Health and Social Care

This module seeks to support students in developing their understanding of the impact of politics and political ideology on many aspects of people’s lives, including the lives of those who use health and social care services. Underlying this relationship is the distribution and exercise of power and influence – both visible and concealed. Students will engage with different theoretical models and apply these to structural sources of potential disadvantage (such as gender, age, social class, ethnic and cultural heritage, and disability) and access to resources for living (such as income, housing, education, employment, safety and status). We will use examples from political statements, media articles and policy documents to support these analyses.   

This module provides students with an insight into the history of public health from 1750 to the present day with a particular focus on the UK. The module explores how developments in medicine, epidemiology and social policy led to the establishment and growth of a new area of public policy, directed initially towards the prevention of disease but expanding over time to include social medicine, health education and health promotion in its broadest sense. Students will explore reactive and proactive approaches to public health and the economic, socio-demographic, political and policy contexts in which public health has developed and operates today. Comparisons will be made between public health priorities and responses in the past, and contemporary and future challenges for public health policy both in the UK and globally.   

This module seeks to develop student knowledge and understanding of a range of theories & concepts used when communicating and working with individuals and groups across the health and social care sector. It does this through a combination of discussions, lectures and practical activities undertaken with peers. These activities will help students reflect on the application of theory and models of practice when communicating with individuals and groups.

This first-year module provides students with an insight into how societies and individuals value and de-value others, in particular, those people who use social care services. We will examine the ways in which values, attitudes and beliefs affect all aspects of our everyday lives and how these can lead us to discriminate against others and be discriminated against ourselves. Issues around equality, diversity and identity will be identified. This module aims to equip students with an introductory insight into the themes running throughout their degree course and throughout society in general.

This module is designed to enable students to understand theoretical perspectives of human behaviour and development. Students will explore biological and social influences on human behaviour and development and how this may contribute to individual differences including the nature nurture debate. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their own behaviours and interpersonal skills and the consequence of these when working with others in a variety of settings.

This module will allow students to build on their existing knowledge of what constitutes ‘community’ – for example, communities ‘of interest’ as well as geographically-based communities. Students will analyse how communities develop, exploring the part which community practitioners may play in that process. Students will be encouraged to consider examples of development, change, cohesion and conflict within a community of which they are a member. The module will also give students a general introduction to the study of community development as an academic subject area, in beginning to investigate theories related to community development. In particular, political and philosophical concepts underpinning community development will be explored.

This module explores the health and illness discourse across a range of health and wellbeing settings. It identifies contemporary health issues and a range of theories relevant to health and wellbeing. It will explore the diversity of experience people and communities have of health and wellbeing, and how practitioners can address these issues through practice. Students will engage with the multidisciplinary nature of health, and the contested nature of the definition of health. 

This module is designed to support students to understand key concepts and theories of disability in order to progress their knowledge and learning regarding disability as an area of study. This includes differentiating notions of impairment and disability. Students will be encouraged to engage with a range of theorists and ideas which affect public and private perceptions of disability. Students will gain from this module a foundation for understanding the study of disability as a contested concept.

Community is increasingly the setting where care takes place and is managed. From domestic homes, schools, GP surgeries, youth clubs to residential and hospital settings this module explores the broad nature of care, ranging from caring within families, community health care, education, acute care in hospitals and social care in the community. The interconnections between the care services will be analysed, and ideas drawn from Level 4  will be explored.  Students will explore how a community can respond to the needs of different groups of people against a background of rapid and continuing social change across the UK.  It will highlight the critical debates surrounding ‘duty’ and ‘responsibility’ towards ourselves and those around us, either in families of communities.

This module is designed to allow students to understand the nature and causes of intellectual and neuro-diverse conditions including those with a clinical diagnosis of intellectual and neuro-developmental disabilities. They will critically examine the impact of these conditions on the ,  development, health and wellbeing, and social functioning of individuals. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with the full range of theoretical perspectives applied to understanding  neurodiversity  including bio-medical, psycho-social, normalisation and critical social science models  and   perspectives. Students will be encouraged to critically reflect on how these perspectives have been, and continue to influence service and support systems for people with intellectual and neuro-diverse  conditions , and how they relate to service design and practice.

Ideas about what constitutes mental health or illness can differ dramatically between societies and cultures. This module will explore how these concepts have changed over time, leading up to the ways in which mental health problems are defined and treated in twenty-first century Britain.  Students will evaluate psychiatric, psychological and sociological approaches to understanding mental health and study different mental health conditions in depth. They will examine the legal and policy frameworks within which mental health services operate, both for children and young people and for adults, and compare different types of intervention currently on offer. Social, medical and service-user perspectives on recovery will also be explored. 

This module provides students with an insight into growing older and the ways in which community-level interventions and the provision of care and support can enhance older people’s quality of life. Students will explore the impact of individual-level factors such as physical and cognitive health, social isolation, bereavement and the loss of independence on older people’s wellbeing. The module also examines inequality and diversity in later life, ageism and the challenges involved in expanding provision of health and social care to meet the needs of an ageing population. The assessment for the module will enhance students’ employability skills through a short oral presentation and a written report. 

