offer you an affordable alternative that covers the first and second year of a degree for a fraction of the cost of the traditional route.

Please note, that once you complete our online degree pathway, you will need to pay your select university to study the third year of your course online.

Avoid Rise in Daily Living Costs

You can also skip the other associated costs of full-time university when you study with us. By completing Year 1 and Year 2 in Health and Social Care online at home, you won’t need to worry about student housing costs or travel expenses. Moreover, you have the flexibility to integrate studying into your lifestyle without the need to rearrange other commitments. So, if you’re currently working, you won’t have to give that up to get your degree.

Modules

Year 1 consists of eight units.

Unit 1: Health and Social Care Context and Principles

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the organisation of health and social care within a national context
• Understand adult social care policy and regulation within a national context
• Understand legal responsibilities in adult social care
• Understand the values, behaviours and ethical responsibilities underpinning adult social care

Unit 2: Supporting Individuals in Health and Social Care

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand communication in adult social care
• Understand person-centred and personalised care
• Understand safe practice in adult social care
• Understand professional practice in adult social care

Unit 3: Health and Ill-Health

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand concepts of health and ill-health
• Understand the social context of health
• Understand public health and health
• Use health data and research

Unit 4: Personal and Professional Development in Health and Social Care

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand career pathways in health and social care
• Understand the importance of personal and professional development and the processes, principles and techniques
• Present a personal and professional development plan
• Understand how to contribute to the personal and professional development of others

Unit 5: Resource Management in Health and Social Care

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the management of resources in health and social care
• Understand the prioritisation of resources in health and social care
• Understand the effective procurement and use of resources in health and social care

Unit 6: Public Health and Health Promotion

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the key principles and concepts of public health and health promotion
• Understand the evolution of public health and health promotion
• Understand current public health and health promotion policy and practice
• Understand current and evolving public health challenges

Unit 7: Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Care

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand contemporary  health and wellbeing issues and current debates related to health and social care in chosen national context
• Understand socio-economic, political and cultural factors influencing wellbeing and health in chosen national context
• Understand the impact of contemporary health and social care issues on the development and provision of services

Unit 8: Supporting Positive Behaviour in Adult Health and Social Care

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand behaviour that challenges
• Understand positive behaviour support
• Understand functional assessment and intervention
• Understand how to reduce restrictive practices

Year 2 consists of eight units.

Unit 1: Facilitating Change in Health and Social Care

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the factors that drive change in health and social care services
• Be able to evaluate recent changes in health and social care services
• Understand the principles of change management

Unit 2: Managing Communication

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how information and knowledge is communicated within an organisation
• Understand factors that impact on workplace communication
• Be able to promote effective interpersonal communication
• Be able to review communication within an organisation

Unit 3: Research Project

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how to formulate a research specification
• Be able to implement the research project within agreed procedures and to specification
• Be able to evaluate the research outcomes
• Be able to present the research outcomes

Unit 4: People Management

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how structure and culture impact on people in organisations
• Understand approaches to managing the differences between individuals that impact on their performance at work
• Understand the organisational factors that impact on people performance
• Understand methods for developing human resources
• Be able to review how people are managed within organisations

Unit 5: Management of Safeguarding for Health and Social Care

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand issues relating to safeguarding in health and social care
• Understand the impact of legislation relating to safeguarding in a specific health and social care context
• Be able to review and develop safeguarding policies for a specific health and social care context
• Understand how to support the implementation of safeguarding policies and procedures
• Understand how to promote and implement policies in ways that support the service user

Unit 6: Leading Organisational Equality and Diversity

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the importance of effectively managing equality and diversity.
• Understand the dynamics of leading and managing equality and diversity in an organisation

Unit 7: Health and Safety in the Health and Social Care Workplace

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how health and safety legislation is implemented in the health and social care workplace
• Understand the ways in which health and safety requirements impact on customers and the work of practitioners in the health and social care workplace
• Understand the monitoring and review of health and safety in the health and social care workplace

Unit 8: Personal and Professional Development

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how self-managed learning can enhance lifelong development
• Be able to take responsibility for own personal and professional development
• Be able to implement and continually review own personal and professional development plan
• Be able to demonstrate acquired interpersonal and transferable skills

Entry Requirements

You’ll need to possess an appropriate level of English and have prior qualifications, which can include:

• A GCE Advanced level profile with achievement in 2 or more subjects supported by 5 or more GCSEs at grades 4/C and above
• Other related level 3 subjects
• An Access to Higher Education Certificate delivered by an approved further education institute and validated by an Access Validating Agency
• Other equivalent international qualifications

For individuals whose first language is not English, we recommend the following English language proficiency standards or an approved equivalent for this qualification:

IELTS: A score of 5.5 or higher

• Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): Achieving at least B2 level
• Cambridge English Advanced (CAE): Scoring 162 or above
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: Achieving a score between 42-49

Minimum Age Restriction

These qualifications are designed for learners aged 18 and older.

Average Completion Timeframe

ATHE qualifications typically take learners an average of 18 months to complete.

Assessment Requirements

There are no exams included in this study programme, instead, you will complete several written assignments.

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.

You will complete a series of assignments to demonstrate that you have successfully achieved the learning outcomes of each unit.

ATHE

Upon successful completion of this online course, you will achieve two globally recognised ATHE qualifications:

• ATHE Level 4 Extended Diploma in Management for Health and Social Care – Qualification Number (600/4435/4)
• ATHE Level 5 Extended Diploma in Management for Health and Social Care – Qualification Number (600/4434/2)

Awards for Training and Higher Education (ATHE) is a global awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual and other United Kingdom and international regulators.

ATHE is a global awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual and other UK and international regulators since 2011. They work with more than 280 recognised centres in over 55 countries to complement our strong brand presence in the UK.

On completion of this Management for Health and Social Care Online Degree Pathway, you can go on to complete the third year of an undergraduate degree in the subject – or a closely related subject - at one of our partnered universities.

Following completion of the final year of your degree, you will be qualified for a professional career in health and social care services.

This can take you down numerous paths depending on your interests as options span into health, social care, leisure, or education. However, the primary areas of employment include:

• Social Care Worker
• Personal Assistant
• Health Care Assistant
• Community Development
• Health Administration
• Charity Officer
• Nursing

For more insight on what your degree could lead to, click here.

*Please note, that some of the above areas of employment may require specific additional qualifications to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions