The Health and Social Care Study Programme is ideal if you wish to take an initial qualification and develop your skills towards a career in the health or social care services. You will complete work experience placements as part of the programme which are valuable to add to your CV. You will apply learning in practical and realistic ways, develop skills that are highly valued by employers and gain confidence by developing independent learning skills. Delivery is through a mixture of classroom teaching, assignments, seminar presentations, resource-based learning, research, personal study and tutorials.
Some units of the programme will help to improve your general skills, whilst others are vocational and will help you to develop skills in relation to care services. This programme will also help you to prepare your CV and improve your interview skills.
You will learn through a mixture of classroom teaching, assignments, seminars, resource-based learning, research, personal study and tutorials. You will also engage in activities to develop your English, Maths and employability skills.
The programme is made up of a number of different elements. On successful completion you will achieve:
• Level 2 Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care
• Level 2 Award in WorkSkills
• English and/or Maths Qualifications
Working in partnership with employers, including hospitals and care organisations, our fantastic new Centre for Health and Social Care Professions is providing a range of training and qualifications to meet the demand for new recruits within the health and care sectors.
Courses are designed to address local skills shortages and are delivered by highly-qualified tutors with a diverse range of professional healthcare experiences.
Located on the fourth floor of our South Wing building, the Centre for Health and Social Care Professions encompasses 2,000 square metres of innovative teaching facilities.
The centre incorporates interactive learning technology to provide skills laboratories in realistic working environments, as well as well-equipped classrooms to ensure students are prepared for higher education (university) or employment.
Learning resources in the centre include:
“Our students are loving the new facilities and how they’re able to learn in an environment that reflects the industry. Our partnership with the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) means that we’re able to provide real skills training for direct progression into the NHS. I’m so excited about the opportunities this relationship provides for our students.”
Turn your dream of a job in the NHS into reality
In 2021 the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) partnered with our own Centre for Health and Social Care Professions here at Colchester Institute, with a whole new floor dedicated to provide exclusive training to our learners, so they can be career ready at the end of their time with us. ESNEFT is one of the biggest NHS Trusts in East Anglia and provides hospital and community services throughout Suffolk and North Essex.
All of our learners complete mandatory placements, to prepare for this we have created the P³ programme.
The ethos for the Centre for Health and Social Care Professions focuses on Preparation, Placement and Progression (P³). All learners will develop the skills and professional behaviours expected to be seen in the workplace which will be delivered through a variety of workshops and online learning. This will offer students an assessed competency prior to embarking on a placement.
All Health and Social Care learners must complete this mandatory training prior to starting on their placements which includes:
Further progression activities support learners throughout the academic year ready for their next steps, such as:
Those studying under the Centre are referred to as ‘Professionals in Training’ and will follow the NHS 6Cs philosophy; care, courage, commitment, compassion, competence and communication. These behaviours are monitored and rewarded throughout the course.
Learners will be expected to work in a variety of settings to develop different skills, and the College has placements in over 100 workplaces.
The aim of our Career Start Programme is to develop the key employability skills and qualities in our learners, so that we can prepare them for a career within ESNEFT by the time they leave us to progress on their career path.
Those who are successful in accessing the programme will be those who have demonstrated a positive attitude to the NHS 6Cs approach and also towards their own development. They will be offered a student placement (Note: students requiring placements in paediatric areas must be 18 by the time they attend placement), a training package within a hospital environment and a guaranteed interview for a ‘real’ job in the NHS.
These students will be given:
By completing the mandatory skills training, our learners will be able to access more substantial student placements which are more practical in nature and will also be guaranteed a job interview on successful completion of the Career Start Programme.
Who is eligible to benefit from this opportunity?
There are limited spaces available on this programme, students will be selected by achievement and their commitment and dedication to their studies. These will be our shining stars who choose a vocation (pathway) within the NHS.
Students must be, at least, 18 by the time they finish this programme and ready to start work, which could be full-time or part-time or even fitted around a Higher Education (University) course of study.
Why should you apply for this programme?
How do you apply?
Your tutors and our partners at ESNEFT will talk to you about this opportunity in your first term at College.
4 GCSEs (9-3) including English and Maths, or satisfactory results (Merit/Distinction) in a relevant Level 1
qualification and an interview. Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS*) check
* Please note there is a charge of £45 for an online DBS check.
Successful completion of this programme could lead to progression onto the Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care, employment or an apprenticeships in the health or social care sector.
All students aged 16-18 on the first day of their course will have their course fully-funded by the government.
Costs of studying
If you are/will be aged 16, 17 or 18 on the 31st August in the calendar year when you begin a programme of study, you DO NOT pay tuition fees, College registration fees or examination/board registration fees. However, there are some courses which have additional costs which could include:
For students with an identified low household income, there may be financial support available. Bursary awards can help with your course related costs such as travel, books and equipment and much more.
If you are aged 19 and over, in certain circumstances you may be eligible for a fee waiver and therefore you will not have to pay for this course.
Eligibility for a fee waiver will depend your age at the start of the course, your previous qualifications, your employment status and whether you claim certain benefits.
If you do not meet the criteria for a fee waiver, you may be eligible for some assistance from the College’s Bursary Funds, depending on the household financial circumstances.