The module is designed to introduce students to managing and conducting a small-scale research project. Lectures will provide an introduction to a range of research approaches which may be used, as well as considering the practical aspects of managing a research study e.g. gaining access, literature review, writing and presenting information, ethical issues and so forth. Published research relevant to health and social care will be used to promote the critical reading of research and to provide examples of the various research methods and tools in order to support students in thinking about their own project ideas.

This module is designed examine physical impairments in their broadest sense, and to allow students to understand the nature and causes of physical impairments, and the impact on individuals, their development, health and wellbeing, and social functioning. Students will be encouraged to engage with the full range of theoretical perspectives applied to understanding impairments, including psychological, normalisation, medical and social model of disability perspectives. Students will be encouraged to critically reflect on the how these perspectives have and continue to be applied in services and support systems for people with physical impairments, and how they relate to service design and practice..

• Children & Poverty 15 Credits
• Dementia 15 Credits
• Volunteering for Health & Social Care 15 Credits
• Substance Use and Misuse 15 Credits

Community is increasingly the setting where care takes place and is managed. From domestic homes, schools, GP surgeries, youth clubs to residential and hospital settings this module explores the broad nature of care, ranging from caring within families, community health care, education, acute care in hospitals and social care in the community. The interconnections between the care services will be analysed, and ideas drawn from Level 4  will be explored.  Students will explore how a community can respond to the needs of different groups of people against a background of rapid and continuing social change across the UK.  It will highlight the critical debates surrounding ‘duty’ and ‘responsibility’ towards ourselves and those around us, either in families of communities.

This module is designed to allow students to understand the nature and causes of intellectual and neuro-diverse conditions including those with a clinical diagnosis of intellectual and neuro-developmental disabilities. They will critically examine the impact of these conditions on the ,  development, health and wellbeing, and social functioning of individuals. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with the full range of theoretical perspectives applied to understanding  neurodiversity  including bio-medical, psycho-social, normalisation and critical social science models  and   perspectives. Students will be encouraged to critically reflect on how these perspectives have been, and continue to influence service and support systems for people with intellectual and neuro-diverse  conditions , and how they relate to service design and practice.

Ideas about what constitutes mental health or illness can differ dramatically between societies and cultures. This module will explore how these concepts have changed over time, leading up to the ways in which mental health problems are defined and treated in twenty-first century Britain.  Students will evaluate psychiatric, psychological and sociological approaches to understanding mental health and study different mental health conditions in depth. They will examine the legal and policy frameworks within which mental health services operate, both for children and young people and for adults, and compare different types of intervention currently on offer. Social, medical and service-user perspectives on recovery will also be explored. 

This module provides students with an insight into growing older and the ways in which community-level interventions and the provision of care and support can enhance older people’s quality of life. Students will explore the impact of individual-level factors such as physical and cognitive health, social isolation, bereavement and the loss of independence on older people’s wellbeing. The module also examines inequality and diversity in later life, ageism and the challenges involved in expanding provision of health and social care to meet the needs of an ageing population. The assessment for the module will enhance students’ employability skills through a short oral presentation and a written report. 

The module is designed to introduce students to managing and conducting a small-scale research project. Lectures will provide an introduction to a range of research approaches which may be used, as well as considering the practical aspects of managing a research study e.g. gaining access, literature review, writing and presenting information, ethical issues and so forth. Published research relevant to health and social care will be used to promote the critical reading of research and to provide examples of the various research methods and tools in order to support students in thinking about their own project ideas.

This module is designed examine physical impairments in their broadest sense, and to allow students to understand the nature and causes of physical impairments, and the impact on individuals, their development, health and wellbeing, and social functioning. Students will be encouraged to engage with the full range of theoretical perspectives applied to understanding impairments, including psychological, normalisation, medical and social model of disability perspectives. Students will be encouraged to critically reflect on the how these perspectives have and continue to be applied in services and support systems for people with physical impairments, and how they relate to service design and practice..

• Children & Poverty 15 Credits
• Dementia 15 Credits
• Volunteering for Health & Social Care 15 Credits
• Substance Use and Misuse 15 Credits

The dissertation takes the form of an original independent empirical investigation into an aspect of the student’s degree programme, and their academic interests. Students are required to discuss proposals with module tutors and select their topic for investigation before the end of the second semester of their second year; supervisors will be allocated at this stage. Students will need to prepare themselves by reading over the summer break, and are expected to see their supervisor in the first two weeks of the semester (Semester 1 – Year 3). Students are given clear advice on management and deadlines for stages of their projects. No data collection may take place before the student has received ethics approval.        The length of the report would normally be 8,000 to 10,000 words.

This third year module is designed to enable students to critically examine key topics in Health and Social Care today. The ability to practice critically and reflectively is vital to those wishing to make a difference in this field of study and practice. This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to draw on their learning throughout the programme and consider how their own values, and those of others more widely, can dramatically affect their ability to work with others to bring about positive change in service provision.     

