Course Detail

Who is this course for?

The Foundation Degree is designed to equip individuals with the knowledge, understanding and an application of the practical skills required to work in the Public Services.

What will I do on the course?

You will attend College, placement and study modules related to different aspects of the skills required within the Public Services. You will be continually assessed through a variety of methods including direct observation in a work place situation and written assignments. A minimum of 90% attendance will be required to successfully complete the course. You will cover the following units on the course:

• Persoanl and Study Skills
• Media and the Public Services
• Managing Teams and Individuals
• Diversity and Ethics
• Leadership and Outdoor Skills
• Contemporary Social Problems
• Managing Physical Activity
• Work Based Learning
• Research Methods
• Justice and Punishment
• Government and Finance
• Mentoring and Coaching
• Emergency and Disaster Management
• Work Based Project

What qualifications do I need?

To join this course you must have at least 240 UCAS points from "A" levels or a minimum of MMM grade at BTEC National Diploma. All applicants will be expected to have attained a Level 2 qualification in Maths and English for example:

• GCSE grade C or above or
• Key Skills level 2 or
• Adult Numeracy and Literacy at Level 2

It is prerequisite of the course for candidates to arrange their own relevant work placement which needs to be in place for the duration of the course. This needs to be arranged within 3 months of stating the course.

When does the course start?

September

Where is it held?

Lichfield Campus

How long does the course last?

2 years

What could I do after completing the course?

If you successfully complete the course you can:

• Progress to the BA (Hons) Public Service Management
• Seek employment in the Public Services

Are there any additional costs?

All students will be required to take part in an expedition which will be arranged during the course. This is usually overseas and the cost is approximately £600.

Employability

When you graduate from the Foundation Degree in Public Services you will be eligible to progress on to a new award, B.A. (Hons) Public Services Management (subject to validation). This route will enable you to develop your understanding of business and public services through studying a combination of business management modules and public services modules. Alternatively you may seek employment in your chosen public service career.

Accreditation

To assist widening participation the Accreditation of Prior Learning and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning is encouraged, it is recognised that work place knowledge, skills and understanding can be achieved through certificated, non-certificated and experiential learning. Candidates may be able to claim exemption from some modules, if they have attained other accredited educational or training courses, or have appropriate substantial work experience.

Assessment

The assessment strategy is a combination of formative tasks which form part of the learning and summative assignments completed at the end of each theme. Formative Feedback: Each module is delivered by a series of teaching sessions supported by online learning materials. Learning at face to face sessions and through online materials will be supportive by the use of a series of formative tasks, to reinforce the learning process. These may take the form of exercises involving the examination of work-based activities which are compatible with the learning material, requiring you to analyse these activities and reflect on their use and effectiveness. You may be required to prepare work-based material as the basis for class discussions. Feedback from such formative tasks will normally be via the group activities in and general group feedback reflecting on a particular subject area. Formative tasks do not form part of the formal assessment of your ability in a module. This will be determined by the 'summative assessment'. Summative Assessment: Confirmation of the specific assessment requirements will be provided at the beginning of each module. The assignments set will often require you to examine work-based activities and reflect on their effectiveness in the context of the theories and practices covered in the learning material. In such circumstances you will be expected to contextualise this material to your individual working environment. Making effective use of work-based experiences combined with the knowledge and skills acquired during the study of each module is therefore strongly advised. Where work-based activities are not available for a particular task, the Module Tutor will provide an appropriate substitute. Specific details of the assessments and grading criteria are provided in the module handbooks.

Teaching and Learning

The teaching and learning strategies aim to be inclusive to students from diverse backgrounds, to address key issues of relevance to the workplace, and to offer the support and flexibility required to ensure the success of work-based learners.

Face-to-face sessions: Face to face sessions will focus on student-centred approaches, capitalising on your existing knowledge and experience from work practice and observation of others in the workplace. Interactive and team-based activities will be integrated into sessions, including problem-based learning, task-centred investigations, case studies and practical activities (where appropriate). There will be a strong emphasis on activity-focused learning and you will be expected to engage actively in all sessions. This will facilitate the analysis and application of concepts and principles to your working environments.

Work-Based and Work Related Learning: Learning will continue in the workplace, proactively supported by personal tutoring and the use of appropriate virtual learning environments. You will routinely be asked to complete tasks in the workplace, and compare practice with other students during face-to-face sessions. As part of assessment during the award, you will be expected to engage in work-based projects and research, to examine the principles and concepts explored in the light of current work based practice. Reflection will be a key part of the work-based learning, to enable you to develop the connection between learning from the academic and work-based environment. The aim is to draw learning experiences from the various environments in which you are studying and working. In particular, studying whilst working, and supporting you through a range of materials and methods, allows an approach to teaching and learning that suits a variety of learning styles.

Workplace Mentors will be able to encourage you to reach your potential in the learning elements the second year of the programme.

They can also liaise with other appropriate managers, colleagues, agencies and bodies where possible, to make available the resources you may need to help you study. They will also be a ?critical friend? over your assignments and guide you towards a successful outcome ependent Study You will be expected to engage in independent study in order to consolidate and build upon your learning from the taught sessions and the workplace experiences. This will take the form of undertaking follow-up tasks, reflecting on your own practice (ie. through voluntary work or a work placement), reading relevant literature and engaging with on-line materials through virtual learning environments.

Your independent study could be allocated as indicated in the table below:

• Activity 15 credit module (total 114 hours independent study)
• 15 credit module (total 126 hours independent study)
• Electronic Support

Your face to face sessions will be supported by on-line materials using virtual learning environments. A VLE will be used to provide access to further resources to support and build on face-to-face sessions, and to provide flexible access to learning materials and additional reading will be provided. Further details are included in the Student Handbook. At the same time, the face-to-face sessions and VLE-based materials will be developed with a view to capitalising on your work experiences, thereby creating a rich learning environment. You will need access to broadband to access many of the on-line learning resources.

Individual Support: The significance of individual support for student success is well established. Effective learning will be fostered via proactive personal tutoring and mentoring (whilst gaining experience through paid employment, voluntary work, or during the Work Based Learning module), and supervision during the Work Based Project module. Further details are in the Student Handbook and Guide to Mentoring.