The UK’s European university

Undergraduatestudy

HEALTH ANDSOCIAL CARECanterbury

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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND INSPIRATIONAL TEACHING

Health and Social Careexplores issues that areimportant in today’ssociety, asking questionssuch as should cloningor assisted suicide bepermitted? Shouldfertility treatment beavailable as a right on theNHS? Should older peoplepay for their own care?Are services deliveredfairly to all sections ofthe community?

Our degree in Health and SocialCare gives you the chance toexplore these and other topicalissues. For instance, why is teenagepregnancy regarded as a majorsocial problem and how shouldpolicies respond to it? Is child abusethe product of poor parenting, oris it rooted in poverty and socialexclusion? Are the needs of carersproperly recognised? Why is it sodifficult to provide dignified carefor older people?

We also look at economic factorssuch as: what is the best way todeliver health care at a time ofeconomic constraint and risingdemands? Why are there stillmarked social inequalities in healthin England, given the existenceof a national health service, freeat the point of access?

You look at the background to socialproblems, the policies devisedto deal with them and the impactof these policies. The emphasisis on people’s experiences ofhealth and social care, includingpolicy issues, the deliveryand management of services,and the evaluation of evidence.

The degree draws on a wide rangeof disciplines, including sociology,social policy, social psychology,politics, history, law, social work,management, philosophy andeconomics. You gain knowledgeacross these subjects and learnto apply this to analysing socialand healthcare issues.

You can also take modules in areassuch as computing and languagesas well as ‘wild modules’ from theselection offered across theUniversity.

A supportive communityOur academic staff are friendly andaccessible, offering support duringteaching sessions and in one-to-onemeetings. We encourage studentparticipation, giving you theconfidence to use your skillsand knowledge in real situations.A range of events take place withinthe School, such as guest lecturesand conferences, making you partof the academic community andwidening your knowledge.

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We also have an internationalcommunity on campus, with 42%of academics coming from outsidethe UK and students representing158 different nationalities.

A successful futureHealth and Social Care is apractical subject that focuseson real applications. This degreeprogramme is not just aboutevaluating the issues; we alsoencourage students to think aboutsolutions and improvements.

Health and social care analystsaim to improve people’s lives byinfluencing policy and practice,and the programme helps you todevelop the knowledge and skillsto make a positive contributionin your future career.

As well as providing first-rateacademic skills, Kent placesgreat emphasis on developingtransferable skills that are usefulwhatever career you choose topursue. This puts you in a goodposition to face the demands of acompetitive economic environment.For more details, see p8 or visitwww.kent.ac.uk/employability

The atmosphere within the Schoolis diverse and supportive. Wewelcome applications from bothschool leavers and those who wishto return to education, and we valuethe contribution that people canmake from their own experiences.Many applicants are alreadyworking in the health sector orhave personal experience of caring.Students who wish to combineworking with studying can takethe degree on a part-time basis.

World-leading researchThe School of Social Policy,Sociology and Social Researchhas a very strong academicreputation. Based on our results inthe Research Excellence Framework2014, our research was ranked2nd for research power in the UKand joint 3rd for research intensity.Of the research submitted, 99%was of international quality.

The School benefits from the workof specialist research units workingin the fields of child protection,health care, personal socialservices and disability studies.

A global outlookKent is known as the UK’s Europeanuniversity and has partnershipswith many prestigious institutionsin Europe and around the world.We encourage our studentsto develop their studies in aninternational context and thereare many opportunities to studyor work abroad.

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The Times Good UniversityGuide 2017• Sociology ranked 7th overall;8th for graduate prospects

The Guardian UniversityGuide 2018• Social Policy andAdministration ranked12th overall

Destination of Leavers fromHigher Education (DLHE)• Of Sociology students whograduated from Kent in 2015,90% were in work or furtherstudy within six months.

National Student Survey(NSS) 2016• 1st in London andthe south-east

• 4th highest score for overallstudent satisfaction

The Guardian UniversityGuide 2018• 22nd in the UK

Independent rankings

University of Kent

School of Social Policy,Sociology and SocialResearch

Health and Social Care4

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Attractive location From campus it’s a 25-minute walkor a short bus ride into the citycentre. Canterbury is a lovely citywith medieval buildings, lively barsand atmospheric pubs, as wellas a wide range of shops.

The attractive coastal town ofWhitstable is close by and thereare sandy beaches further downthe coast. London is just under anhour away by high-speed train.

