Higher National Diploma in Public Services

This HND will develop you as a professional, self-reflecting individual who will be able to meet the demands of employers in the public services sector and adapt to a constantly changing world.

You will develop your skills and knowledge in a range of public services, such as, for example, local government, Civil Service, public administration,the armed forces, police force, fire and rescue services, ambulance, prison service and the charity and voluntary sector. Academic delivery will be supported and enhanced by extensive links with a range of employers from the public service sector.

UCAS Entry Points

A minimum of 64 UCAS points

Start Date

September 2018

September 2019

Course Length

Full-time: 2 years

What will I study?

This HND will develop you as a professional, self-reflecting individual who is able to meet the demands of employers in the public services sector and adapt to a constantly changing world. The qualification provides a route to further study and will enhance your career prospects.

You will study a range of topics from across the Public Services, supporting your academic studies with specialist input from the extensive links between the college and public service providers.

Level 4

Unit 1: Organisational Structures and Culture
Unit 2: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Unit 3: Equality, Diversity and Fair Treatment
Unit 4: Public Services in Contemporary Society
Unit 11: Law and Legal Systems
Unit 14: Crime and Substance Misuse
Unit 19: Personnel Protection in the Civil Protection Agencies
Unit 28: Small-scale Research Project in Public Services

All level 4 modules must be successfully completed before a student can proceed to level 5. All modules are compulsory.

Teaching and Learning

Academic study is comprised of a mix of lectures, supported by seminar workshops where knowledge will be applied to various case studies. Students will also undertake a number of visits to industry throughout the programme.

Class sizes will vary, core academic sessions will be delivered to the whole cohort, seminar sessions will be made up of smaller working groups.

Course Manager: Toni Ashling

Lecturer: Suzanne Riddell

Both members of staff have an extensive background in the delivery of Public Services qualifications. They have also both previously worked in the security industry before moving into education, becoming proficient in various methods of conflict resolution.

Assessment and Feedback

The majority of assessment is by coursework. This takes a number of forms including portfolios, practical assessment and observation, presentations and academic posters.

Unit 4 is an externally set assessment, comprised of case studies and examinations.

Coursework is mostly submitted electronically through Turn-it-in. Students are given a clear grading form at the time the assignment is set to enable them to assess their own work prior to submission.

Work is marked, Internally verified and returned to the student in 4 working weeks.

Each module has a Module Handbook which will contain the assessment schedule.

Timetable Information

Students will be able to access course timetables for that academic year form the start of their year in September.

In 2018-19 Level 4 students are expected to be in college for 3 days, exact days to be confirmed soon.

Entry requirements

A minimum of 64 UAS points
A Levels or other Level 3 qualification (minimum 2 years in length) in relevant subject
Access to HE Diploma
Applications from Mature Students with relevant work experience, qualifications and academic aptitude will be considered on an individual basis

Further study

Top-up route to BA (Hons) in Outdoor Leadership or Adventure Sports or other related subject.

Career Options

Delivering Professional Development courses
Work in multi-activity centres
Teaching and developing young people
Leading expeditions
Coaching Adventure Sports Performance
Environmental Education/Field Studies

Useful Information

How much will this course cost?

Tuition Fees

As a Higher Education student you will have two main costs to meet; your tuition fees and living costs.

Our full-time tuition fees for UK and EU students, entering University, can be found on the student finance page. These fees are charged for each academic year of a course and are set by the college annually.

If you are an international student or for the latest information on tuition fees visit the student finance page on our website.

Additional Costs

Additional qualifications in Security and Conflict Resolution will be available at an additional cost.

The majority of industry visits will be included in the course fees, however learners will be able to access additional study tour opportunities, such as visits to Berlin or Normandy with the Royal British Legion at an additional cost.

Additional financial support

University Centre Reaseheath is committed to providing additional financial support to those who need it. To find out about the bursary schemes available visit the additional financial support pages on our website.

Accommodation

All Higher Education students are given the opportunity to apply for residential accommodation. First year students are guaranteed accommodation and this offer is made to all applicants who live more than a reasonable daily travelling distance from Reaseheath and who apply before 31st July of the year they intend to start their course. For full details on our halls of residence visit the accommodation pages.

Student support

We have a team of dedicated professionals on hand to offer you support when and if you need it during your time with us. These include our Student Services team, Higher Education Support Team (HEST), Library and Learning Resources and the Reaseheath Careers Service. You will find more information on the support provided at Reaseheath here.

How do I apply?

Before you apply you can come and visit us at one of our HE Open Events to see what we have to offer. Once we have received your application we will invite you to attend an Offer Holder Day.

Applications for full-time Degrees and Foundation Degrees are made through UCAS. Applications for all other full-time courses such as Access to HE and Level 4 Diplomas should be made directly to Reaseheath via the online application form. You can find out more here.

Student contract

For students to get the best out of their time at University Centre Reaseheath, we must both recognise that we owe obligations to each other. These obligations are set out in our Higher Education Student Contract. Before you accept an offer of a place at University Centre Reaseheath, it is important that you read these contract conditions. If you are going to be living in Halls of Residence, you will also need to read the Student Accommodation Licence Conditions. Both of these contracts can be found here.

Click here to view the University Centre Reaseheath Student Protection Plan.