Health and Social Care

At the moment, we are only interviewing for waiting list places for this course at our Kilmarnock and Kilwinning Campus. Applicants can still apply for the course at Ayr.

This course ideal for those wishing to pursue a career in health or social care. The topics you'll explore will provide you with an understanding of care provision in Scotland and you'll gain the skills you need to make a real impact in care settings. It's the perfect way to prepare you for further education or employment.

For this course you'll need:

• a genuine interest in working with people, caring skills and non-judgemental attitude
• five relevant National 5 qualifications or equivalent, including English and ideally Maths/Numeracy, or a relevant NC course at SCQF Level 5 or equivalent, such as Health and Social Care (SCQF level 5)
• a level of maturity that enables you to work with course materials that could relate to difficult issues or situations
• an interview with us during which you will complete a short written activity
• a satisfactory reference
• to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, as you may be required to take part in a work experience placement. 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.

This course covers a wide range of subjects including:

• health and social care provision: explore care provision in Scotland, looking at positive care practices and the ways services meet the needs of people
• social influences on life chances: explore what society can do to improve the life chances of those using care services
• human development and behaviour: explore the stages of human development and understand how certain factors and life experiences can influence human behaviour
• stress and stress management: identify causes, symptoms and effects of stress and explore coping strategies and techniques for effective stress management
• understanding mental health and mental illness: gain an understanding of mental health and illness looking at perceptions, behavioural effects and treatment
• 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

You’ll also gain essential, transferable skills in communication, numeracy, ICT, teamwork and problem solving which can be applied to all areas of life, learning and work.

Throughout the course, you'll hear from guest speakers, including professionals from health boards and local care services.

On completion of this course, you may:

• progress to an HNC course, such as HNC Social Services, HNC Counselling or HNC Healthcare Practice
• start a career in the care sector as a Support Worker, Home Care Worker or Care Assistant

You’ll gain practical skills and knowledge that will open doors to a range of opportunities in the care sector. There are many paths to choose from and this course will give you a great basis to progress to further study or fulfilling careers in health and social care.