Beautiful green campusOur Canterbury campus is set ina stunning location. It has plentyof green and tranquil spaces,both lawns and wooded areas,and is set on a hill with a viewof Canterbury Cathedral.

The campus has its own cinema,theatre and a student nightclub.There are many restaurants, cafésand bars on campus, as well as asports centre and gym.

Everything you need on campusis within walking distance, includinga general store, a bookshop, a bankand cashpoints, a medical centreand a pharmacy.

Based on a sceniccampus, you benefitfrom the University’s first-class facilities.Kent also has a reputationfor being a very friendlyuniversity witha cosmopolitanenvironment.

Excellent study resourcesOur Templeman Library hasextensive print and electroniccollections that support thesubjects taught at Kent. As a long-established centre for health andsocial care research, Kent also hasmany specialist collections in theseareas. As part of your degree, weguide you through these informationsources, helping you to use themto the full.

IT facilities are generous, too, andteaching increasingly makes useof web-based materials. To helpyou work and study online, weprovide student PCs and Wi-Fi-enabled study hubs across thecampus. For those not familiarwith IT, the University providesspecific help and support.

Kent’s Student Learning AdvisoryService also provides informationand advice on all aspects ofeffective learning and study skills,and is available to all students fromthe time they arrive at Kent. Seewww.kent.ac.uk/learning for moreinformation.

SUPERB STUDENT EXPERIENCE

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Health and Social Care6

STUDENT PROFILE

and then you can apply that in yoursecond year of study. At university,there’s a shift because you reallylearn to be independent. You cango off and look at topics in your own way and do your own research.

What is the level of supportlike in your studies?The support is great from bothstudents and staff. All of the seminargroups are small so everyone getsinvolved – all of us share ouropinions and it’s quite an informaland friendly atmosphere. We emaileach other about the work andI can also email my seminar leaderif I have any questions – everyoneis very approachable.

How would you describe theteaching at Kent?The lecturers teaching my modulesare specialists in that area. It meansthey all have their individual areasof research, which is great. It’s notsomething I thought about beforeI came to university, but now Irealise that this is really important.

Which modules have youenjoyed the most?Mental Health has been one of myfavourite modules. I found it reallyinteresting. I’m planning to domy dissertation on whether ourGPs overprescribe mental healthmedication. It’s quite a big topicat the moment and it’s an area I feel quite passionate about.

Poppy Drury is inher second year studyingHealth and Social Care.

Why did you choose to studyat Kent?Kent was really friendly but it hada great academic reputation too.I looked at the league tables and mySchool was high up and that madea difference. Also – and I know it’sa cliché because everyone says it– but the setting is lovely. Youhave everything you need ona beautiful green campus. SoKent ticked every box for me.

What attracted you to studyingHealth and Social Care?I’ve always been interested in healthcare. My background definitelyplayed a part; my nan is disabledand so I’ve always been awareof that whole world. I used to see items on the news about the fundingcrisis so I wanted to understand thepolitical side of things.

What was it like to move intodegree-level studies?I found the transition a bit dauntingat first but it was also very exciting!I was eager to start – it was like anew door opening. I quickly metsome lovely people and startedto channel my energies into mycourse. I didn’t do an A level insociology or psychology but thefirst year lays the foundations foryou. They teach you the basics

What sort of things do youdo in your spare time?At Kent there are so many groupsand societies that everyone fitsin somewhere and feels a partof something. There’s loads goingon at the sports centre and I spenda lot of time there. I’m also the vice-captain of the equestrian team.We train once a week and competeagainst other universities.

Have you had any careersadvice at Kent?I’m always getting emails aboutworkshops and careers events;there are a lot of things on offer.I recently went to a CV workshopwhich was really good and I’mplanning to do a lot more in myfinal year.

Do you have any careerplans yet?If you’d asked me a year ago, acareer in mental health wouldn’thave been for me. But now I’mthinking about going into psychiatricsupport work. I’m also thinking abouthealthcare auditing. There arevariations and gaps in provisionthat I’d really like to explore.

And finally, what advice wouldyou give to students who arecoming to Kent?Enjoy it! Even if it seems a bitoverwhelming at first, put yourselfout there, meet different peopleand embrace it all.

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Health and Social Care

Many Kent students also developtheir professional skills and gainhands-on experience througha wide range of voluntary workopportunities.

Kent’s Q-Step CentreKent’s Q-Step Centre can help youto improve your skills in handlingdata and statistics and usingnumerical evidence. These are allskills that are highly prized in thejob market; for more information,visit www.kent.ac.uk/qstep

Careers adviceThe University’s award-winningCareers and Employability Servicecan give you advice on how tochoose your future career, howto apply for jobs, how to write agood CV and how to perform wellin interviews and aptitude tests. Italso provides up-to-date informationon career opportunities before andafter you graduate.

