Assistant Practitioner

Duration: two years
Start date: September
Attendance: Part-time, one day per week (Wednesday)
Venue: Uxbridge Campus
Cost: £1,500 per year (subject to change)

Key Contact: Jackie Hucker
Tel: 01494 522 141 ext 5720
E-mail: jackie.hucker@bucks.ac.uk

Is this course for me?

The aim of the foundation degree is to produce an Assistant Practitioner who is an autonomous practitioner that can perform independently or as part of a team in health and social care. This development will provide health and social care workers with the opportunity to develop their careers following the patient’s/clients care journey and health and social care needs, rather than careers based around traditional professional boundaries.

Students undertaking this Foundation Degree Assistant Practitioner may come from, or wish to gain future employment in a variety of care delivery settings; Hospital in and outpatient settings, Nursing Homes, Residential Homes, Voluntary Organisations, Day Centres, ‘Drop in’ Centres, Special Schools or Agencies providing domiciliary care for vulnerable, elderly and disabled groups.  Within these generic services the patient/client/user group is also diverse: those with a mental illness, learning disability, young offenders, children and the elderly. Therefore it is anticipated that the student group will have a wide range of past experiences, interests and career ambitions which will greatly enhance the richness of study and classroom debate.  The multi or inter agency classroom activity will also develop an understanding of health and social care provision generally and promote future working practices thereby enhancing the holistic care of patient/client/user groups and individuals across the sector. 

What is a Foundation Degree?

A Foundation Degree rates the same academically as the first two years of a three year Honours Degree at a UK university. It can be achieved in two year by part-time study because it is work-based and in an applied discipline.

The key features of a Foundation Degree are:

• The development of specialist technical knowledge and skills
• Learning structured around your employment
• the development of motivated and qualified students who will benefit from increased career opportunities
• You can continue to earn while learning - there is no need to give up your job to do a Foundation Degree
• Partnership input and support rom both academics and practitioners
• 
  How will it be delivered?

• Flexible and diverse study methods including work based learning, lectures, seminars, tutorials, distance learning and on-line support
• Students will study in the workplace and will have an allocated Mentor to support their learning in practice

Overview

The main educational aims are:

• Provide a high quality educational programme directly relevant to individual pathways and professions in partnership with employers which, foster a multi-agency approach to health and social care provision
• Develop a range of skills and techniques, personal qualities and attributes essential for successful performance in the delivery of person centred care
• Provide a flexible and responsive curriculum for the individual and employer to meet the changing context of health and social care provision for person centred care
• To develop a range of transferable skills, knowledge and competence as a basis for future studies and career development
• Provide a progression route to honours degree for students and/or professional qualification

Course content

Year one

• Working in a Professional Environment
• Effective Communication in Health and Social Care
• Essentials of Healthcare Delivery
• the Psychosocial Influences in Health and Social Care

Year two

• Pathophysiology and Assessment of the Deteriorating Patient
• Research Evidence in Health and Social Care
• Learning from Practice (Work Based)
• Managing the Healthcare Environment

What will I learn?

On successful completion of level 4, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate effective communication skills to promote optimum care for groups of people and/or carers; and profession specific knowledge to others
• Read purposefully, identifying what is relevant from a range of resource materials and apply to the professional context of care in which the student works
• Contribute effectively to the use of methods of enquiry in order to collect, interpret data to provide information that would inform or benefit practice
• Apply problem solving skills and demonstrate logical and systematic thinking in a variety of settings
• Demonstrate suitable professional attitude knowledge and understanding of the key concepts of biological, physical, social, psychological and clinical sciences that are relevant to the students profession-specific practice
• Articulate the role of the assistant practitioner role and boundaries in practice

On successful completion of level 5, students will be able to:

• Analyse and evaluate current trends in health and social care
• Critically analyse theories and concepts that underpin and challenge practice and professionalism in health and social care
• Analyse and evaluate the appropriateness of different interventions or approaches from a range of perspectives and in different situation
• Effectively search, analyse and collate literature to inform evidence based health and social care in the UK and contemporary context in which it takes place or to develop new insights into practice
• Evaluate critically the diversity of values in the context of health and social care including the perspectives of service users; the social processes associated with the promotion of health and well being and the creation of inequalities
• Critically analyse current developments both in practice and the contextual nature of health and social care service provision including the structure, policies and practices of the NHS, social services and voluntary sectors

What are the entry requirements?

The Foundation Degree Assistant Practitioner is a flexibly designed programme that has been supported by key stakeholders and potential employers from a variety of professional practice areas and occupations. It has been designed to enable practitioners in community health, education and social care to meet their continuing professional development needs and develop expertise in their specific professional practice.

Within the philosophy of Foundation Degrees and Lifelong Learning the course offers wide entry to study. Prospective students will be expected to normally have an appropriate:

• Further Education level 3 qualification such as NVQ level 3, Access to Higher Education or GNVQ, GCSE/CSE, 14-19 Diploma or A level study
• Be a mature candidate who, whilst not having the necessary academic qualifications, has relevant work experience and be able to demonstrate that they can study at level 4
• Be employed as a assistant practitioner (or equivalent) and have the support of your employing authority for a minimum of 15 hours per week
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy skills to level 2
• Basic IT literacy

Why not try a taster day or an open event?

Coming back into education can be daunting, but attending one of our taster days could help ease any concerns or worries you  may have, by offering an opportunity to meet the teaching team and other students, familiarise yourself with the Higher Education environment and experience a couple of module taster sessions.  If you would like to more information or to attend a tater day, please contact us on 01494 603 171 or e-mail ask@bucks.ac.uk

 How to make an application

Please contact Owen Lord, Marketing and Recruitment Administrator on 01494 603 171 or e-mail ask@bucks.ac.uk.  Alternatively you can download an application pack.