HND Social and Community Work Top-up (Level 5) — Full-time
Course outline
This Higher National Diploma course is designed to meet the needs and expectations of students aspiring to work in social work, community work and community development. The course is equivalent to year 2 on a degree in health and social care.
It aims to develop students as professional, self-reflecting individuals able to meet the demands of employers in the social and community work sector and to be adaptable in a constantly changing world.
Students on this course are required to undertake a placement in two different individual settings to develop social and community work skills, as well as the knowledge and understanding necessary to achieve high performance in the global health and social care environment. This qualification supports progression into a range of careers in social and community work, including: family support work roles, resource officer and personal assistant roles, community development work, public health and community support work, care planning roles, advocacy, social services supervisory or lower management roles, counselling and rehabilitation support roles.
Students from this course will need to have completed a relevant level 4 qualification and many progress from our HNC Level 4 in Social and Community Work.
Progression from this qualification may also be to the third year of a similar degree or an apprenticeship or MA (further study may be required for an MA dependant on individual applicants).
Modules may include:
- Reflective practice
- Investigating Innovation in Social and Community Work
- Assessment and care support
- Safeguarding
- International provision
- Team work and coaching#
It is a requirement that students on this course must complete at least 375 hours' of work experience across two settings or two diverse roles in one setting, covering both social care and community care settings.
Nottingham College is proud to have been awarded the Teaching Excellence Framework Bronze Award for high quality student experience and outcomes. You can read more about this on the Office for Students website.
How to apply for this course
Entry onto this course is via UCAS. Alternatively, if you are interested in applying directly to us, you can choose our fast track application option below.
- Institution code: N30
- UCAS code: SCW2
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Would you like more information? Email our HE team.
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Location:
111 Canal Street
Nottingham NG1 7HB |
Date:Start: Monday 15th September 2025 |
Fees / reductions:The tuition fee is per year. Various bursaries are available for some Higher Education courses. Tuition fee: £8,250 |
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Course code: C035563 / Q035564 |
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| Qualification | Pearson Edexcel Higher National Diploma (Level 5) in Social and Community Work (Social and Community Practice) |
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| Duration | 1 year |
| Level | Level 5 |
| Entry requirements | You should have successfully completed the following:
Mature students are welcome to apply but will still need to meet the entry criteria. If applying from another institution please note that the HNC qualification has to have the same specification as the one at Nottingham College. |
| Teaching & assessment | Assessment will be a variety of coursework, controlled assessments and case studies. |
| Progression | The Higher National Diploma is recognised as meeting admission requirements to many relevant social and community work-related courses, for example: BA/BSc (Hons) in Social Work, BA (Hons) in Social and Community Work, BA (Hons) in Youth Work, BA (Hons) in Community Development, BA (Hons) in Working with Children, Young People and Families, BA (Hons) in Social Policy, BA/BSc (Hons) in Health and Social Care or similar; subject to the institution's own entry requirements. Possible career options include: family support work roles, resource officer and personal assistant roles, community development work, public health and community support work, care planning roles, advocacy, social services supervisory or lower management roles, counselling and rehabilitation support roles. |