For more information on the careershelp we provide at Kent, please seewww.kent.ac.uk/employability

Postgraduate studyThe degree programme providesa good basis for professionaltraining or further study, such as apostgraduate qualification in socialwork, teaching or counselling,or study at postgraduate level insocial policy or a related socialscience subject.

Many of our undergraduate studentscontinue to study with us after theirgraduation. We offer one-yearMaster’s programmes (two yearspart-time), allowing students toadd a further specialisation to theirundergraduate qualification. Thiscan be in areas such as learningdisabilities, methods of socialresearch, international social policy,sociology or criminology. We alsooffer a two-year full-time programmein social work. To find out more, seeour website at www.kent.ac.uk/pg

Employability skillsA degree in Health and Social Caregives you a range of transferableskills for your future employment,whatever field you go into. Writingwell and gaining confidence inexpressing your ideas to othersare important skills and we helpyou develop these during yourstudies. You also learn to analyseand interpret complex data andto devise imaginative solutions toproblems, with sensitivity to thevalues and situations of others.

Kent equips you withessential skills to give youa competitive advantagewhen it comes to gettinga job. Many career pathscan benefit from theanalytical and writingskills you develop duringyour studies.

Six months after graduation in 2016,more than 96% of Kent studentshave found a job or are goingon to further studies.

Good career prospectsHealth and social care is a majorsector of the economy with a widerange of career opportunities.Graduates may wish to work directlywith users of services – such aschildren and families, older peopleand those with disabilities or mentalhealth problems. There are alsomany opportunities in areas suchas management, research or policy.

Potential employers in the socialand health care sectors includeNHS management, social servicesdepartments, trusts, socialresearch, health promotion,community work and the growingvoluntary and private social careand healthcare fields. But, ofcourse, it is not essential forgraduates to go into careers inhealth or social care; a wide rangeof employers value the skills gainedas part of a social science degree.

A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

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GRADUATE PROFILE

Did the course live up to yourexpectations?Yes, I enjoyed it. The topics werefun and I liked studying them. Youchoose a number of ‘wild modules’from other programmes within theUniversity. This allows you to becreative.

Which part of the course mostinterested you?I really liked the modules that wereheavily based upon health andsocial care and policy development.I also appreciated the fact thatduring seminars we could allprovide our unique insights intothe source material. The coursewas right up to date so we werediscussing current policy and notoutdated source material.

What about your lecturers?The lectures were interestingand engaging. It was rewardingto hear from academics who havewritten extensively on their subject.Also, having guest speakers wasexceptional because it allowed usto gain first-hand information andknowledge of the field. The topicswere well explained and providedus with a wealth of informationand detail.

How did Kent help with yourfuture career plans?Kent made me question my careeroptions and what I wanted to dowith my life. So while I was in my

Mahmut Osmangraduated from Kent witha BA in Health and SocialCare. He went on to workas a social worker forHertfordshire CountyCouncil social services.

Why did you choose Kent?I am from London and wanted tobe far enough away from hometo experience university life butable to return easily if I neededto. I fell in love with the campuswhen I came to visit. There wasso much going on, it was excitingand vibrant. Kent is also awell-established university.

How did you find the course?I enjoyed it because it was sobroad; it allowed me to explorea variety of areas, which madeit interesting because we focusedon the diversity within the healthand social care sector. I particularlyenjoyed looking at topics that do notget discussed much within socialmedia, such as palliative andtherapeutic care and the way‘policy’ does not always reflectthe needs of the service users.

What was the level of supportlike in your studies?I was diagnosed with dyslexia whenI started studying at Kent and I wasgiven software support to help me.

final year, I worked with adultswith challenging behaviourto gain further experience beforegraduation. After I left Kent, I didan MA in Social Work at RoyalHolloway, University of London.

What are you doing at themoment?Right now, I’m doing my Assessedand Supported Year in Employment(ASYE) certification withHertfordshire County Council’sHealth and Social Care department,in the Community LearningDisabilities team.

How do you see your careerprogressing?I would like to gain furtherexperience and perhaps do adoctorate because I enjoy studyingand learning. I want to focus onbuilding my career to becomean experienced practitioner.

What would you say tosomeone thinking of studying at Kent?If you want to study at a vibrantuniversity with lots of character andtruly experience the ‘student life’,then I would definitely recommendKent. The staff are great and theteaching is of the highest standard.

