Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Science Professions).

As part of the Awarding Organisation requirements, to receive certification for this training course you must be subscribed for a minimum period of 9 months. The minimum subscription period is measured in total months subscribed, which do not have to be consecutive.     

This means that if your personal circumstances change (time available to study, financial pressures etc.), you can cancel/pause your study and payments at any time. If you decide to return to your studies at a later date, you can simply reactivate your subscription and continue from where you left off (we will save all your course progress). Using our subscription service you are not tied into a credit agreement.   

To study an Access to HE Diploma you must be resident in the UK and have a UK postcode.

You must hold Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths, or be working towards them alongside studying your Access to Higher Education Diploma.

University Entry Criteria

It must be reiterated that each university will set its own admission criteria. So, you must check with your desired institution if your Access to HE Diploma and other qualifications will be accepted.

In many cases, to get started on healthcare courses at university, you will need:

• A certain number of credits passed with a merit or a distinction grade
• A face-to-face interview at the university
• Literacy and numeracy assessments provided by the university
• Course-related work placements or work experience
• GCSE Grade C/4 or above in Maths and English (or equivalent Level 2 such as Functional Skills/Key Skills, etc.)

It is your responsibility to check that your Access to HE Diploma will be accepted as part of these entry requirements for your chosen degree. Stonebridge will not be held accountable if completing this Access to Higher Education Diploma doesn’t secure you a position with a higher education institution.

Minimum Age Restriction

This course is ideally suited to those who have completed full-time education but have not achieved the grades required to get into university.

Average Completion Timeframe

The average time it takes our learners to complete the course is 9-12 months.

Assessment Requirements

A range of assessment methodologies are used, including: academic report, essay, case study analysis, illustrated report, journal article, portfolio, academic poster, presentation (video and audio recording), developing promotional activity, series of questions, academic writing skills tasks.

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete short introductory tasks at the start of your course to support the development of your academic study skills.

Exams Required

There are no exams included in the assessment of the course.

Additional Requirements

Learners must be actively studying for a minimum of six months before results can be ratified and certificates ordered. The six month period does not start until you have completed and passed the course induction and you must be submitting assignments regularly (in line with the deadlines in your Individual Learning Plan) to meet this six month requirement. Certificates can only be issued once your course is paid for in full.

Certification Timeframe

You can expect to receive your certificate 12-16 weeks from your final assignment being marked and graded, depending on the time of year. You will be provided with regular updates throughout the certification process so that you are fully informed of your individual timeframes.

Unit 1: Academic Writing Skills 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Be able to structure a written response 
• Be able to develop a structured response to a plan 
• Be able to present the response appropriately for audience and purpose 
• Understand how to apply academic writing principles to own work 

Unit 2: Reading and Note Making 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand a range of reading strategies
• Understand the use of language in terms of the purpose and context of a range of texts
• Be able to use methods for developing notes from a range of sources

Unit 3: Healthcare Communication 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand the methods and barriers of communication in healthcare
• Be able to analyse the importance of good communication skills in healthcare
• Understand the importance of confidentiality and record keeping

Unit 4: Professional Behaviours: Nursing and Health Professionals

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand the characteristics required to be a health professional making reference to the relevant professional and regulatory body's and the Professional Standards Authority standards for registration in relation to, patient-centred care and concepts of professionalism as they apply to conduct, performance and ethics of those on the relevant professional and regulatory body's register
• Understand effective communication and teamworking skills
• Know how to manage risk and deal effectively with problems
• Reflect on own personal and professional practice and develop a personal and professional development plan

Unit 5: The Structure and Function of Cells 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand cellular structure and organisation
• Be able to analyse cellular activity
• Be able to analyse the cell cycle

Unit 6: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Healthcare 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Know the key concepts related to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
• Understand key legislation and regulations related to EDI in healthcare
• Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of NHS policies and/or initiatives in promoting EDI

Unit 7: Perspectives in Psychology

• Understand different psychological perspectives
• Understand the differences between alternative psychological perspectives
• Be able to apply psychological perspectives to contemporary issues in psychology

Unit 8: Numeracy in a Health Context

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand and use the four rules of number including in relation to units of measure
• Understand and use decimals, fractions and percentages, including in relation to units of measure
• Know how to use a calculator to solve problems and use appropriate tools to check their answers

Unit 9: Professionalism and Multidisciplinary Teams 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand the impact of changes to the roles and responsibilities of a chosen health care professional
• Understand regulation as a chosen health care professional
• Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary team approach to working in a chosen health care setting

Unit 10: Human Musculoskeletal System 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand the human skeleton and how it relates to locomotion
• Be able to analyse muscle contraction
• Understand the development of bone

Unit 11: Mental Health

• Understand how society determines and responds to three behaviours experienced by individuals suffering from mental ill health
• Understand the influence of biological, social and environmental factors in relation to mental health
• Be able to evaluate different strategies for therapy and care of mental health disorders

Unit 12: Endocrine System 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand terms hormone and endocrine gland
• Be able to analyse homeostasis and feedback mechanisms
• Understand the action of hormones

Unit 13: Poverty in Contemporary Britain

• Be able to evaluate definitions and theoretical explanations of poverty
• Understand the historical context and changes in poverty in Britain
• Understand the different methods used to measure poverty
• Be able to evaluate recent policies for tackling poverty in Britain

Unit 14: Nervous System 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand the basic structure and function of the nervous system
• Understand the nature of nerve impulses
• Be able to assess the principles of synaptic transmission

Unit 15: Infection and Immunity 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand how the human body responds to infection
• Understand the cause and transmission of different pathogens
• Be able to analyse how infections can be prevented by vaccination
• Understand the mechanism of action of antibiotics

Unit 16: Health Promotion 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand current models of health promotion
• Understand the role of current initiatives in promoting good health
• Be able to evaluate the contribution an appropriate agency or organisation that contributes to improving public health

Unit 17: The Cause and Control of Disease 

On completion of this unit, you will: 

• Understand categories and causes of human disease
• Understand the epidemiology of a named disease
• Understand measures for disease prevention

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete a course induction which comprises of three short introductory tasks to support the development of your academic study skills.

At the end of each unit, you will have an assignment to complete, and once finished, your tutor will provide you with detailed feedback so that you can progress on to the next phase. The feedback will give you an opportunity to focus on the areas that you need to improve on, and you will receive guidance to complete the assignments successfully.

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete short introductory tasks at the start of your course to support the development of your academic study skills.

The Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Science Professions) is a Level 3 Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) regulated qualification. To successfully pass the course, you will need to obtain 60 credits, with 45 being accumulated from graded units, which are ones relating to academic content. The remaining 15 credits are taken from ungraded units, such as study skills.

• All study materials
• Study Guide
• Full Tutor and Admin support
• The course fee includes the awarding body registration and certification fee (valued at up to £96.00).