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Health and Social Care (Counselling)

Course Code: COUX
  • Level: 3
  • Qualification: Access
  • Awarding body: Cambridge Access Validating Agency (CAVA)
  • Duration: One year
  • Course type: Part-time
  • Time of day: Daytime, Flexible
  • When you'll study: Tuesdays and Fridays, 9.00am-3.15pm
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What's it all about?

Access to Higher Education courses are designed for students aged 19 or over. If you are aged 18 or under, this course may not be suitable for you. Please contact us on info@cityplym.ac.uk or 01752 305300 if you would like any help discussing alternative options.


This course is offered via the express, two-year and distance learning delivery modes – please click here to read more about the different delivery modes offered for Access to HE courses. 


Do you have a deep interest in mental health and the therapeutic application of psychology (talking therapies) and are considering a future career in psychotherapy or counselling? Are you looking for an Access to Higher Education course that can help you improve your qualifications and gain entry to university? If so, this one year, full-time, CAVA-awarded course could be just what you need. This course offers the chance to study alongside other mature students, tutored by experienced, motivational and supportive lecturers. Academic subjects you could study as part of this programme include psychology, sociology, health studies and social work. You may be required to study GCSEs in English, maths or science depending on your career and university aspirations. Please note the College course title is a suggested progression route, you must check with your preferred higher education institution to ensure that this course meets their entry requirements.


Upon successful completion of the course you will be awarded an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health and Social Care).

Course information

Access to Counselling offers an amazing opportunity to build foundations in broader social science units as well as units specific to counselling. These will prepare you for university-level study on courses such as psychotherapy and counselling, psychology or mental health nursing and many more. You will also have the opportunity to develop a wide range of academic skills and will be supported in your application to university through UCAS. You will be studying with like-minded mature students and will practice many different learning techniques to ensure your confident progression to higher education study.

Placements, Voluntary Work and Paid Employment

It is essential that you are aware if your university course requires you to have prior experience before applications are made. The social work course requires all applicants to have completed work (paid or voluntary) in a relevant sector. This is a condition of entry onto the course and evidence must be provided at interview.

GCSEs

GCSE equivalences in maths, English and science are no longer part of the Access Diploma. It is up to you if wish to enrol on GCSEs alongside your diploma, if you do not currently hold a recent C+ qualification. Your chosen university may not require its applicants to have GCSE or may be happy with previously achieved qualifications, such as O Level, level 2, etc. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have clarified if enrolling on a GCSE is appropriate for you. If your university course does require you to study at GCSE level you could study alongside your Access Diploma, however you must understand the implications of not achieving your GCSEs. Although it does not affect your achievement of an Access Diploma it may compromise your place at university if you achieve the Access Diploma but do not achieve your GCSEs. Some universities encourage applicants to apply for university without GCSEs and complete equivalences between application and enrolment with the university (again, this is something you have to clarify).Alternatively, you may wish to study your GCSEs the year before or after Access study. GCSE classes are held during the day and in the evening. You will have to apply as a separate course, as well as your Access course, if this is your preference. The national changes in GCSE requirements for mature students are unique to each HEI.

In order to succeed on this course you will need to:

  • be aged 19 years or older on 31 August before the year the course begins
  • have a functional skill level 2 qualification in English or a GCSE in English at grade 4 (C) or above
  • have a functional skill level 2 qualification in maths or a GCSE in maths at grade 3 (D) or above.

Please note – if you are going to be 18 years of age at the start of the Access course, we may still be able to consider your application if you have already achieved your GCSE grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths, and you already hold a full level 3 qualification.

In each subject you will be taught a range of units and each unit is assigned a credit value. When you successfully complete a unit you will be awarded a number of credits – these can be graded at pass, merit or distinction, depending on the standard of your work. You will continue to ‘collect’ credits throughout the course. The course is assessed by coursework, assignments, projects and exams.

Suggested progression routes: psychotherapy and counselling, psychology, mental health nursing. Every effort is made to ensure that the units and credits offered are sufficient for progression routes onto higher education courses, however, specific courses at specific universities may have their own unique admissions requirements. Please check that the amount of Access credits offered in each subject is relevant for your chosen university course. Once you have enrolled onto a specific Access course units are unable to be amended, so please ensure the course you have selected is appropriate to you. (Our staff are excellent in providing advice and guidance, however, individual university courses may have their own specific requirements – so please check.) Please note City College Plymouth Foundation Degree courses have unique entry requirements for Access students. Please check with our Higher Education team.

Please note fees are quoted for one year only.

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