If you do not meet the criteria for a fee waiver, and are not eligible for assistance from the Bursary Fund, you will have to pay for this course.
Published course fees for this course are located further down this course information page.
The information in this section applies to this course, and may not apply to other courses with different funding criteria.
You will not pay tuition fees if you are: |
aged 19-24 on the 31st August 2022 and have an active Education, Health and Care Plan |
aged 19 – 23, and already have a level 2 qualification in another subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4) and are unemployed and in receipt of benefits |
aged over 24, unemployed and in receipt of benefits |
aged 19-23, already have a level 2 qualification in another subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4) and are employed with a gross annual salary under £17,374 per annum |
aged over 24 and are employed with a gross annual salary under £17,374 per annum |
If you are aged 19-23 and do not already have a level 2 qualification in any other subject or 5 GCSEs grades 9 – 4, you will not qualify for any government funding and will pay a considerably higher amount than the published course fee shown on this page.
You will pay the published fee shown on this page (this fee is co-funded, which means the remainder of the fee is paid by the government) if you are: |
aged 19-23, already have a level 2 qualification in another subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4) and are unemployed but do not claim a benefit |
aged 19-23, already have a level 2 qualification in another subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4) and earn over £17,374 per annum |
aged over 24 and are unemployed but do not claim a benefit |
aged over 24 and are employed with a gross annual salary over £17,374 per annum |
In certain circumstances, the College’s discretionary bursary fund maybe able to assist with a contribution towards tuition fees. Eligibility to the fund depends on the household’s financial circumstances. Further information regarding the discretionary bursary fund can be found further down this page.
Please note that if you have to pay the full-cost fee, you are unable to access any financial assistance from the College Bursary Fund.
If you are aged 19 at the start of the course, unemployed and not in receipt of benefits, or employed and earning over £17,374, you may be eligible for assistance with your tuition fees from the College Bursary fund.
Bursary funds are targeted at households with a net income of under £25,000.
If you are assessed as being eligible for a bursary award to assist with your tuition fees, the award will not exceed 75% of the fee payable and you will be responsible for paying the balance of the fee.
Students of all ages can apply for assistance from the bursary fund for other course related costs, such as transport, meals, books and equipment.
The bursary fund cannot assist with any general living costs nor can it be used as an attendance incentive.
Applications to the fund are not normally considered if the household income exceeds £25,000 but may be considered in some instances if the household is experiencing severe financial hardship.
When can I apply?
16-19 and 19+ Bursary Fund applications for courses starting in the 2022/23 academic year will be open from June 1st 2022.
For courses starting in September 2022, applications should be made by 1st November 2022. If you find yourself in financial hardship after this date it is important that you still contact Student Services. Applications received after 1st November will be considered on a pro-rata basis subject to need and the availability of funds.
Full details of the bursary funds can be found here:
Can I pay in instalments?
Where total course fees exceed £200 you (or your employer, if they are paying your course fees) can choose to pay your fees in instalments through a monthly payment plan.
40% of the fee or £500 (whichever is lower) will be payable at enrolment.
The balance must be paid within 6 months or by the end date if the course is less than 6 months in duration.
Payment in full in advance
Payment should be made in full at the time of enrolment. Acceptable payment methods include Debit Card and Credit Card (excluding American Express). Please note that we are no longer able to accept cash or cheque payments.
Applications for September 2023 open now!
The application window for full-time courses and joint apprenticeship applications opened on Monday 3rd October at 12pm.
Before submitting your online application, make sure you have got an email address which you will check frequently and which is professional and appropriate for this purpose, and use this when you create your account. Submit the application as early as possible and remember to make a note of your USERNAME and PASSWORD details! You will need these later.
We have prepared a step-by-step video guide below – please view this video which will guide you through the application process.
If you have chosen the study programme you would like to apply for then you are almost there. We recommend that you read our handy application tips, watch our video and then make your application.
You can only apply for one full-time programme and one apprenticeship. You can do this together within the same application form, in what is known as a joint application.
Remember, you cannot study more than one core subject. For example, you would not be able to study two full-time programmes in different subjects simultaneously. You would take Plumbing or Music, not Plumbing and Music.
Your subject will be your primary qualification and forms the bulk of your programme of study.
Application Dos
Application Don’ts
Just call us on 01206 712777
Level | Level 2 |
---|---|
Location | Colchester |
Duration | One year |
Study Mode | Full-Time |
Start Date | September 2023 |
Applications | Applications opened on Monday 3rd October 2022 |
Fee(s) | 16-18 year olds: Free 19+: £1,254 |
All fees, prices and funding information shown on this page are for courses starting in the 2022-23 academic year unless stated otherwise, and are correct at the time of entering/printing information, however these may be subject to change due to factors outside of our control. The College cannot accept legal or financial liability as a result of any such changes.
Courses fees are generally not confirmed for September until June / July due to the above factors.
The course information describes programmes offered by Colchester Institute. The College takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. The information is for guidance and does not form any part of a contract.
The College reserves the right to update and amend information as and when necessary. Colchester Institute will do its best to provide the courses shown, but may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on customer demand and other factors.