Health and Social Care - Level 3 National Extended Diploma

This course is a follow-up to the National Foundation Diploma Year 1. Once you have completed the Extended Diploma, you will gain 3 A Level equivalents and receive three grades at Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction*.

This course is modular, recording the skills you achieve as you progress. The course has a mixture of examined units, coursework units and work placement.

Extended Diplomas have two one-year programmes. You need to finish the first year before moving on to the second.

You will study a variety of units about working within the Health and Social Care sector, working with children and vulnerable adults. There will be two examined units, Anatomy & Physiology and Research Methods.

In addition, you will undertake coursework units such as:

• Promoting Public Health
• Sociological Perspectives
• Understanding Mental Wellbeing
• Supporting Children and Adults with Additional Needs

The variety of topics enables you to gain a real insight into the profession you would like to progress into after the qualification. The content of the course gives you a holistic oversight of various roles and sectors within Health and Social Care, how they operate and their importance. In addition, you will learn how to care for individuals with varied needs and abilities.

As part of the course, you will be required to undertake a work placement within a health or social care setting. These settings could be: care homes, nursing homes, hospitals, mental health charities and probation services.

You will need:

• Merit or above in the Year 1 Foundation Diploma in Health and Social Care

If you are transferring from another college, we would need to see your unit transcript to ensure the same units have been delivered in Year 1.

You will be assessed through external examinations, essay-based writing in the form of coursework and observations when on a work placement.

AGED 16 - 18

If you will be aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31st August 2025 before the start date of the course, and you have the legal right to remain in the UK for the duration of your course then your study with us will be free.

Please see here for the documents you need to show us.

Some courses have additional costs, such as specialist materials and trips.

Many of our students are eligible for financial support. See here for details.

Once you have completed this course, you can progress to a university or employment. The lists below are not exhaustive.

University courses include:

• Nursing
• Midwifery
• Social Work
• Psychology
• Criminology
• Public Health
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy

Employment such as:

• Health Care Assistant
• Community Care Assistant
• Ambulance Support Worker
• Housing Support Worker