Access to HE Online

Health and Social Care

AIMS OF THE COURSE

The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma is a qualification, equivalent to A Level, which allows learners to go on and study at University when they did not have the relevant qualifications needed to do so. Access to HE courses are available in a wide range of different subjects and are widely recognised by UK Universities.

Contact Us

Email: ELearning@escg.ac.uk
Tel: 030 300 38368

BENEFITS FOR INDIVIDUALS

After successfully completing this Access to Higher Education Diploma, you will have a good understanding of Biology, Health Studies, Law and Social Policy and the skills needed to study a health and social care related undergraduate course. Once you have chosen and completed your degree programme, you will be ready to begin your chosen career. Many graduates go on to work in the NHS or private practice. Careers open to graduates include:

  • Support Worker

  • Family support Worker

  • Health Promotion

  • Youth worker

  • Charity Worker

KEY COURSE DETAILS

  • Course Fee: £3,384

  • Course length: 10 months

  • Recommended study per week: 15 hours*

  • Total number of units within the course: 21

* You should allow a total of around 15 study hours per week to complete the whole qualification, over 10 months. If you study more hours each week, you may finish the course more quickly.

SUPPORT PROVIDED

A qualified Assessor will mark your work and provide written feedback via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Your appointed Assessor will confirm contact hours once you start your learning and will be able to offer support via email correspondence. During Induction you will be provided with an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) including the expected assessment schedule for your course.

PASS CRITERIA

Each unit includes specific Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria.

  • To achieve a Pass in any assessment you must meet all criteria.

  • The list of detailed Assessment Criteria for each Unit is made available to you on the VLE.

COURSE CONTENT

The course consists of 21 Units of Study.

  • UNIT 1(induction unit) PREPARING FOR SUCCESS

  • UNIT 2 PREPARING TO STUDY

  • UNIT 3 ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS

  • UNIT 4 PREPARING A WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

  • UNIT 5 CELL BIOLOGY

  • UNIT 6 THE HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

  • UNIT 7 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK

  • UNIT 8 THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

  • UNIT 9 SOCIAL WORK METHODS

  • UNIT 10 HUMAN RIGHTS, THE INDIVIDUAL & THE LAW

  • UNIT 11 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

  • UNIT 12 HUMAN NUTRITION & THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

  • UNIT 13 UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA

  • UNIT 14 POVERTY AND HEALTH

  • UNIT 15 CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SOCIAL POLICY

  • UNIT 16 CLASSIFICATION AND USE OF SOCIAL DRUGS AND MEDICINES

  • UNIT 17 PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES

  • UNIT 18 MENTAL HEALTH AND ILLNESS

  • UNIT 19 STUDY SKILLS PORTFOLIO BUILDING

  • UNIT 20 MORALS & ETHICS IN SOCIAL WORK

  • UNIT 21EQUALITY & DIVERSITY WITHIN HEALTH CARE

ASSESSMENT METHOD

The study materials and all assessment for this course is through an online platform (VLE). You won’t need to purchase any books unless you wish to supplement these study materials.

The Access to Higher Education Diploma is a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification, regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).

In order to complete this diploma, you must achieve a total of 60 credits. 45 graded credits (taken from the subject specific areas of Biological Science, Health Studies, Social Work, Law, Psychology, Sociology and Social Policy, and 15 credits which are ungraded from the Biological Science (Cell Biology), Skills for Learning and IAG assessments.

The Access to HE Diploma in Health & Social Care is made up modules that fall under specific subject areas. The subjects are:

  • Skills for Learning

  • Biological Science

  • Health Studies

  • Social Work

  • Law

  • Psychology

  • Sociology

  • Social Policy

You will study the online course materials and self-direct your study.

You will be required to submit assessments by a set deadline. To pass the module you must meet all the assessment criteria. After your first submission your assessor will provide feedback. At this point you will either have met all the pass criteria and your module will be graded or will be asked to resubmit your assessment taking on board the assessor’s feedback and you’ll be permitted to make a further submission of your work. Once your module has been achieved you can then proceed to the next module of the course. You will continue in this way through until you have completed all modules of the course.

Once all of the assessments are complete and have gone through internal moderation and external moderation the College will then present your grades to the Awarding Body.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Learners should ideally already have a GCSE in English and maths (grade A* - C or Level 4 – 8’ or an equivalent). Applications will be considered if you are working towards these qualifications however you may be required to take an initial assessment to gauge your current level in English and maths. We also ask that learners have the ambition to study a related degree at a higher education institute or university.

Access to Higher Education Diplomas are extensively accepted as an alternative to 'A Levels' for University entrance. The Access to Higher Education Diplomas have a reputation of successfully helping students to gain admission to University.

Learners should, however, be aware that each university apply their own admissions criteria, and we highly recommend that you research universities prior to applying to this course, to ensure your chosen university accepts this Diploma and the credits and graded units available for each subject area.

Whilst we have confidence that the Access to Higher Education Diplomas are compliant and sufficient to form part of a University application, East Sussex College will not be able to accept any liability for the inability of any Access to Higher Education learner to secure an offer from a Higher Education establishment due to the individual set requirement of each university or higher education institution.

STUDY TIME

Study time includes:

  • working through the interactive content

  • completing the assignments for each unit

  • reading assessor feedback and reviewing course material or other resources as directed

  • resubmitting your assignment where requested

ASSESSOR SUPPORT

Your course is fully supported by dedicated assessors for each subject. The assessors will guide you through the course providing assistance and a tailored course experience for you.

HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT COURSE FOR ME?

East Sussex College offer a 14-day Cooling-Off Period for this course which enables you to assess whether both the course and the online mode of study is suitable for you. It also allows the College to assess your suitability, in particular whether you can produce work to meet the standards set by the awarding body.

You will be set a deadline within the cooling-off period to complete the first assignment.

Enrolment onto the qualification will take place once you have passed the first assignment. If you do not meet the pass criteria for the first assignment after 3 submissions, you won't be enrolled onto the course.

If you take out an Advanced Learner Loan to cover your fees, then this will be activated 14 days from the course start date.

If you wish to withdraw, you may cancel your enrolment by notifying the Administration Team in writing (by e-mail) prior to day 14 and you will owe nothing. After 14 days, you will owe the full course fee plus an administration charge, in line with the ESCG Tuition Fee Policy.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz), 2GB RAM
Operating Systems: Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS, Windows 10
Browsers: Internet Explorer 8 or above, Google Chrome, Safari 6 or above, Mozilla Firefox, Edge
Compatibility: Windows, Mac

PAYING FOR YOUR COURSE

• If you are 23 or under and have no prior Level 3 qualification, then you may be entitled to a tuition fee waiver*

*subject to eligibility and availability check

• If you are over 19 years-old and have a full Level 3 qualification you have two options: an Advanced Learner Loan or self-funding.

ADVANCED LEARNER LOANS

  • This Government loan will be paid directly to the college, and is linked to your attendance.

  • You will start to repay your loan when you start to earn over £25,000 per annum (correct at time of posting).

  • If you take out an Advanced Learner Loan to fund an Access to HE Diploma, then go on to complete a higher education course, you’ll be eligible to have the balance of your Advanced Learner Loan written off. However, if you don’t complete either course, you won’t be eligible to have the balance written off, and will need to repay your loan in full.

For more information about Advanced Learner Loans visit:
Advanced Leaner Loan Guide to Terms and Conditions for courses starting on or after 1st August 2023

Download Enrolment Form Payment Options Pre-Course Questionnaire Unit Breakdown