Certificate of Higher Education in Social Care

Accessibility

Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our Certificate of Higher Education in Social Care uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:

• Online study – most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
• Online tutorials
• Face-to-face workshops (for Northern Ireland students only on KZNI123)
• Group-work
• Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
• Practical work
• Finding external/third-party material online
• Accessing online catalogues and databases
• Assessment in the form of short-answer questions, essays, and examinations
• Feedback – continuous assessment includes feedback from your tutor and using this to improve your performance
• Pre-determined schedules – we’ll help you to develop your time-management skills

Every module has its own Accessibility Statement with more detailed accessibility information – you’ll find these on individual module descriptions.

Visit our Disability support page to learn about our services.

There are no formal entry requirements to study this certificate, but you will need to be working within or have access to a social care agency – for example, through paid employment or voluntary work.

Note that you’ll need to organise and complete a minimum 10-day period of verified practice learning in a social care setting which ideally will involve shadowing a qualified social worker. This practice experience must be verified and may require you to obtain and pay for a Disclosure and Barring Service check for students in England or Enhanced Disclosure through Access NI for students in Northern Ireland. If you are already working in a social care setting, your employer may help you organise this practice experience, but please note that they are under no obligation to do so.

You will also be required to participate in compulsory online workshops and tutorials. If you are a student in Northern Ireland, you will be required to attend face-to-face workshops while studying the module KZNI123. You should take all these points into account before registering for this qualification.

How much time do I need?

• Most of our students study part time, completing 60 credits a year.
• This will usually mean studying for 16–18 hours a week.

Find out if you have enough time to study with our time planner

Preparing for study with an Access module

Students who start their study with an Access module are more likely to be successful when they advance to Stage 1 of their qualification. They’re specially designed to give you a gentle introduction to OU study, boost confidence in your study skills, and help you gain a broad overview of your chosen subject area.

You’ll also benefit from:

• feedback from your tutor through regular one-to-one phone tutorials
• support from a dedicated team throughout your study
• detailed written feedback on your work.

Skills for career development

In addition to specific understanding and skills around health and social care, this certificate will build your confidence by steadily developing and enhancing your study skills – including digital and information literacy and reflective writing – and a range of essential employability skills in areas such as communication, IT, problem-solving, planning and organisation.

Career relevance

The modules that make up this certificate also form the first year of the BA (Honours) Social Work (England), and BA (Honours) Social Work (Northern Ireland) so if you're considering a career in social work, it provides an excellent introduction.

Please note that this certificate does not give automatic entry to the social work degree programme (for which you must attend an interview and meet specific entry requirements. These include minimum academic requirements in maths and English and working in a social care setting, where your employer will be required to enter into an agreement with The OU to support your practice learning). However, if you do subsequently gain employer support and entry to the programme, you'll be able to count your certificate study towards your degree.

Exploring your options

Once you register with us (and for up to three years after you finish your studies), you’ll have full access to our careers service for a wide range of information and advice – including online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the careers service website are available for you to see now, including help with looking for and applying for jobs. You can also read more general information about how OU study enhances your career.

In the meantime if you want to do some research around this qualification and where it might take you, we’ve put together a list of relevant job titles as a starting point (note that most careers will require further study, training and/or work experience):