Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Professions)

• Understand personal learning strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand how to plan and organise study.
• Be able to assess the reliability of sources of information.
• Understand how to use reading strategies.
• Understand note-taking methods.
• Understand how to plan written work.
• Understand how sources are referenced.

• Understand the changes to the roles and responsibilities of a chosen healthcare professional.
• Understand the role of a professional/regulatory body for a healthcare professional, for example HCPC and Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• Understand the multidisciplinary approach to healthcare.

• Understand how health and social care are currently funded.
• Understand the effects of a government reform on organisations.
• Understand the relationship between statutory health care provision and the private and voluntary health care sectors.

• Understand the development of legislation guidelines, policies and procedures of safeguarding.
• Understand the different categories and indicators of abuse.
• Understand policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding in a given work related environment and their use.
• Understand how different agencies within a multi-disciplinary team work together to safeguard individuals.
• Understand the importance of application accepted Codes of Practice.

• Understand the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
• Understand the functions of cell organelles.
• Understand how materials are exchanged across the cell membrane.

• Understand the process of external respiration (ventilation) and gas exchange.
• Understand the structure and function of the cardiovascular system.
• Discuss the homeostatic mechanisms controlling respiration and circulation.

• Understand the nutritional requirements of humans.
• Know how to identify biochemical molecules in food.
• Understand the principles of digestion and absorption in relation to the structure and function of the human gut.

• Understand the endocrine system.
• Understand the effects of hormones.

• Understand and use the four rules of number including in relation to units of measure.
• Understand and use decimals, fractions and percentages, including in relation to units of measure.

• Understand the structure and function of the nervous system.
• Understand the autonomic nervous system.
• Understand the effects a disorder can have on the nervous system.

• Understand the human urinary system.
• Understand the maintenance of water and salt balance.
• Understand common diseases of the urinary system.

• Understand the function of the human skeletal system.
• Understand the function of the human muscular system.
• Understand the importance of maintaining the health of the muscular and skeletal systems.

• Understand differing definitions of the concepts of health, illness and disability.
• Understand the social construction of health and ill health.
• Understand competing sociological approached to the concept of mental illness.
• Understand alternative approaches to health.
• Understand sociological vies on the role of medical professionals.

• Understand ethics.
• Understand current legislation and policies.
• Understand competing views in an ethical debate.

• Understand the characteristics required to be a health professional making reference to the relevant professional and regulatory bodies.
• Understand effective communication and teamworking skills.
• Know how to manage risk and deal effectively with problems.

• Understand the care planning process.
• Understand the roles of service users and providers in care planning.
• Understand the issues surrounding patient consent.

• You must be at least 19 years old to enrol on this course.
• You will need to have a minimum of a grade C or 4 in GCSE English Language and GCSE Maths. Copies of your official certificates will be requested as part of the enrolment process before your place is confirmed. Functional Skills Level 2 Maths and English will also be considered.
• You will need to have access to a laptop or computer and the Internet to complete this course.
• If there is a particular university course you wish to study after completing this diploma, it is your responsibility to ensure it meets the entry requirements.

It will take two years to complete this course. The minimum number of independent study hours you are required to do each week is 20 hours. It is crucial to ensure that you are able to allocate this study time around your other commitments.

Please note, you will be provided with an assessment timetable which will detail your assignment release and deadline dates.

This Access to Higher Education course doesn’t include any exams. Your will be assessed through assignments including essays, presentations, and reports.

Your assessments will be distributed on set dates according to the course timetable, with each having a fixed deadline which you must meet.

Your qualification will not be assigned an overall grade. Instead, grading will be based on graded units, with a maximum of 60 credits available to achieve. These grades will correspond to a specific number of UCAS points based on the credit value:

• Non-graded units will be graded as ‘achieved’ or ‘unachieved’.
• For graded units, you will receive a pass, merit, distinction, or fail.

Find out more about unit credits, and which units are graded and ungraded here.

You will study this course via distance learning, offering you the flexibility to study whenever and wherever you choose. Whether it’s from the comfort of your home or any other location of your preference, the choice is entirely yours.

However, you must ensure that you submit your assignments by the dates outlined in your assessment timetable. Rest assured, tutor support is readily available via email, so help is only a click away. Additionally, you will have access to video mentoring sessions with your tutor for graded units.

The study method you choose depends on your personal learning style. Your options are:

Study pack: if you choose the study pack option, you will be sent a set of printed course materials. 

Study online: if you choose this option, you will be sent your login details to our online portal through which you will access your course materials digitally. You can access your course via a desktop/laptop computer.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Health Professions. AIM Group serve as an access validating agency for the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

With this Health Professions diploma, you can achieve up to 144 UCAS points depending on the grade you achieve. Find out more about UCAS points here.

Once you’ve completed the Access to Higher Education Diploma, you’ll have several options to consider. You could continue your education by pursuing bachelor’s degrees, foundation degrees, higher national certificates/diplomas, or even higher degree apprenticeships. Alternatively, the diploma can open doors to employment opportunities in sectors that require evidence of achievement at level 3.

This qualification will also prepare you for progression into higher education subjects including, but not limited to:

• Midwifery
• Nursing
• Health science
• Pharmacy
• Paramedic science
• Radiography
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational health
• Other health-related degrees

Please note, it is strongly suggested you contact your prospective universities before beginning the Access to Higher Education Diploma to confirm their specific entry requirements.