Health and Social Care

Health and social care is a field that examines how individuals and communities access and experience support across the life course, from early childhood services and mental health provision to care for older people and those with long-term conditions. The discipline draws on sociology, psychology, public health, policy studies, and ethics to understand how health and care systems are organised, who benefits and who is disadvantaged, and how practice can be improved to serve people better. It is both an academic subject and a preparation for careers in the health and social care sector.

Nottingham Trent University's three-year full-time degree in health and social care develops your understanding of the theoretical frameworks that underpin health and care practice alongside the policy context in which services are delivered. You will study social determinants of health, mental health and wellbeing, disability, care ethics, public health policy, safeguarding, research methods, and the organisation and management of health and social care services. The programme develops your analytical and reflective skills, preparing you to think critically about the evidence base for practice and the structural conditions that shape health inequalities.

Nottingham Trent's connections with health and care organisations in the East Midlands enrich the programme with professional perspectives.

Graduates in health and social care go on to work in care management, health promotion, community health, NHS administration, mental health support, disability services, the voluntary sector, and policy. Many use the degree as a foundation for further professional training in social work, nursing, occupational therapy, public health, or care management. The analytical understanding of health systems and the ability to reflect critically on practice are valued across all roles at the interface of health, social care, and the people who need them.