Level 3 Diploma - Mental Health and Social Care

Course aims:The aim of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to study Mental Health and social care at level 3 and its associated principles and practices. The course is intended for those interested in mental health and social care issues, those who are already involved with mental health and social care practice or for those who wish to further their knowledge and understanding in order to progress to higher levels of study or transfer their knowledge to practical based roles (according to organisational or specific criteria and requirements). Students will study the historical perspectives for both social care and mental health and this will include exploring how social care has changed over the last century, the development of mental health care services, and how mental health conditions are classified. There will also be study of a wide range of factors which influence service provision and legislation that defines and shapes practice, including diagnosis and treatment, social inclusion, discrimination and care standards. The services and agencies discussed will be UK based. Unit content Unit 1: This unit explores the history of mental health and social care. The unit will include: · Defining social care, the aging society, social class, advent of the NHS and what this meant in terms of care and service provision, health promotion and expectations of service users. Unit 2: Research and statistics Mental health and social care incorporates evidence based practice, policy related to statistical data and predictions. Therefore this unit provides students with a basic overview of research design and statistical analysis which will help develop understanding of how data are used in shaping policy and service provision. In this unit we explore the following: · Types of research methods and methodology· Data analysis· How statistics are used· The relevance of statistics to mental health and social care Unit 3: Diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions This unit looks at how the classification systems were developed (DSM-IV and ICD) and how they are used to classify mental health disorders. The unit also discusses the assessment of mental health conditions in a range of contexts including primary and secondary care. This unit will also explore the diagnosing and assessing from a number of perspectives within these settings including health care professionals and mental health workers Unit 4: Mental health conditions This unit focuses on a number of key examples of mental health conditions and will present the underpinning anatomy and physiology, physical and psychological therapies and alternative therapies. Example conditions: SchizophreniaDepressionPersonality disordersDisabilities (learning, skills etc.)Minor mental health disorders Unit 5: Social inclusion One of the major predisposing to mental illness is social exclusion. In this unit we explore the barriers to social inclusion at a community and society level. The unit also examines stigma and marginal groups in society and how these factors relate to social inclusion The unit includes discussion related to key research and person or user centred approaches to promote knowledge and awareness related to social inclusion In addition the unit explores: Volunteer programmesPartnership programmesTraining programmes and work placementsNational service frameworksSkills and service development for inclusion Unit 6: Our ageing society In this unit we discuss the physiology of ageing and examine some statistical evidence for increased life expectancy and what this means for society as a whole. The unit will include discussion about service provision for the older persona with mental health problems and this incorporates legislation and policy to prevent discrimination and promote parity relating to access to services.Key conditions will be explored and those include: DementiaDepression in the elderly personBereavement, loss and loneliness Included in the unit will be some discussion about residential care, capacity and consent and coverage of the NSF standards for mental health care in older adults Unit 7: Care services and support

This unit examines current legislation in the UK related to service provision and care support for those with mental health care problems. This includes: Legislation and policyEligibility criteriaMeeting mental health care needsNSF standardsService user involvementCare choices Unit 8: The community mental health care team (CMHT) In this unit examinees the structure and aims of the CMHT and also outlines the roles and responsibilities of key members this includes · Community Mental Health Care Teams (CMHT)· Outreach teams· Crisis resolution teams· Early intervention team· In patient care Unit 9: Assessment of risk

This unit defines and discusses risk related to mental health conditions. This includes: · What is risk and how can it be assessed?· Risk and aggression within acute in patient wards· Managing risk in secondary and primary care· Community services and models· Monitoring risk in community settings · Voluntary admission and sectioning under the Mental Health Act Unit 10: The future of mental health and social care Mental health and social care provision and needs change quickly and therefore this is a dynamic state. In order to continue to provide effective and appropriate care the systems, agencies and society as a whole need to change at a commensurate rate. In this unit we explore current issues in mental health and social care including policy, funding, service provision and service user access. The unit concludes by discussing future care needs and how these will be accommodated politically, socially and economically. In addition we will discuss the role of society in mental health and social care provision and look at this from the perspective of an individual, family, community and nation

This course is Quality Assured by the Quality Licence Scheme

At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Certificate of Achievement from ABC Awards and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the details of all the units the learner has completed as part of the course).

The course has been endorsed under the ABC Awards Quality Licence Scheme. This means that Oxford Learning College has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet certain quality criteria. The completion of this course alone does not lead to an Ofqual regulated qualification but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills towards regulated qualifications in the future.

The unit summary can be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this sector. To this end the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 3 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.

The course itself has been designed by Oxford Learning College to meet specific learners' and/or employers' requirements which cannot be satisfied through current regulated qualifications. ABC Awards endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

ABC Awards is a leading national Awarding Organisation, regulated by Ofqual, and the Welsh Government. It has a long-established reputation for developing and awarding high quality vocational qualifications across a wide range of industries. As a registered charity, ABC Awards combines 180 years of expertise but also implements a responsive, flexible and innovative approach to the needs of our customers. Renowned for excellent customer service, and quality standards, ABC Awards also offers Ofqual regulated qualifications for all ages and abilities post-14; all are developed with the support of relevant stakeholders to ensure that they meet the needs and standards of employers across the UK.