UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE
Programme Specification
This Programme Specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme
and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and
demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
Sources of information on the programme can be found in Section 17
1. Awarding Institution / Body
University of Central Lancashire
2. Teaching Institution and Location
of Delivery
University of Central Lancashire
3. University School/Centre
School of Health
4. External Accreditation
Royal Society of Public Health
5. Title of Final Award
Foundation Degree (FdA) Improving Health and
Wellbeing
6. Modes of Attendance offered
Full time/part time
7. UCAS Code
8. Relevant Subject Benchmarking
Group(s)
N/A
9. Other external influences
Policy/Report Shapers:
Wanless Report (2010)
Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS (2010)
Healthy Lives, Healthy People (2010)
Public Health Outcomes Framework (2010)
Marmot Review – Fair Society Health Lives (2010)
No Health without Mental Health (2011)
Health and Social Care Bill (2013)
Royal Society of Public Health Competency Framework
(2012)
NHS Health Education England Skills for Health
Framework (2012)
PHORCAST Public Health Career, Skills and
Competency Framework (2013)
UK Faculty of Public Health Career and Skills
Framework
10. Date of production/revision of
this form
March, 2014
11. Aims of the Programme
Course Aims
The aim of this course is to enable students with an interest in improving the health and wellbeing
of individuals and groups to:
1. Develop knowledge and understanding necessary to improve the health and wellbeing
within a range of community settings.
2. Develop the practical skills and experience that students need to apply their knowledge in a
range of health and wellbeing improvement roles.
3. Develop critical understanding, personal skills and interests in areas relevant to health and
wellbeing by developing skills, knowledge, experience and competencies.
4. Provide opportunities for the critical evaluation of policies focussing on health and
wellbeing, processes, provision and practice in a variety of community settings.
5. Develop students’ knowledge of theories and models underpinning the development of
health and wellbeing initiatives’.
6. Undertake and pass additional qualifications within its structure: the Royal Society of Public
Health Level 2 Unit 1: Understanding Health Improvement and Unit 2: Applied Health
Improvement
Rationale and Context for the Course
Healthcare is going through a period of enormous change, whilst an associated rise in lifestyle
related illnesses and increasing financial limitations on health care services point to the
necessity of preventing ill health occurring in the first place. The Government has committed to
keep good health for the whole life at the centre of its strategy for health, and central to that plan is
the focus tailored on health approaches to health and wellbeing improvement for, and within local
communities. Central to that remit is that spreading skills, and knowledge in this area will have a
direct effect on driving behaviour change and addressing inequalities, resulting in healthier
individuals within a range of community settings.
The course approaches the practice of health from a social science perspective, drawing on the
contributions of key disciplines such as psychology and sociology. A key guiding principle is the
belief that health is socially determined and that consequently approaches to health improvement
need to be based on a broad conception of health and wellbeing rather than a merely medical
understanding. Students will develop critical understanding, personal skills and interests in areas
relevant to health and wellbeing by developing skills, knowledge, experience and competencies.
The course will provide opportunities for the critical evaluation of policies focussing on health and
wellbeing, processes, provision and practice in a variety of community settings, and will develop
students’ knowledge of theories and models underpinning the development of health and wellbeing
initiatives’.
The course is aimed at students with an interest in improving the health and wellbeing of
individuals and groups both within the community and other health related settings, and within a
wide range of population groups including young people, families and children, disadvantaged
groups, the elderly, the mentally ill, minority ethnic groups, and not least, the well and healthy.
Because the Foundation degree in Health and Wellbeing focuses on such a diverse range of
health settings, and is relevant to so many population groups, the course is also very attractive to
students who want to work in occupations concerned with health and wellbeing, but may yet be
undecided as to which specific route they would like to take. This course will allow the student to
focus their ideas and decide on a specialism as the course progresses.
On Completion of the Course
Apart from the final outcome award, the course has been enriched with a further two additional
qualifications within its structure: the Royal Society of Public Health Level 2 Unit 1: Understanding
Health Improvement and Unit 2: Applied Health Improvement. This is a nationally accredited, and
highly desirable qualification in its own right. The School of Health has now been accredited to
deliver this course and both units have been embedded within two modules of the course.
