Awarding Body City & Guilds
The new Diploma is now the recognised qualification in care. It is appropriate for staff who work in any area of health and social care delivering care to adult clients. Candidates must be well motivated to learn independently but are fully supported throughout the Diploma by a qualified Assessor.
Who is the course for?
This programme of study is most suitable for candidates who have some experience of working in the health and care sector and want a qualification that recognises good standards of practice and competence.
You must be working in a care setting in order to complete the Diploma. This may be in a residential or nursing home, in the community or in any care related setting where you are employed full, part time or voluntarily.
Candidates for the Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 3 will be working as a care worker, will have some responsibility in the workplace and sometimes work without supervision. Candidates will want to demonstrate skills perhaps to become a senior care worker.
There are no formal entry requirements, but candidates should ideally hold a Level 2 qualification in Health and Social Care.
What will you learn?
The Level 3 Diploma covers the skills and knowledge needed to care for others in a wide range of health or social care settings.
Students will be required to study 9 mandatory units all based in a health and social setting. These comprise Communication; Personal Development; Equality and Inclusion and Handling Information. Units on the Principles of Safeguarding, Role of the Health and Social Care Worker, Person Centred Approaches and Health and Safety are also included within the mandatory units.
A series of specialist units is also studied. These could include areas such as an Understanding of the Process and Experience of Dementia, an Introduction to Personalisation in Social Care and the Causes and Spread of Infection.
Finally students will study a selection of competence units. Examples of these include Administration of Medicines; Enable Rights and Choices of Individuals with Dementia Communication with Individuals with Dementia; Move and Position Individuals in Accordance with their Plan of Care; Person Centred Assessment; Planning, Implementation & Review and Emergency First Aid Skills.

How will you learn?
You will be expected to work at your own pace under the guidance of your assessor. It is important that you set yourself targets to make sure that you progress steadily through the Diploma. We recognise that you have a lot of experience and you will have the chance to reflect on your on practice and fully understand the theory that supports it.
Your Assessor will support you by assessing your practice in the workplace. Your portfolio of evidence is fully assessed to ensure that you have covered all the units to a satisfactory standard to complete the qualification. Upon completion you will receive a certificate from City and Guilds showing all the units achieved.
How do I study?
Enrolment takes place at the College over a 3 hour session when your previous experience and levels of literacy and numeracy are checked in order that you can be fully supported to achieve the qualification. You will also meet other candidates and a range of Assessors from the Care Department.
A series of workshops to provide the underpinning knowledge for the specialist units will be delivered either onsite at your workplace, at the College or at a local centre near your place of work. These workshops will be tailored to meet your needs by the use of activities with other candidates such as discussions and group work. Your assessor will also provide guidance on putting your work together in a portfolio for assessment.
How long will it take?
It is expected that you will complete the Level 3 Diploma in 12 months or less.
Fees/Contributions:  Funding may be available subject to certain criteria.  Please ask for details.
Further Information
General information on care courses can be found at www.islandtraining.org ^[1]
For further information on the Diploma or other training for the care sector please contact Katie Collins on 01983 550609 or email katie.collins@iwcollege.ac.uk ^[2]