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Teaching and assessmentTeaching takes place during theautumn and spring terms. Theshorter summer term is usedfor revision and examinations.Teaching is via a mixture of lectures,seminars, workshops and one-to-one sessions with academic staff.In addition, all students need toread for seminars and pursueindependent study outside theclassroom.

Your work is assessed bycoursework essays, seminarpresentations, projects, groupwork and examinations. Mostmodules are assessed on a basisof 50% coursework and 50%exams, although some are assessedentirely by coursework. Studentsmust pass Stage 1 (the first year offull-time study) in order to progressto Stage 2 of their studies. The finalclass of degree is based on marksfor Stages 2 and 3.

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For more details, please refer tothe relevant subject leaflet or toour website at www.kent.ac.uk/ug

Part-time study Part-time students take the samemodules as full-time students, butthey usually study half the numberof modules each year.

Kent InternationalFoundation Programme If you are applying from outsidethe UK without the necessaryEnglish language qualifications,you may be able to take the KentInternational Foundation Programme(IFP). It is possible to progress fromthe IFP to the Health and SocialCare degree programme. For moreinformation, see www.kent.ac.uk/ifp

The Health and SocialCare programme givesyou the chance to studythe subject in depthand develop interests inother areas, for examplebusiness studies, politics,law, sociology, socialanthropology andlanguages.

For full-time students, this is a three-year degree programme. If you arestill considering which degree toapply for, it’s worth bearing in mindthat health and social care modulescan be taken as part of thefollowing programmes:• Social Policy • Sociology • Criminology• Social Sciences

(Medway campus).

CHOOSING YOUR PROGRAMME

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“I enjoyed all my modules andthe mixture between essaysand presentations, individualwork and group work, whichmeant you really got to knowpeople on the course.”

Alex HoileHealth and Social Care graduate

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YOUR STUDY PROGRAMME

Your studies are dividedinto three stages, eachequivalent to one year of full-time study or twoyears of part-time study.

We use a variety of teachingmethods including lectures,case studies, group projects andindividual and group tutorials.

Please note that the module listsgiven here are not fixed as newmodules are always in developmentand choices are updated yearly.See www.kent.ac.uk/ug for the most up-to-date information.

To read a description of any of the modules listed, please go towww.kent.ac.uk/courses/modulesand type in the module code.

Stage 1Stage 1 represents the first year offull-time study and gives you a solidfoundation in social sciences.

The first year is designed to helpyou get up to speed with the subjectat degree level through the studyof health, care and well-being, aswell as some of the related socialscience disciplines that are relevantto the subject.

At each stage, there is a balancebetween compulsory modules inthe ‘core’ parts of the degree andthe opportunity for you to developyour own interests with a widevariety of specialist options.

You take the following compulsorymodules:• Critical Thinking (SO341)• Fundamentals of Sociology

(SO337)• Health, Care and Wellbeing

(SA301)• Social Policy and Social Control

(SA300) • Sociology of Everyday Life

(SO336).

You also choose one of thefollowing:• Introduction to Criminology

(SO305)• Modern Culture (SO334).

You may choose additional modulesfrom a wide selection in the socialsciences and other subject areas(for example, psychology, politics,social anthropology, cultural studiesand media).

Stages 2 and 3 Stages 2 and 3 represent thesecond and third years of full-timestudy. You take a module in researchmethods and have a choice ofmodules to give you the flexibilityto create a degree that reflectsyour individual interests.

The following modules are takenby all students:• Caring for Vulnerable Adults:

Understanding Social Care(SO678)

• Health and Health Policy (SO603) • Social Research Methods

(SO602)• Welfare in Modern Britain

(SO601).

You also choose at least two of thefollowing optional modules:• A Future for the Welfare State?

Social Change, Challengeand Crisis (SA503)

• Mental Health (SO532)• Reproductive Health Policy

in Britain (SO595).

Your remaining modules are chosenfrom a wide selection in the socialsciences, such as:• Kent Student Certificate for

Volunteering, Platinum Award(SO670)

• Poverty, Inequality and SocialSecurity (SO575)

• The Social Politics of Food(SA519)

• Social Sciences in the Classroom(SE556)

• Sociology and Social Politicsof the Family (SO702)

• Sociology of Religion (SO736)• The Third Sector: Charities and

Social Enterprises in ModernSocieties (SO645).

You also have the opportunityto write a dissertation on a subjectof your choice.

