HND in Health and Social Care Practice

Year One

At Level 4 of study, the programme provides a broad introduction to health and social care practice and different functions within the sector through practice, research, independent study, directed study and workplace scenarios. This helps you develop core skills while preparing you for specialist subjects at Level 5 or for employment, with the qualities necessary for roles that require personal responsibility. 

Year Two

At Level 5, the programme gives you the opportunity to progress to degree-level study by developing and applying your own ideas to your studies, to deal with uncertainty and complexity, to explore solutions and to demonstrate critical evaluation. The modules prepare you to move on to specific areas of health and social care at Level 6 or to enter employment. 

Assessment on the course is designed to provide suitable opportunities for all students to demonstrate a full range of knowledge, skills and competences required in health and social care practice. There are no formal examinations required for this course. Assessments are undertaken in various ways, including: 

• Presentations with observation records 

• Reports/Project reports 

• In-class time-controlled assessments 

• Work-based projects 

• Professional discussions 

• Interview/role play recordings 

• Logbooks/reflective journals 

• Time-constrained assessments 

• Writing an assignment/report/essay 

• Analysing a case study 

You will be required to work in your own time to complete research, homework tasks or group work. Self-study is vital to your success in this course and lecturers will give you guidance on how best to approach this throughout the study period. 

Assessment methods at GBS are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback, in line with developments in the subject area or based upon feedback from an External Examiner. An External Examiner is an independent academic expert from a Higher Education Institution that acts as a safeguard to academic standards. 

Following the Government’s announcement that Undergraduate tuition fees for UK Undergraduate students will change for students enrolling or re-enrolling after 1 August 2026, GBS has updated the Fees information, as shown above. 

Tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the government.

Funding Your Study

You may be able to borrow money from the UK Government to help pay your tuition fees and to help with your living costs while studying.

This could take the form of a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, and/or a Maintenance Loan to support you with living costs whilst studying.

Please visit our Fees & Funding page for more information.

Upon completion of the programme, graduates are equipped to enter employment in roles requiring personal responsibility and decision-making across private, social or public healthcare settings or to progress to degree-level study. Health and Social Care Practice graduates can pursue diverse career paths such as: 

• Healthcare and clinic management: Care home manager, practice/clinic administrator or patient services manager or assistant. 

• Public health and health promotion: Health education coordinator, community health worker, public health officer or wellness project assistant. 

• Care coordination and team leadership: Care coordinator, senior care worker, care team leader or residential care supervisor. 

• Support and rehabilitation services: Support worker manager, rehabilitation assistant, community support officer or family support worker. 

• Quality assurance and care services: Quality and compliance officer in care environments, social care auditor or service care facilitator.