Students undertaking this course will cover the learning material for this qualification and will
undergo assessment as part of the module assessment. Students who successfully complete the
course therefore will exit with:


Foundation Degree Improving Health and Wellbeing
Royal Society of Public Health Level 2 Unit 1: Understanding Health Improvement
and Unit 2: Applied Health Improvement
12. Learning Outcomes, Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
A. Knowledge and Understanding
A1:awareness of the diverse and contested concepts of health and wellbeing, community health,
the healthy settings approach, health improvement, the determinants of health, policy and health
inequalities, and how these impact on health and wellbeing behaviour change.
A2 Understanding of differing individual, group and cultural experiences of health and wellbeing
within in a range of community settings, collaborative working, community development, capacity
building and resilience in health, wellbeing improvement, contemporary and emerging health crises
and other challenges to health and wellbeing
A3: Understanding of the principles of behaviour change models, brief interventions, evaluation
methods and models.
A4: Understanding and application of associated social science theory, including psychology,
sociology, health data, health research methodology/evidence-based practice.
Teaching and Learning Methods
A wide range of delivery modes will be utilised to ensure that teaching and learning meets the
learning styles of all students. These include interactive lectures (typically 2 hours in length) from a
range of interdisciplinary tutors, guest speakers from appropriate health agencies/professions from
local and regional levels. Shorter delivery modes (typically 1 hour in length) include seminars,
group activities, workshops, debates and discussions, case study work, and personal tuition) will
also be utilised in order to provide students’ with further opportunities to develop their, knowledge,
understanding, confidence, and speaking and debating skills in a more relaxed and less
threatening environment. Individual student centred inquiry, library work and independent reading
and analysis, web-based learning system (Blackboard). The rationale for the additional focus on
smaller, more interactive group/individual learning is the acknowledgement that not all students
flourish equally within a more formal learning environment, and a blended approach is more
successful in meeting the varied learning needs of all students on the course.
Assessment methods
A range of assessment methods are used to extend and demonstrate students’ learning, including
essays, critiques, reports, case studies, exams, oral presentations, action plans, projects, individual
and group oral presentations.
B. Subject-specific skills
B1: Ability to apply learned knowledge to the planning, implementation and evaluation of health
improvement initiatives.
B2: Evidence that students can successfully give and direct individuals towards practical support in
their efforts to attain and maintain health and wellbeing.
B3: Ability to take individual and group responsibility for the successful planning, implementation
and evaluation of health improvement initiatives.
B4: Development, enhancement and application of a comprehensive range of communication,
interpersonal and partnership working skills necessary to prepare students for collaborative working
in health and wellbeing improvement.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Whilst the majority of methods utilised in Section A will be used as delivery modes for the teaching
of subject specific skills, the balance of focus on ‘doing skills’ and gathering experience within this
skill set lends itself to a more practical approach to teaching and learning (and assessment). The
subject specific skills evidenced above will be covered with emphasis on providing students with
opportunities to test and apply their newly acquired skills and to develop a measure of experience
(an increasingly vital and necessary requirement of prospective employers). Thus teaching and
learning methods will include a greater measure of workshops and interactive group work and the
facilitation of practical hands-on experience of delivering initiatives which develop and test the skills
the students need to acquire – learning through doing. This will take place within the university
setting and will be fully overseen and supported by the teaching team.
Assessment methods
A range of assessment methods are used to extend and demonstrate students’ learning, including
assessment of skills application through portfolio work, practical assessments, workshops and
group work, oral presentations, case study work, action plans, essays, critiques, reports.
C. Thinking Skills
C1: Information finding and inquiry skills, and the interpretation/critical evaluation of populationbased health and wellbeing data.
C2: Interpretation and application of social and behavioural science concepts and theories to health
and wellbeing care provision, including inequalities in health.
C3: Selection and application of problem solving approaches with interpretation, evaluation and
integration of theories, concepts, evidence and experience, to balanced, evidence-based and
reasoned arguments and conclusions.
C4: Demonstration of ‘whole course learning’ within coursework through the consolidation and
synthesise of knowledge, understanding and skills learned across course modules.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Again, as with the teaching and learning methods utilised in Section A, a wide range of delivery
modes will be utilised to ensure that teaching and learning meets the learning styles of all students.
