Health and Social Sciences

‘One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others’ Lewis Carroll 

Welcome to the Department of Health and Social Sciences, the place to find your strengths. My name is Naomi Meara, and I am the Head of Department. 

If you have your heart set on working with others in a health or care setting, working with people in need or want to develop your understanding of human behaviour of programmes will meet your expectations. 

We can help you take that next step towards a rewarding career in a large diverse and rewarding sector which offers you a job for life; even if you are not sure of the exact step, we can provide the steppingstones to help you find the best next step. 

Our programmes are designed to provide you with progression opportunities with a broad suite of health, care, and human behaviour studies. Leading students to degrees, apprenticeships, and full-time employment. 

A strong and diverse staff team from a variety of Health and Social Sciences professions provide you a strong foundation to explore your own academic and vocational journey enabling you to grow and progress as a person. Learning through a mixture of practical and theoretical elements that help you to gain practical skills as well as the theory that supports your preparation for assessments. 

Our department is developing the future paramedics, nurses, cardiologist, care workers, activity and wellbeing coordinators, psychologists, anthropologists, counsellors, social workers, youth workers and many other careers in this diverse and supportive sector. 

We provide a range of different subject that meet students interests and career aspirations to work within Health, Social and Community settings. The variety of courses are designed to support students who are interested in specific aspects of the sector. Students can start at a level relating to their prior achievement at school or previous college course.

Where could it take me?

• We have excellent links with local sector specialists to provide you with meaningful work placement and a dedicated work placement officer who will support you to develop your skills prior to going into placement.These include: West Suffolk Hospital, Addenbrookes Hospital, East of England Ambulance Services, One Life Suffolk, Future Life, The Mix Stowmarket, St Nicolas Hospice, Riverwalk School, and many more regional specialists. This diversity of placement provides you with a good fit for your personal development and career interests.
• The programmes give you opportunities to gain understanding of the diversity of employment opportunities within the sector with visiting speakers and career events, enabling you to learn about careers that may be new to you, the staff are also from a broad career background, including public health, nursing, social work, wellbeing, physiotherapy, midwifery, and family support, which supports students to gain varied career advice. 
• The department also has excellent links with charitable foundations and care homes that enhance their learning experiences through project work. 
• Additionally, students can develop their work ready skills through additional training and qualifications including Safeguarding and first aid qualifications. Careers events, Public Health Conference, as well as immersive experiences such as operating theatre live.