Health and Social Care

This course can open doors a career in adult, mental health, or learning disability nursing, or as a paramedic.

It is part of the Scottish Widening Access Programme (SWAP), designed for those who have been out of full-time education for at least 5 years and do not have the qualifications to start university. Our supportive learning environment equips adult returners for Higher Education and leads to promising opportunities in college or university.

For this course you’ll need:

• a genuine interest in working with people
• an interview with us, during which you'll complete a short written activity
• a satisfactory reference

This course covers:

• values and principles in care: investigate care provision and legislation in Scotland focusing on the ethical principles guiding care practices and the values that underpin professional conduct
• social influences: explore the impact of social factors on health and wellbeing
• human development and behaviour: explore human development and understand factors that influence human behaviour
• understanding mental health and mental illness: gain an understanding of mental health and illness looking at perceptions, behavioural effects and treatment
• stress and stress management: identify causes, symptoms and effects of stress and explore coping strategies and techniques for effective stress management
• human body: learn about the anatomy and physiology, gaining an understanding of the body's systems and how they are affected by disease or injury
• caring for people with dementia: gain knowledge and skills for providing care to individuals with dementia, exploring compassionate and effective approaches and learning how to support caregivers
• medical terminology: gain knowledge of medical terms and abbreviations related to body systems and treatments
• first aid and health promotion: gain practical first aid skills and explore strategies for health promotion

You’ll also gain essential, transferable skills in communication, numeracy, ICT, teamwork, and problem solving.

You’ll hear from insightful guest speakers from health boards and local care services and gain real world perspectives.

On completion of this course you may:

• progress to HNC Healthcare Practice
• apply to various Nursing-related degree courses such as BSc Adult Nursing, BSc Mental Health, BSc Child Nursing, BSc Learning Disability, or BSc Paramedic Science

Students who wish to continue onto a more advanced course that includes a care work placement and/or into employment in the care sector will at that time be required to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. This involves a police check by Disclosure Scotland. You can ask about this at the point of application or interview, and this is highly recommended for applicants who have a criminal history.

You'll gain in depth knowledge which will prepare you for the next step of your career. You'll learn about strategies for care and support and acquire vital skills such as medical terminology and first aid skills, as well as transferable skills that can be applied to life, learning and work.