Taking Health and Social Care Training to the Next Level

If you work in Health and Social Care, there is always more to learn. A lot of this learning is done by simply doing your job well, pushing yourself when faced with new challenges, and working closely with your peers to ensure you provide the best care possible.

However, if career progression is your goal, experience only goes so far. To open up new opportunities, or to continue providing an excellent level of care, you need professional training courses from a provider you can trust.

Our Level 5 Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care (RQF) qualification is an advanced training course equivalent to Years 1 and 2 of an undergraduate degree, but available in a way that you can fit around a full-time job and personal life. There are no exams, and you can complete it at a pace that suits you.

It equips you with the necessary tools to improve your understanding of the field, contribute to quality of care, and lead with confidence. The latter is something often overlooked by similar courses and qualifications within health and social care; one of the many reasons why ours is the best for anyone looking to succeed.

The Best Health and Social Care Training Courses

An undergraduate degree can carry a lot of weight in healthcare professions. If you’ve taken the university approach, you’re often presented with more opportunities. However, many healthcare professionals dive straight into work, and therefore are unable to balance their job and a degree at the same time. Thankfully, you don’t need to miss out.

Our Level 5 Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care aligns with both Level 4 and Level 5 study (following the RQF qualification framework regulated by Ofqual), which is equivalent to Years 1 and 2 of undergraduate learning. We also provide ‘top-up’ routes via our partner universities, which allow you to progress to a BSc (Hons) and become a health and social care university graduate.

Unlike other training courses, we cover everything you would learn from an undergraduate course, giving you the skills and confidence to perform at a high level. But why should you choose this approach over university?

The Benefits of Choosing Training over Higher Education

This course is primarily aimed at health and social care professionals who are looking to earn the equivalent of an undergraduate degree, but for whatever reason want to avoid the university route.

Reasons for this are most often related to the amount of free time someone has to further their education. Although our Level 5 course takes a similar amount of time to complete as the first two years of an undergraduate degree, it is much more flexible.

As it is conducted entirely online, you can complete the training and assignments whenever is best for you. Most learners commit around 6-10 hours per week, but you have the option of more or less depending on your work and home life, and everyone learns at a different rate too. Here is an estimate of how much time the course will take:

• Level 4 units only: typically 3-6 months
• Level 4 + Level 5 units: typically 6-12 months
• Level 4 + Level 5 + Extended Diploma units: typically 12-24 months

This course is also ideal for international learners. If you are planning to move to the UK for work, or want a UK-regulated qualification that can benefit you anywhere, look no further. Upon completion, you will have strengthened your career prospects by demonstrating ability and capacity to learn.

Level 5 Health and Social Care Training Course Unit Breakdown

The Extended Diploma pathway can be divided into 3 segments, Level 4 units, Level 5 units, and the additional Extended Diploma that will ensure you are eligible for full credit of an undergraduate course.

Here’s what will be covered in the units:

Level 4 Units

1. Academic and Professional Study Skills for Health and Social Care (produce clear, credible assignments and workplace writing; strengthen structure, referencing, and professional tone)
2. Communicating in Health and Social Care (improve day-to-day communication with service users and teams; reduce misunderstandings, improve safety and experience)
3. Reflective Practice in Health and Social Care (learn from incidents and feedback; strengthen judgement, accountability, and continuous improvement in practice)
4. An Introduction to Health and Social Care Policy (understand how policy shapes practice, support compliant decision-making, and consistent service delivery)
5. Sociological Concepts in Health and Ill Health (understand inequality and barriers to access; improve person-centred planning and fair service provision)
6. Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (lead teams confidently, supervise practice, manage priorities and performance to improve outcomes)

Level 5 Units

1. Principles Underpinning Health and Social Care (apply core principles to real decisions; strengthen safe, ethical, person-centred practice across a service)
2. The Management of Quality in Health and Social Care (quality assurance and governance, audit readiness, improvement planning that reduces risk and raises standards)
3. Research Project (investigate a real workplace challenge, collect and analyse evidence, present practical recommendations that support measurable improvement)
4. Partnership Working in Health and Social Care (coordinate effectively across services; improve handovers, reduce delays, and strengthen joined-up care)
5. Working with Service Users with Complex Needs (deliver coordinated, risk-aware support; strengthen multi-agency planning and improve outcomes for high-need cases)

Additional Extended Diploma Unit

Leadership, Ethics, and Evidence-Based Practice in Health and Social Care (make accountable decisions in complex situations, lead ethically, and embed evidence-based improvements that last)

A higher-value unit designed to strengthen the capabilities employers and universities look for:

Ethical frameworks and accountability (make defensible decisions that meet professional and organisational standards)

Leadership decision-making in complex settings (prioritise, escalate risk appropriately, and lead under service pressures)

Evidence-based improvement and quality assurance (use data and research to strengthen quality, compliance, and outcomes)

Reflective leadership and sustaining improvements (embed learning, maintain momentum, and keep improvements in place over time)

As you can see, this course has a strong focus on leadership skills. If your goal is to take on supervisory roles, or be a team leader, knowledge of how to lead is just as important as the health and social care training itself. We give you the confidence to take on these roles.

Why Choose Guardian Angels Training?

All of our courses are designed to be as beneficial to the learner as possible. Instead of long lectures with minimal demonstration, we focus on hands-on learning, helping you to learn the methodology and relevant context in ways that will stick with you when you apply them later. Every course is taught by practising professionals, who use their own knowledge and experience to tailor each session to your individual needs.

This is why the Tutor-Supported version of the course is the most popular. When you have a point of contact to answer your questions and provide guidance during the course, you’ll gain more confidence. However, our premium Fast-Track version still contains 1:1 support from one of our tutors, so you won’t be left in the dark, but can still earn your qualification sooner.

If you’re looking to expand your horizons in health and social care by earning an undergraduate degree, but don’t have the time to commit to the university course structure, our Level 5 Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care is perfect for you.

Get in touch today to find out more.