Description
This qualification is only available until 31 December 2017.
In order to claim this qualification, you must have completed the required 120 credits by this date.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification, please contact the Centre for Qualifications and Ceremonies on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
Are you thinking about going into social work or social care? This certificate course is the ideal way to find out if it’s the right career for you. It will give you an insight into social work and social care in Scotland (and is also suitable if you live in the Republic of Ireland), starting with an up-to-date, authoritative overview of care services – with real-life case studies taking you deep into the experience of giving and receiving care. You’ll also develop your knowledge of the key roles in social work, and learn about the social work standards and codes of practice relevant to each UK nation state. You’ll explore ideas about what social work is – using case studies with children, older people, mental-health communities, disabled children and people with learning disabilities to apply learning to practice contexts. This certificate course also builds key skills in information and communication technologies (ICT), information literacy and reflective writing.
If you live in England or Wales, you can find details in the relevant description for the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Care (England) (C74) or the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Care (Wales) (C76).
Planning your studies
There are no formal entry requirements for either An introduction to health and social care (K101) or Foundations for social work practice (KYJ113) and you can directly apply to the OU to study these two modules.
If you intend to study KYJ113 it would be to your advantage to work within or have access to a social care agency, for example through voluntary work – although this is not a formal requirement. However, it is a requirement that you complete a period of 20 days preparation for practice which must involve shadowing a qualified social worker.
Please note that the 20 days preparation for practice in KYJ113 is only valid for two years after completion – this part of the module would need to be satisfactorily repeated if you took over two years to register onto the social work degree.
Because of the demands that the modules in the certificate will make on you we recommend that you take only one module at a time.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you. Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your certificate.
Career relevance and employability
The modules that make up this certificate also form part of the BA (Hons) Social Work (Scotland) – so if you’re considering a career in social work, The Certificate of Higher Education in Social Care provides an excellent introduction.
Please note that this certificate course does not give automatic entry to the social work degree (which has specific entry requirements, including attending an interview and working in a social care setting). However, if you do subsequently gain entry to the programme, you’ll be able to count your certificate study towards your degree. To find out more about entry to the degree, you can download the BA (Hons) Social Work (Scotland) prospectus or request a copy from an adviser.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
For this certificate you require:
120 credits from the following compulsory modules:
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules K100, KZX100
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of courses so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you will be awarded a Certificate of Higher Education in Social Care (Scotland) and will be entitled to use the letters CertHE (Open) after your name.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification