OTHM LEVEL 3 FOUNDATION DIPLOMA IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

The objective of the OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Health and Social Care is to equip learners with the underpinning knowledge, understanding, and skills required for a career in the health and social care sector at a support worker, senior support worker, or care assistant level.

The programme enables learners to demonstrate their skills by producing evidence from their work activities, to meet national occupational standards.

Learners will acquire skills to support a role in the Health and Social Care sector or progress to further study.

OTHM Qualifications are approved and regulated by Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation). Visit Register of Regulated Qualifications.

OTHM has progression arrangements with several UK universities that acknowledge the ability of learners after studying Level 3-7 qualifications to be considered for advanced entry into corresponding degree year/top-up and Master’s/top-up programmes.

OTHM qualifications at Level 3 represent practical knowledge, skills, capabilities, and competences that are assessed in academic terms as being equivalent to GCE AS/A Levels.

The OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Health and Social Care qualification consists of 6 mandatory units, for a combined total of 60 credits, 600 hours of Total Qualification Time (TQT), and 120 Guided Learning Hours (GLH) for the completed qualification.

Total Qualification Time (TQT) is the number of notional hours which represents an estimate of the total amount of time that could reasonably be expected to be required in order for a learner to achieve and demonstrate the achievement of the level of attainment necessary for the award of a qualification.

Total Qualification Time is comprised of the following two elements –

1. the number of hours which an awarding organisation has assigned to a qualification for Guided Learning, and
2. an estimate of the number of hours a Learner will reasonably be likely to spend in preparation, study, or any other form of participation in education or training, including assessment, which takes place as directed by – but, unlike Guided Learning, not under the Immediate Guidance or Supervision of – a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training. (Ofqual 15/5775 September 2015)

Guided Learning Hours (GLH) are defined as the hours that a teacher, lecturer, or other member of staff is available to provide immediate teaching support or supervision to a student working towards a qualification.

Credit value is defined as being the number of credits that may be awarded to al learner for the successful achievement of the learning outcomes of a unit. One credit is equal to 10 hours of TQT.

OTHM Level 3 qualifications can be offered to learners from age 18. OTHM does not specify entry requirements for these qualifications. OTHM ensures that learners admitted to the programme have sufficient capability at the right level to undertake the learning and assessment criteria.

OTHM Centre must ensure learners are recruited with integrity onto appropriate qualifications that will meet their needs, enable and facilitate learning, and achievement enable progression. The qualification is offered in English.

English requirements: If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit the English Language Expectations page

Achieving the OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Health and Social Care qualification enables learners to progress into or within employment and/or continue their further study.

OTHM do not specify the mode of delivery for its qualifications, therefore OTHM Centres are free to deliver this qualification using any mode of delivery that meets the needs of their learners. However, OTHM Centres should consider the learners’ complete learning experience when designing the delivery of programmes.

OTHM Centres must ensure that the chosen mode of delivery does not unlawfully or unfairly discriminate, whether directly or indirectly, and that equality of opportunity is promoted. Where it is reasonable and practicable to do so, it will take steps to address identified inequalities or barriers that may arise.

Guided Learning Hours (GLH) which are listed in each unit gives the Centres the number of hours of teacher-supervised or direct study time likely to be required to teach that unit.

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualifications are criterion referenced, based on the achievement of all the specified learning outcomes.

To achieve a ‘pass’ for a unit, learners must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by all assessment criteria. Judgement that the learners have successfully fulfilled the assessment criteria is made by the assessor.

The assessor should provide an audit trail showing how the judgement of the learners’ overall achievement has been arrived at.

Specific assessment guidance and relevant marking criteria for each unit are made available in the Assignment Brief document. These are made available to centres immediately after the registration of one or more learners.