Anyone else done a CACHE L3 Cert/Diploma in Health & Social Care?

[SatsumaFan]

I'm trying to find somewhere that does it part-time but looks like it's only available full - time for two years? Do you think I'd be able to do the full-time course whilst also working 15hrs a week and looking after my family (two primary school aged dc).

None of the college websites I'm looking at have a cost either, which is annoying as I'll be self-funding.

I'm 39, left school at 16, trying to work towards a qualification at level 3 for my work. I don't have GCSE maths either (got a D, grrr) so looks like I'll have to re-do that And that I'll have to wait til next Sept to start the L3 qualification? (impatient).

Any help or experiences to share much appreciated!

Bump!

Just discovered I can do it online with someone like Online Learning College at any time at a cost of £340... But that's only the entry level 'Award' not the Certificate or Diploma.

Anyone know if I can start with Award and the units will count towards/lead me onto the Cert or Diploma? Or is it worth me waiting until I can go straight to the 2yr Diploma? (I can't find any costs for this or an online provider running it...)

Full time at a college is normally only 2 1/2 days plus work experience 1 day. It might be worth calling them to ask?

Thanks. Yes I think I'll call either my local college or one of the online places tomorrow to investigate.

Does it have to be a L3 Diploma? What about an ‘Access to Nursing/ Social worker’. The L3 course will be full of 16 and 17 year olds, whereas access are 19+ (with the emphasis on older students).

My boss said I need to do a Level 3 course? Guess I could go back and ask what level Level 3 course?! I didn't know there would be three levels (Award, Cert, Diploma) within it.

Am looking at this to start with as can start anytime and is affordable (and I don't need GCSE maths!)

www.online-learning-college.com/course/cache-level-3-award-health-social-care/

Hmm depends on the college! And what it’s going to be like with coronavirus etc. With my place it’s certificate for u19 and diploma for 19+ I believe they said as it works out cheaper overall. Certificate is the first year so if you decide not to do it you still get some qualification IYSWIM. Although saying that at the end of the course we have been told that we will get the diploma. I personally wouldn’t want to mess around with the award and go straight to diploma/cert.

My place requires 3 days in and 2 days of placement and it’s bloody hard work, some people have just recently joined the course so it’s definitely doable.

As for working—depends on when you work. For example, my course has video calls two mornings a week and we’re in once per week, with two days of placement. I use the afternoons when I’m at home to get the work done as there is generally quite a lot of it and I need to stay bloody motivated but others on the course do sometimes use their afternoons for placement. Then again CACHE keeps changing the guidance as we were told it wasn’t safe to work and a week later we were so I would check with your college on that.

If things carry on with online classes and whatnot I think you’d be OK childcare wise depending on how often you have to go in and also what setting you do your placement in.

@teaandcustardcreamsx thank you so much! That's all really useful! Sounds like a lot of work then... Eek. I work in a children's centre three days a week but since Covid have mostly wfh. I am committed to delivering courses and attending training (all online) atm so couldn't just suddenly have two or three mornings out at college.

I thought that about going straight for the Cert/Diploma. I'll try and call my local college today and see what they say.

Sorry Covid has messed up your studies and placement Do you mind telling me if you're under 19 or over and how old the majority of your fellow students are?

I did mine when it was fairly new (2012).
I was working at the care home and they arranged it all.
So i was working my usual shifts plus overtime and the accessor came to us once every 2 weeks for giving new work, marking etc. And we did the coursework in our own time at home.

After I did level 2 but before level 3 I opted to study a councelling course at level 3 and didn't have to pay as I didnt have any previous level 3 learning. This would have been 2011 so may not be on offer anymore but may be worth phoning the providers near you and asking.

Is it a course that work wants you do? Or is it something just for you? Lots of care providers will pay for employees to do the course with a provision about paying it back if you leave soon after finishing.

Mine is level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care Dementia Pathway.

With regards to your GCSE maths query. I was in the process of moving house and couldn't find my certificates so the training provider arranged for me to study for key skills maths, English and IT alongside the course. Bit of a pain at the time but has been a useful certificate in themselves a few times since.

It could just be a lot of work seeing as most of us have spent the past 6 months at home doing hardly any/if any work at all! I think if I went straight from working a lot in secondary school to this I’d be OK as my school did lots of work.

Most of us are U19 although there are still quite a few over 19 on the other half of the course...it’s hard to know as we’ve only met half the class so most of it is in google classroom as they had to split the classes for us to be able to go in. But there’s around 8 classes so there could be on the other courses there’s just no way of knowing with everything on.

I think a children’s centre should be okay for placement but I’d double check. Like PP some people are working in care homes, I’m currently working in a local primary school which has worked out really well

@DeltaFlyer thanks very much for your posts. My employer has said they would like me to work towards a L3 qualification, I guess for my personal development and to help me progress in the future. I am interested in the subject and course so that's good.

Thanks also @teaandcustardcreamsx for your info, very helpful

I called my local college today and they confirmed I'm too late and the next diploma course starts Sept 2021. I've got a telephone appt with an advisor in a couple of weeks so I can discuss options with her. There's a GCSE maths course starting in January if I do need to do it (dreading it!!).