Entry Requirements:
Usually 2 Highers including English or College Entrance Test or GSVQ at Level II or III to include Communications 4. In addition all applicants must have experience of social care either on placement, as a volunteer, or as an employee. Most colleges stipulate a minimum number of hours of experience in the range of 150-250 hours.

Brief summary of main subject areas:

Mandatory Units:
Social care theory and practice
Psychological and sociological perspectives on human development and behaviour
Developing personal effectiveness in a care setting
Approaches to dealing with challenging behaviour
Understanding health and safety in a care setting
Health and safety: workplace experience in a care setting
Workplace practice and skills in a social care setting

And One from the Following Options:
Promoting individual rights and responsibilities in a care setting: children and young people
Promoting individual rights and responsibilities in a care setting: adults
Promoting individual rights and responsibilities in a care setting: people with disabilities
Promoting individual rights and responsibilities in a care setting: older adults

Optional Units:
Social policy and social services provision
Understanding loss and the process of grief
Child protection
Approaches to mental health and mental illness in a social care setting
Community care policy and provision
Working with people with dementia
Promoting independent living
Substance use
Contributing to care programmes
Managing relationships with clients

Mode of Delivery:
The course is a mixture of college-based taught units linking in with social care practices on placement or in the student's own work setting. The course may be taken on a full-time, open learning, day release, part-time day or evening basis. The length of courses may vary from college to college. The full-time course is usually of one year's duration.

Placement Requirements:
The placement requirement is usually in the region of 500 hours. Each student should be allocated a workplace supervisor to assess criteria for either the Workplace Practice experience unit or the SVQ Level III.

Articulation/Progression:
The HNC in Social Care is accepted by colleges and universities as an entrance requirement to the Diploma in Social Work and some Social/Behavioural Sciences degrees. Many students progress directly into posts in social care settings.

©West of Scotland Consortium for Education and Training in Social Work 2001.