Society, Health and Childhood Studies - Vocational Academy
Opportunities in the North West
Blackpool’s popularity as a place to retire to means it has a higher than average elderly population. As such there are lots of care homes providing opportunities for skilled and capable workers. The town’s high proportion of disadvantaged families and children has also led to a demand for people trained in social and youth and community work. Excellent links with primary and special needs schools, around 150 care homes, Sure Start Children’s Centres and Blackpool Victoria Hospital as well as our involvement in countless community projects have created fascinating work placements for learners, and in many cases permanent jobs.
What Course Should You Do
Entry Level/Level 1
If you have not completed a GCSE programme
- Foundation Learning: Childcare, and Health and Social Care
Level 2
If you have 4 GCSEs or more at Grade D or above
- Childcare, CACHE Diploma for Children and Young People’s Workforce
- Health and Social Care, OCR National Certificate/Diploma in Health and Social Care
Level 3
If you have 5 GCSEs at grade C or above (including English plus possibly Maths and Science) or A merit grade at First Diploma (eg BTEC)
- Childcare, CACHE Diploma for Children and Young People’s Workforce
- Childcare, Edexcel National Diploma Children’s Care, Learning and development
- Health and Social Care, OCR Extended Diploma/Diploma in Health and Social Care
Career Low-Down
| Job title | What they do | How much they earn | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Assistant | Care for patients in hospitals, care homes, hospices and patients' homes, supervised by health professionals. | From £13,233 to £18,157 a year. | A Level 2 or 3 qualification will help with your application. |
| Nurse | Provide care for patients, give support and advice to patients' families, and promote good health. | From £20,710 (newly qualified) up to £65,657 a year for a nurse consultant. | A degree or diploma in nursing. |
| Social Care Worker | Social care workers help vulnerable people to cope with the challenges of everyday life. | From around £11,000 a year, rising to £28,000 for senior posts. | A Level 2 or 3 qualification will help with your application. |
| Nursery Worker | Work with babies and young children, caring for them and helping them to develop and learn. | From £10,000 to £35,000 a year. | A Level 2 or 3 qualification Higher level qualifications lead to supervisory and management positions. |
| Youth and Community Worker | Help young people to learn, grow and develop, and encourage them to play a positive role in the community. | Around £20,000 a year for professionally qualified youth and community workers, rising to £36,000 for senior staff. | Youth Support Workers would benefit from a Level 3 qualification. Professional youth workers must have a degree. |
Meet the Learner
Name: Daniel Cross
Age: 20
High school: St Mary’s
Course: FD Health and Social Care
Why College?
A representative from the College came to our school and that got me interested in the subject.
What’s good?
The tutors make the course really interesting and obviously have experience in the industry. The resources are good too – there’s always a computer free in the Loop when I need one and the staff help you to find books.
What’s best?
It’s really homely and you’re made to feel welcome.
What’s next?
The top-up course to a BA (Hons) at the College – staying at home to do my degree means I won’t start my career with big debts.
To find out more about Vocational study at Blackpool and The Fylde College, please visit our
Vocational Academy Section
