Health and Social Care (Health Care Assistant Practitioner) | Southampton, Solent University

Course summary

Why study a health and social care (health care assistant practitioner) degree at Solent
Working as part of the wider health and social care team, healthcare assistant practitioners provide care for service users within the healthcare industry.

Course overview
You will learn about the role of the healthcare assistant practitioner in a range of different health and social care settings and develop a highly-valued professional skill set that can be applied on practice placements, and in your eventual health and social care workplace.

Further your career and understanding of healthcare related topics such as communication, anatomy and physiology and public health.

Assistant practitioners work at a level above that of healthcare support workers and have a more in-depth understanding of factors that influence health and ill-health.

Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for someone looking to start or further develop their career in healthcare, who does not want to train in a regulated health profession.

What does this course lead to?
Assistant practitioners work in a variety of roles in healthcare, including supportive roles in nursing, operating theatres, biomedical science laboratories, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, mental health, social care, rehabilitation services and radiology.

Modules

Year one - CORE MODULES
Anatomy and Physiology to Support Practice
Developing Professional Practice
Foundation Skills to Support Practice
Introduction to Public Health and Health Promotion
Developing Practice-based Learning Year 1
Long-Term Conditions

Year two - CORE MODULES
Extending Professional Practice
Investigating Health and Conditions Across the Lifespan
Practice-based Learning Year 2
Service Improvement Project
Supervision and Assessment of Practice

Year 2 - Optional modules
Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.

Extending Therapy Practice
Recognition and Escalation of Deteriorating Physical and Mental Health

Ways to study this course

Campuses

Main Site

Study options

FdSc • Full-time • 2 Years

Start dates

14 September 2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:: HSC1
Institution code:: S30
Campus name:: Main Site
Campus Code:: -
Points of Entry:: Year 1

Southampton, Solent University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:: HSC1
Institution code:: S30
Campus name:: Main Site
Campus Code:: -

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Year 1

International applicants

For information about applying to Solent as an International applicant, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/help-for-international-students

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff 104 - 120 points

A level

104-120 from a minimum of 2 A Levels

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) DMM

DMM (112 UCAS Tariff Points)

Access to HE Diploma

Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit, or 102-118 UCAS Tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit or Pass Grades

Scottish Higher

104-120 UCAS Tariff Points from a minimum of 4 Scottish Highers