Higher National Diploma Health and Social Care
Course Overview
The health and social care sector is vast, and this HND course gives you an excellent opportunity to begin developing the values, skills, and knowledge essential to good health and social care practice in the UK. These can support your initial development in providing valuable support for people of all ages and walks of life who have disabilities or mental health issues, or are vulnerable in other ways.The course is linked closely to the UK government’s health and social care agendas, so we offer you the chance to experience a current and carefully considered balance of policy, practice, and academic training. Join us as we explore the principles of care, person-centred health and social care, the ethical aspects of care, and areas such as health promotion and safeguarding, among many more – with learning that focuses on the workplace environment.
We’ll support you every step of the way as you learn how to collaborate across professional boundaries, use evidence to support your professional decision-making, and enhance your understanding of critical issues in health and social care.
Our focus is on helping you become a knowledgeable, compassionate, and person-centred care professional.
Highlights
- Our Health Studies courses are top in the UK for student satisfaction, according to The Complete University Guide 2022.
- The course features guest lectures and talks by health and social care service providers and users, offering you balanced, real-world perspectives that help put your learning in context.
- You can benefit from the purpose-built health and research facilities at the £31 million Bolton One centre here on campus, including our Clinical Simulation Suite.
- Our extensive network of health and social care contacts means we can offer you access to a wide variety of hands-on, real-life experiences in health and social care settings.
- In addition, you’ll have the chance to develop your skills in research, data evaluation, critical reasoning and analysis, and in professional communication, teamwork, problem solving and self-reflection.
- We’ll support you as you develop your study and critical thinking skills in preparation for potential further learning, including postgraduate study.
Key Features
- Our approach to teaching and learning is student-centred, so we’ll work with you as an individual and provide tailored help and support throughout your studies.
- You’ll benefit from our teaching and research staff’s vast range of professional experience in health and social care, as well as our close links with the social care sector, the NHS, and several voluntary and charitable organisations.
- You’ll also get to take full advantage of a placement in a health and social care setting.
- We’ll encourage and support you in taking voluntary work placements in health and social care environments throughout your studies. These can contribute significantly to your portfolio of evidence ready to impress potential employers.
- By studying alongside students who are already health and social care professionals, you can benefit from their knowledge and experience.
Entry Requirements
- 64 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Subjects relevant to the study of health and social care are preferred.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- If you don’t meet the standard entry requirements but have non-traditional qualifications and/or relevant experience, we’ll be happy to consider your application. You may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) to determine your suitability for the course.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
Our HND in Health and Social Care offers a sound understanding of policy, theory and practice in health and social care. You can gain the experience and learning needed to follow a career in health and social care. It's also ideal if you're not yet committed to one particular career and want a generic course. It offers an excellent basis for more specific vocational training, such as social work or occupational therapy.
Some of the key skills you can gain include communication, teamwork, time management, people management, organisation and problem-solving.
What can I do with this qualification?
Many students choose to pursue honours level study after completing this HND. You'll be able to apply for the University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care (top-up) degree, which can be completed in one year by full-time study or in 18 months part-time.
Successful completion of this course may also allow you to gain entry into nursing and social work degrees and be relevant to charitable organisations with a focus on health or social care.
Alternative career options
Diploma holders can also use the qualification as a stepping stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. Career areas include:
- Counselling
- Writing and journalism
- Mental health
- Social work
- Teaching and education
- Health promotion
- Mentoring
- Armed forces
- Community support
- Youth work
- Care home management
- Health services management
- Child protection
- Health administration
- Early years
- Occupational therapy
- Residential care
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:
You should have to hand:
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Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
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Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
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Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
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Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
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Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton HND Health and Social Care - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
International applications are not possible for this course
As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.
We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
By selecting the link for your chosen course from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton HND Health and Social Care - 22 September 2025
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
To make this course as engaging and beneficial as possible for you, we offer a range of learning, teaching and assessment methods designed to help you develop the skills, knowledge and competencies you’re aiming for. Just as importantly, we aim to help you develop the values and attitudes essential to good health and social care practice. Learning focuses on the workplace environment.
To complement lectures that introduce the course content, seminars and group-based activities allow you to explore subjects, policies and practices in greater detail. Tutorials help clarify your understanding of the topics we cover in lectures and seminars. At the same time, we use case studies, practical scenarios and role-playing to help you apply your newly acquired knowledge and theory to real-life problems and gain valuable insights into health and social care practice. You’ll also have the chance to develop your practical skills in our clinical skills laboratory. We encourage you to use our extensive online learning resources to support your self-directed learning.
In addition, we offer masterclasses with practitioners from the health and social care sector, plus insightful sessions with guest speakers who either provide or use health and social care services.
Our assessment methods are designed to reflect what may one day be required of you in a health and social care setting. For example, the course requires you to submit written reports, give presentations, develop your practice portfolio, analyse care plans and review relevant literature, analyse complex cases and discuss how to manage change. Meanwhile, we expect you to write essays and reflective accounts, take practical and written tests, and participate in group discussions. Some assessments contribute to your final module marks. In contrast, others are designed to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and help you identify where you need extra support from course tutors.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Enhancing Communication and Academic Skills
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Introduction to Social Policy
- Introduction to Research and Evidence-Based Practice
- Principles of Care
- Anatomy & Physiology for Health and Social Care
- Group Dynamics and Working in Teams
- Work-based Experience
- Person Centred Health and Social Care
- Health Promotion - Challenges and Opportunities
- Employability Skills
- Social Inclusion, Empowerment and Health
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 95% Practical exams 5% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 70% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 70% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