This module will enable students to critically examine issues of diversity, difference and inclusion.  Students will critically analyse the concepts of empowerment and advocacy and how they relate to different marginalised groups.  The students will explore critiques of human services and the helping profession and be able to develop their own ‘practice models’ that take account of empowerment and advocacy.  Students will engage critically with their experiences of social care provision (including other people’s published accounts) and explore how advocacy and empowerment might be used in the helping professions.  They will explore different models of advocacy and critiques of advocacy services.  Empowerment will be examined using different perspectives and students will apply these to their practice experience.  They will also engage with different techniques for working with people to explore these issues (e.g. life story work, memory books, person centred planning, etc.)  They will develop their own model of how the concepts of empowerment and advocacy can be applied to the emancipation of marginalised groups.

This module identifies and critiques current policy agendas that affect the role of community in the provision of health and social care service.  Students will assess how activism, social entrepreneurship and community development practice can meet, and influence, current agendas. Key questions will be, “Who (or what?) is setting this agenda?”; “Is control ‘top-down’ or ‘bottom-up’?”; “How significant is the part played by community activists and local people?” and “to what extent can social enterprise fill the gap?”. The growing tendency to use the concept of “community” as a platform for policy is explored, and the tension of the government defining suitable approaches and methods described as “community development”, to meet aims and objectives.  The focus will be on policies and practice in areas such as government, community and voluntary organisations, activism, social enterprise, health, social care, education, housing, community safety youth work. The conditions which determine effective community participation, ‘empowerment’ and ‘enterprise’ will be evaluated.

This module critically engages with legal and ethical issues within the field of health, community and social care.  The first part of the Module evaluates moral theories, values, principles, and professional regulations relevant to the field.  The second part of the Module explores legal issues by focussing on specific relevant areas.  The Module will provide you with the ability to differentiate between what ought to be done and what must be done in practice.  Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own value systems and those of professions in the sector, and to develop a deep understanding of how those affect ethical decision making and relationships with service users and clients.

• The Media, Health and Social Care 15 Credits
• Leadership, Management and Employability 15 Credits
• Commissioning and Funding for Wellbeing 15 Credits
• Digital Health and Social Care 15 Credits

The dissertation takes the form of an original independent empirical investigation into an aspect of the student’s degree programme, and their academic interests. Students are required to discuss proposals with module tutors and select their topic for investigation before the end of the second semester of their second year; supervisors will be allocated at this stage. Students will need to prepare themselves by reading over the summer break, and are expected to see their supervisor in the first two weeks of the semester (Semester 1 – Year 3). Students are given clear advice on management and deadlines for stages of their projects. No data collection may take place before the student has received ethics approval.        The length of the report would normally be 8,000 to 10,000 words.

This third year module is designed to enable students to critically examine key topics in Health and Social Care today. The ability to practice critically and reflectively is vital to those wishing to make a difference in this field of study and practice. This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to draw on their learning throughout the programme and consider how their own values, and those of others more widely, can dramatically affect their ability to work with others to bring about positive change in service provision.     

This module will enable students to critically examine issues of diversity, difference and inclusion.  Students will critically analyse the concepts of empowerment and advocacy and how they relate to different marginalised groups.  The students will explore critiques of human services and the helping profession and be able to develop their own ‘practice models’ that take account of empowerment and advocacy.  Students will engage critically with their experiences of social care provision (including other people’s published accounts) and explore how advocacy and empowerment might be used in the helping professions.  They will explore different models of advocacy and critiques of advocacy services.  Empowerment will be examined using different perspectives and students will apply these to their practice experience.  They will also engage with different techniques for working with people to explore these issues (e.g. life story work, memory books, person centred planning, etc.)  They will develop their own model of how the concepts of empowerment and advocacy can be applied to the emancipation of marginalised groups.

This module identifies and critiques current policy agendas that affect the role of community in the provision of health and social care service.  Students will assess how activism, social entrepreneurship and community development practice can meet, and influence, current agendas. Key questions will be, “Who (or what?) is setting this agenda?”; “Is control ‘top-down’ or ‘bottom-up’?”; “How significant is the part played by community activists and local people?” and “to what extent can social enterprise fill the gap?”. The growing tendency to use the concept of “community” as a platform for policy is explored, and the tension of the government defining suitable approaches and methods described as “community development”, to meet aims and objectives.  The focus will be on policies and practice in areas such as government, community and voluntary organisations, activism, social enterprise, health, social care, education, housing, community safety youth work. The conditions which determine effective community participation, ‘empowerment’ and ‘enterprise’ will be evaluated.

This module critically engages with legal and ethical issues within the field of health, community and social care.  The first part of the Module evaluates moral theories, values, principles, and professional regulations relevant to the field.  The second part of the Module explores legal issues by focussing on specific relevant areas.  The Module will provide you with the ability to differentiate between what ought to be done and what must be done in practice.  Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own value systems and those of professions in the sector, and to develop a deep understanding of how those affect ethical decision making and relationships with service users and clients.

• The Media, Health and Social Care 15 Credits
• Leadership, Management and Employability 15 Credits
• Commissioning and Funding for Wellbeing 15 Credits
• Digital Health and Social Care 15 Credits