Health and Social Care

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VISIT THE UNIVERSITY

Come to an Open Day oran Applicant Day and seefor yourself what it’s liketo be a student at theUniversity of Kent.

Open DaysKent runs Open Days during thesummer and autumn. These providean excellent opportunity for you todiscover what it is like to live andstudy at the University. You can meet academic staff and currentstudents, find out about our coursesand attend subject talks, workshopsand informal lectures. We also offertours around the campus to viewour sports facilities, the library andUniversity accommodation.

For further information and details of how to book your place, seewww.kent.ac.uk/opendays

Applicant DaysIf you apply to study at Kent andwe offer you a place (or invite you toattend an interview), you will usuallybe sent an invitation to one of ourApplicant Days. You can book toattend through your online KentApplicant Portal. The ApplicantDay includes presentations in yoursubject area, guided tours of thecampus, including Universityaccommodation, and theopportunity to speak with bothacademic staff and currentstudents about your chosensubject. For further information,see www.kent.ac.uk/visit

Informal visitsYou are also welcome to make aninformal visit to our campuses atany time. The University runs toursof the Canterbury and Medwaycampuses throughout the year foranyone who is unable to attend an

Open Day or Applicant Day. It may also be possible to arrangemeetings with academic staff,although we cannot guarantee this.For more details and to book yourplace, see www.kent.ac.uk/informal

Self-guided toursYou can explore the Canterburycampus in person or from thecomfort of your home. Our self-guided audio tour gives you a realflavour of the campus and you canhear from people who help makeKent such an inspiring place tostudy – our staff and students. Toget started, go to www.kent.ac.uk/courses/visit/informal/audio-tour.html

Alternatively, we can provide youwith a self-guided tour leaflet, whichincludes the main points of interest.For more details and to downloada self-guided tour, go towww.kent.ac.uk/informal

Health and Social Care

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LocationCanterbury

AwardBA (Hons)

Degree programme• Health and Social Care (LL45)

Programme typeFull-time and part-time. Threeyears full-time, or up to six yearspart-time.

Entry criteriaBBB at A level.

IB 34 points overall or 15 pointsat Higher Level.

Access to HE Diploma:applications are considered onan individual basis. If an offer ismade, candidates typically will berequired to obtain/pass the overallAccess to Higher EducationDiploma with 50% of Level 3credits at Merit.

DDM in Level 3 BTEC ExtendedDiploma in Health & Social Careor Public Services.

Applicants can also apply withcombinations of BTEC Diplomasand A level or AS levels, or with anHND or Foundation Year. Thesequalifications are assessed onan individual basis, as are thosewith international qualifications.

All applicants with A levels orLevel 3 BTECs should normallyhold five GCSEs at grade A*-C, or grade 9-4, including EnglishLanguage.

The School has a long andsuccessful tradition of admittingmature students. We welcomeapplications from students onaccredited Access courses. We always consider studentswith non-standard qualificationsor with relevant work experienceindividually and we particularlywelcome applicants who haveexperience in the field.

Kent also offers an InternationalFoundation Programme, whichcan be used to gain the entryqualifications. For details, seewww.kent.ac.uk//ifp

Required subjectsA social science or humanitiessubject.

Offer levels and entryrequirements are subjectto change. For the latestinformation, seewww.kent.ac.uk/ug

This brochure was produced in June 2017.The University of Kent makes every effort toensure that the information contained in itspublicity materials is fair and accurateand to provide educational services asdescribed. However, the courses, servicesand other matters may be subject tochange. For the most up-to-dateinformation, see www.kent.ac.uk/ug and forfull details of our terms and conditions, seewww.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions

For the University to operate efficiently, itneeds to process information about you foradministrative, academic and health andsafety reasons. Any offer we make to you issubject to your consent to process suchinformation and is a requirement in orderfor you to be registered as a student.All students must agree to abide bythe University rules and regulations at:www.kent.ac.uk/regulations

More informationIf you would like more informationon Kent’s courses, facilities orservices, please contact us on:T: +44 (0)1227 768896www.kent.ac.uk/ug

To download another subject leaflet,go to www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/leaflets

On the webFor updates and news storiesfrom the School, please see:www.kent.ac.uk/sspssrwww.facebook.com/KentSSPSSRwww.twitter.com/sspssrwww.youtube.com/sspssr

COME ANDVISIT US

University of Kent, The Registry, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ T: +44 (0)1227 764000 www.kent.ac.uk/ug

To find out more about visitingthe University, see our website:

www.kent.ac.uk/visit

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