Course Overview

This course has been designed to provide a wide range of knowledge and skills that will enhance an individual’s employment opportunities both within and external to the public sector including; military, emergency services, prison services, criminal justice or youth work.

The HND is delivered by highly qualified lecturers with industry experience and provide expert knowledge in their specific area. The HND is a full-time course delivered over two days. There can be flexibility in delivery across units with a range of face-to-face lectures, practical sessions and online delivery.

The lecturers delivering the course are highly qualified with industry experience and provide expert knowledge in their specific area. The course provides a number of exciting excursions including university visit. The HND is offered on a full-time basis; each year is divided into two semesters with knowledge and skills being continually assessed. You will be in college for two days a weeks for year 1 and 2. Studying in a smaller cohort of students ensures that academic learning is supported by a personal tutor from the academic staff team. Subject specific learning advisers supplement the library and information technology facilities at the College.

Entry requirements

You will require 64 UCAS points or an equivalent Level 3 Public Services related qualification and five A - C GCSEs (grade 4 or above) including English and maths Mature applicants are welcome to apply and will be assessed on an individual basis and may be asked to complete a short task to demonstrate the required level of knowledge to meet the demands of the course. All applicants will be asked to attend a formal interview to assess suitability and commitment to the programme of study.

Course Modules

To prepare you for your chosen career the following units provide you with a wide range of transferable skills and knowledge. You will study subjects such as;

Level 4

Organisational Structures and Culture: This unit will introduce students to the concept of organisational behaviour and encourage them to apply this to the public services, developing an awareness of how the public services are organised and the impact this has on performance.

Mental Health and Wellbeing: Members of the emergency services are more at risk of suffering from mental illness than other workers but are less likely to seek support. This unit aims to provide an opportunity for students to explore definitions of mental health and mental wellbeing, encouraging them to discuss mental wellbeing as a continuum.

Equality, Diversity and Fair Treatment: When working in the public services, it is important to be able to assess the legislative provision for the protection of individuals against discrimination and to understand the different procedures open to victims of unfair treatment both from an employee and a public perspective.
Public Services in Contemporary Society: The aim of this unit is to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of how public services have developed over time. This information is key to a student’s progression to employment within the public services as employers’ value applicants who understand the development of their sector.

Terrorism and Counter-terrorism: This unit will give students a solid foundation and understanding of the roots of terrorism, the methods used, what motivates terrorist organisations and what response both individual nations and the international community take to Counterterrorism.

Crime Reduction and Community Safety: The aim of this unit is for students to develop an understanding of crime reduction
and how the public services work to increase community safety. They will explore the effect that crime has in our communities, on individuals and within wider society.

Responding to Emergencies: This unit has been designed to develop students’ understanding of the work of the control room and call handlers, and of the role and actions of the blue light services when responding to emergencies. It will initially explore incident categories and
grading, types of response available and the workings of the control room before moving on to consider the actual role of the blue light services in responding to emergencies and their actions upon arrival. Students will be given the opportunity to examine exemptions for emergency response drivers before considering whether these are justified.

Outdoor Skills Development: This unit allows students to develop practical skills in a range of outdoor and adventurous activities while examining the role risk management and decision making has on the leadership of a successful outdoor session. Combining the theoretical knowledge and practical skills learned, students will plan and deliver a safe and engaging outdoor session using appropriate leadership and group management
strategies. Students will then explore the theory of skill acquisition in the outdoor
environment and plan for personal skill development and acquisition.

Entry requirements You will require 64 UCAS points or an equivalent Level 3 Public Services related qualification and five A - C GCSEs (grade 4 or above) including English and maths Mature applicants are welcome to apply and will be assessed on an individual basis and may be asked to complete a short task to demonstrate the required level of knowledge to meet the demands of the course. All applicants will be asked to attend a formal interview to assess suitability and commitment to the programme of study.

Level 5
Research Project: The aim of the unit is to develop students’ skills of independent enquiry and critical analysis by undertaking a sustained research investigation of direct relevance to their higher educational programme and professional development.

Reflective Professional: Practice This unit will enable students to discover, unpick and challenge their own understanding of the term ‘reflection’, giving them the opportunity to explore and engage with an empowering tool for their own future growth and development.

Serious and Organised Crime : This unit has been designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of what serious and organised crime is, the factors that put individuals at risk of becoming involved in this type of crime, and the way the public services respond to such crime threats. Students will explore the scale of serious and organised crime, current trends and the effect that globalisation has had on the prevalence of this type of criminality. They will investigate the organisations involved in the response to serious and organised crime and the strategy and legislation that has developed to address the problem, before scrutinising real-world examples of crimes.

Theories of Crime: This unit has been designed to provide students with a knowledge base of the different models and theories of crime, and develop their ability to apply theory to real-life examples. The unit topics to be covered include biological, sociological and psychological theories of crime. Students will be given the opportunity to examine one type of offending and to examine how different theories explain it. The factors that increase the risk of offending, as well as the factors that prevent and protect individuals from engaging in criminality, will also be examined.

Blue Light Collaboration: Society depends on resilient and effective emergency services. The police, fire and ambulance services respond to a diverse range of incidents on an hourly basis, often going over and above the call of duty. Yet these services cannot stand still: they need to be constantly reviewing and making changes to their working practices to stay effective.

Advanced Fitness and Health: This unit explores exercise techniques, training session structure, the underpinning theories of training programming, and the development of the skills and personal qualities required to motivate and engage with individuals and groups to encourage them to adhere to a regular exercise programme. The topics included in the unit are warm-up and cool-down theories, exercise techniques for cardiovascular and resistance training, training session structure and content, and methods of training and periodisation.

Cyber Security: The use and abilities of technology have increased significantly in the last one hundred years, and with this has come a rise in the importance of, and need to, stay protected. Cybercrime is a fast-growing area of crime, with criminals taking advantage of the speed, anonymity and convenience of the internet as a facilitator for malicious and criminal activity

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through written assignments, reports, case studies, practical assessments, individual projects, individual/group presentations and time constrained assessments. In year two you will be required to undertake a detailed research project related to your chosen area of employment and engage in work related placements or volunteering

What can I do next

Public Services is one of the most exciting industries and has such a diverse career pathway. The HND in Public Services will provide you with the foundation knowledge required to build a career in the emergency services, armed forces, prison service, criminal justice, probation service or youth work. Graduates have secured employment within Her Majesty’s Prison Service, the Royal Air Force and the Police Service. This course provides a wide range of opportunities due to the variety of contemporary topics studied