Assistant Practitioner (Mental Health) Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc

Mental health and emotional wellbeing are increasingly recognised as being of vital importance to overall patient health, so this Foundation Degree has been designed in partnership with key organisations, including the NHS, to provide those who aspire to be Assistant Practitioners with the skills and knowledge required to help those in need of specialist support.
This course is mapped to a Higher Apprenticeship standard and is one of the first in the region to address the shortage of mental health skills in health and social care.
The classroom elements of the course include studies in anatomy and physiology, risk management and studies in transferable academic areas such as sociology and psychology as well as the importance of communication. Teaching on this programme is designed to be diverse to meet the range of differing working environments and taught by a professional experienced team.
Course Content
The FdSc Assistant Practitioner (Mental Health) aims to develop your skills, knowledge and behaviours which are needed to undertake working within a mental health environment at band four. You will study one day a week in the classroom, as well as developing your skills and behaviours within the workplace. The subjects that you will cover include anatomy and physiology, psychology and sociology, leadership and management, risk management as well as undertaking professional practice modules based over a two year period. You will be assessed via a variety of techniques including presentations, essays and professional discussions.
Course Structure
All of the modules on this course are compulsory. Successful completion of all of the modules in the first year is worth 120 credits at Level 4 and equivalent to a Certificate of Higher Education. Successful completion of the second year is also worth 120 credits and will lead to the award of the Level 5 Foundation Degree

Year 1
Module Title
Anatomy and Physiology
Clinical Practice in Mental Health 1
Communication for Practice
Psychology and Sociology of Health
Risk Management for Mental Health

Year 2

Module Title
Clinical Practice in Mental Health 2
Methods of Enquiry
Occupational Case Study
Principles of Leadership and Management
Professional Assessment for Mental Health
Professional Development

Teaching and Learning
This course is taught via a combination of lectures, seminars, skills practice, presentations, case studies, group workshops and work-based practice. UCW’s Higher Education academic development team also deliver a series of sessions on degree-level research and academic writing to all first-year students. When not in scheduled lecturers and seminars, students are expected to continue learning through independent self-study. This involves reading relevant literature, working on individual and group projects, and undertaking research in preparation for coursework and exams.