These include interactive lectures (typically 2 hours in length) from a range of interdisciplinary
tutors, guest speakers from appropriate health agencies/professions from local and regional levels.
Shorter delivery modes (typically 1 hour in length) include seminars, group activities, workshops,
debates and discussions, case study work, and personal tuition) will also be utilised in order to
provide students’ with further opportunities to develop their, knowledge, understanding, confidence,
and speaking and debating skills in a more relaxed and less threatening environment. Individual
student centred inquiry, library work and independent reading and analysis, web-based learning
system (Blackboard). The rationale for the additional focus on smaller, more interactive
group/individual learning is the acknowledgement that not all students flourish equally within a more
formal learning environment, and a blended approach is more successful in meeting the varied
learning needs of all students on the course.
Assessment methods
A range of assessment methods is used to extend and demonstrate students’ learning, including
essays, critiques, reports, case studies, projects, action plans, individual and group oral
presentations. The range of learning opportunities and outcomes presented throughout the
programme both enable and require students to develop these skills and are assessed through
assignments.
D. Other skills relevant to employability and personal development
D1: Transferrable skills including: IT and numeracy, the identification, selection and analysis of
information, and the appraisal of research, self-management and work organisation.
D2: Independent and team working skills, interpersonal and interdisciplinary communication skills.
D3: Skills in reflective practice and lifelong learning, personal development, building self-resilience
D4: Preparation to enter the workforce: professional CV and portfolio development, career pathways
advice, Knowledge pf skills/competency frameworks matching course/module learning objectives
with job specifications, completing job application forms, preparing for interview, interview
presentations.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Employability and personal development is embedded within the whole course cross several
modules. It is one of the central themes within the programme, but is particularly evident at level 4
in, and at level 5 in (see module descriptors for full details). Modes of delivery include
personal/group tutorials, seminars, group activities, workshops, individual independent
web-based learning system (Blackboard).
Assessment methods
A range of assessment methods will be used to assess and measure success in acquiring these
vital transferable and lifelong learning skills, including reflective learning essays/review, portfolio
development, career maps, student initiated coursework, individual and group oral presentations,
essays
13. Programme Structures*
14. Awards and Credits*
Level
Module
Code
Module Title
Level 4
NU1029
Understanding Community Health,
and Wellbeing
20
NU1028
Improving Health and Wellbeing
and Facilitating Behaviour Change
(I)
40
NU1027
Investigating and Measuring
Health
20
PZ1022
Communication and Collaboration
20
PZ1015
Study and Lifelong Learning Skills
20
NU2023
Improving Health and Wellbeing
and Facilitating Behaviour Change
(II)
40
Foundation Degree (FdA)
Improving Health and
Wellbeing
NU2031
The Settings Approach to
Improving Health and Wellbeing
20
requires 240 credits including a
minimum of 120 at Level 5 or
above
NU2032
Contemporary Challenges in
Health and Wellbeing
20
NU2335
The Research Process
20
NU2981
Student Initiated Module
20
Level 5
Credit
rating
Foundation Certificate
Improving Health and
Wellbeing
requires 120 credits at level 4
or above
15. Personal Development Planning
The course has a very strong focus on student support. Students will have a named personal tutor
who they will meet on a regular basis throughout the course Students will also attend a
comprehensive study skills seminar programme built into both levels of the course which aims to
equip them with the skills necessary to study at degree level and successfully complete
assessments/assignments. The seminar programme also aims to develop and strengthen students’
own personal resilience and wellbeing.
Students will be encouraged to take part in tutor facilitated student study groups attached to the two
double modules within the course. This forum offers a safe and supportive environment in which to
explore and discuss course related issues, or just to share and talk about broader issues and
learning experiences. Students can often feel that they are the only ones dealing with an issue and it
helps enormously to find out that everyone else on your course probably is too. Courses here within
the School of Health which adopted student study groups such as this have proved very popular with
past students, and you will have the opportunity to be part of such groups
The course further aims to prepare students to take their place in the healthcare workforce by
providing a strong focus on developing excellent employability skills in the students. The course
content has been mapped against a number of nationally recognised career/skills frameworks, for
example, NHS Health Education England Skills for Health Framework, PHORCAST Public Health
Career, Skills and Competency Framework, and the UK Faculty of Public Health Career skills
Framework. This means that graduating students will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and
understanding that potential employers in the healthcare field require and recognise.
Additionally, students will take part in a comprehensive set of seminars and workshops within
relevant modules which focus on exploring the full range of careers available to them, where to look
for posts/jobs, completing job applications forms, matching job specifications to learning objectives
met and transferable skills acquired within the full range of modules undertaken within the course,
preparing for and attending job interviews, including planning and delivering presentations. These
seminars and workshops will be facilitated by members of the course team, and supported by a
range of career support services within the University. Guest speakers from a range of relevant
healthcare providers/organisations will also be invited to speak with you about the career
opportunities open them to students, giving with a valuable ’hands on’ insight into working in the
fields open to them, and providing them with their first opportunity to network and follow up contacts
in the areas that interest them.
Alongside a high quality academic experience, the course recognises the importance attached to
gaining practical experience in applying what is learned in the classroom. Potential employers are
increasingly requiring that students provide such evidence which gives rise to the question ‘how can
you get experience without having had a job and how get that job without experience?’ The course
organisation of the Foundation Degree recognises this and has built two modules (Improving Health
and Wellbeing and Facilitating Behaviour Change I & II) into the course which require the students to
plan, deliver and evaluate health and wellbeing improvement initiatives. These initiatives will take
place within the University as part of its ‘Healthy University’ mantle and will be fully overseen and
assessed by the relevant module leaders as part of the module assessment strategy. Successful
completion of the course will enable student to produce evidence of experience alongside a sound
academic grounding to potential employers.
16. Admissions criteria
Programme Specifications include minimum entry requirements, including academic qualifications,
together with appropriate experience and skills required for entry to study. These criteria may be
expressed as a range rather than a specific grade. Amendments to entry requirements may have
been made after these documents were published and you should consult the University’s website for
the most up to date information.
Students will be informed of their personal minimum entry criteria in their offer letter.
The successful applicant will have 180 points at A2 level or equivalent. Admission with advanced
standing will be considered where students possess relevant/comparable qualifications. Applications
from international students with an IELTs score of 6.0 in each test are welcome. Applications from
individuals with non-standard qualifications or relevant work/life experience who can demonstrate the
ability to cope with and benefit from degree level studies are welcome.
17. Key sources of information about the programme










Factsheet & programme specification
School/Course websites
University open days
Visits to feeder colleges and other target audience organisations (for example local council
departments, public health and health promotion/improvement organisations) by teaching team
Student handbook
Existing student networks
QAA website
UCAS handbooks UCAS handbooks
Customised printed material/ pen sticks/case study material/visual audio presentations
Clearing Week
LEVEL 5
18. Curriculum Skills Map
Please tick in the relevant boxes where individual Programme Learning Outcomes are being assessed
Programme Learning Outcomes
Core (C),
Compulsory
Other skills relevant
Module
(COMP) or
Knowledge and
to employability and
Level Code
Module Title
Option (O)
understanding
Subject-specific Skills
Thinking Skills personal development
Improving Health and Wellbeing
NU2023 and Facilitating Behaviour
Change (II)
NU2031 The Settings Approach to
Improving Health and Wellbeing
NU2032 Contemporary Challenges in
Health and Wellbeing
A1
A2
*
*
*
*
*
*
A3
A4
B1
B2
B3
B4
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
C
COMP
C1
C2
C3
C4
D1
D2
D3
D4
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
COMP
NU2335 The Research Process
COMP
NU2981 Student Initiated Module
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
LEVEL 4
C
NU1029 Understanding Community Health
and Wellbeing
Improving Health and Wellbeing
NU1028 and Facilitating Behaviour
Change (I)
NU1027 Investigating and Measuring
Health
PZ1022 Communication and Collaboration
PZ1015 Study and Lifelong Learning Skills
Note:
COMP
C
COMP
COMP
COMP
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Mapping to other external frameworks, e.g. professional/statutory bodies, will be included within Student Course Handbooks
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*