Course Summary

The Foundation Degree in Counselling is designed to help develop anyone interested in pursuing a profession in counselling as well as professionals from the health and social care sector. For example, teachers, the uniformed and emergency services, nurses, youth workers social workers, probation officers etc.

The course will give you the knowledge of person centred counselling theory as well as develop your skills with a broad range of clients. It will also provide you with a solid understanding of organisational issues and settings.

Why choose this course?

Work Based Learning (WBL) is integral and essential to this Foundation Degree. You will undertake a counselling placement within a community based counselling service from half way through your first year until the end of the course and complete at least 120 hours of counselling practice. This is essential to help you apply your knowledge to practical situations.

During the course you will:

• Attend a three day residential and two day non residential summer school each year
• Receive excellent student support and will be allocated a personal tutor for the duration of the course
• Apply person centred counselling skills in a range of professional settings

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Assessment

The range of assessments will include written essays, presentations, skills assessments, case studies, reports on placement experiences and learning as well as reports from placement supervisors on the professional practice of the student. In addition a portfolio of evidence for Work Based Learning evelopment will be built up by the student. This range of assessments enables the students to demonstrate your academic development and achievement as well as your practical skills in counselling others. They will use your work experiences as a basis for critical analysis and reflection to understand and assimilate new knowledge and examine counselling theory in real life situations.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Acquire, develop and apply Person-Centred counselling skills in a range of professional settings.

2. Identify key legislative, ethical and policy frameworks within which counselling takes place.

3. Evaluate how theory is applied to practice both in the training environment and on placement.

4. Identify the need for supervision, describing the process within your own practice and identifying key issues where supervision has influenced your practice.

5. Evaluate your own professional development, both in terms of skill and process as well as showing the capacity to be self evaluating in performance and in learning.

6. Explore when difference and diversity impact on the counselling relationship considering the importance and effectiveness of strategies placement agencies and counsellors can employ to address these issues in delivering services to the local community.

7. Demonstrate knowledge of the issues surrounding loss and bereavement, addiction and sexuality and be able to apply this knowledge to counselling clients in these areas.

8. Explore and analyse different treatment, legislative frameworks and settings related to working with people with learning disabilities, children, clients with a diagnosis of mental illness or clients within the criminal justice system and be able to apply this knowledge to counselling clients in these areas.

9. Develop an action plan for your own continuing professional development (CPD) and professional accreditation.

10. Apply research methodologies within the field of counselling / psychotherapy including quantitative and qualitative methods and critically reflect on your practice as a counsellor.

External Benchmarking

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Ethical Framework used to identify relevant content for course Course design and content mapped to British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Accreditation Criteria Course units mapped to ENTO National Occupational Standards for Counselling.

Educational Aims

The aim of the Foundation Degree is to provide those wishing to become professional counsellors with a vocationally relevant Higher Education qualification, the content of which reflects the demands and diversity of your potential future counselling roles.

On completion of the course the student will:

• Have had the opportunity to complete a recognised occupational standard qualification award

Applied counselling theory to your work setting:

• Analysed the ethical framework applied in your placement settings


• Reflected on your own skills and development

Student support

Student support, including diagnostic testing for literacy and innumeracy difficulties, is an important aspect of the work of FE colleges and is provided by Barnfield College. Students are allocated a personal tutor for the duration of the course. Students may self refer or can be referred by your personal tutor for additional academic study support.

Team working

The student will work in groups throughout the course, presenting and producing reports. The student will engage in a two day residential in the second year. The student will be expected to consider, value and respect the contribution of others to these activities.

Career Management Skills

Following completion of this course the student will have the opportunity to undertake a third year in order to gain a degree or an honours degree. Alternatively the student could go on to enrol on a suitable Masters programme in counselling / psychotherapy. The course will give the student the ability to seek employment as a professional counsellor or to set themselves up in private practice working towards professional accreditation through BACP or another professional body.

Career/Further study opportunities

Career:

Students finishing the Foundation Degree would be qualified Counsellors and therefore eligible to apply to and work in most counselling settings including private practice.

Further study:

At time of writing there is no progression route at the University of Bedfordshire to top up the foundation degree to an Honours Degree, however it is envisaged that a third year will be developed and delivered for an award of BSc Honours Degree to focus on the developing practitioner i.e. already a qualified counsellor with at least 120 hours of supervised counselling practice and in a current counselling role either voluntary or paid.

Entry

Additional:

• A minimum level 3 counselling certificate qualification (ideally within a person centred approach) consisting of at least 150 taught hours and demonstrate in interview a level of personal development and emotional maturity to undertake this course and to start counselling clients by the end of the first six months


• All applicants will be required to attend a selection day which will include a presentation about the course, group exercises to evaluate prospective students functioning within a therapeutic learning environment and a one to one interview conducted by appropriate members of the colleges teaching team


• The prospective student will be required to write a 1,000 word statement regarding their reasons for wishing to embark on the foundation degree, their experience of counselling training to date including their understanding of the role of the counsellor and the person centred theoretical framework

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire.

Teaching Strategy

The key approach to the teaching and learning strategy is a learner centred approach which establishes clear links with work based experience. It allows the learner to analyse and relate knowledge encountered in the educational setting to your practice. This will be done through group activities, seminar presentations, tutor led discussions, guest speakers two 3 day residential workshops and two 2 day summer schools.

A varied learning approach is developed during the course to help the student acquire the skills of an independent learner who can use a variety of learning resources.

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

N/A.

Students with disabilities

Please refer to the colleges equal opportunities and disability legislation policies. As stated above, student support within Barnfield College includes diagnostic testing for literacy and innumeracy difficulties.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

• Participate in class interactive discussions and experiential exercises


• Work in small groups, large groups and have experience of inter-group dynamics


• Be a member of a learning therapeutic community both residentially for 3 days a year and non-residential for the rest of the course


• Work in triads practicing counselling skills


• Work in small presentation groups to present topics to the rest of the class and tutors


• Learn interview and presentation skills to support finding placement opportunities as well as eventually find paid employment


• Participate in a one hour per week experiential learning group looking at its own behaviour as well as looking at issues of theory to practice on an individual and collective basis

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

• Explore the literature on counselling and psychotherapy


• Be studying information from counselling organisations and annual reports as well as policies and procedures


• Use information technology to research current best practice ads well as source academic findings in the fields covered on this course


• Use the virtual learning environment which is being developed to aid and support the students on this course

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

• Explore current literature and research in the field of person centred practice and evaluate its application in practice


• Examine literature and visiting services to explore different ways of working with various client groups


• Evaluate your placement organisation for its effectiveness in delivering its services and in particular counselling


• Evaluate your placement organisations policies procedures and practices regarding anti-discrimination and inclusion

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

• Analyse your counselling experience both as a client and as a counsellor within the context of this course


• Apply counselling theory to your practice and the practice you observe in others


• Explore and explain how the supervisory relationship aids and develops you as a practitioner within the ethical framework


• Explore and explain how the organisational relationships aid and develop you as a practitioner within the ethical and policy frameworks of the profession and the service you are working in


• Learn how to give accurate and constructive feedback to yourself and others


• Develop creative ways of working with a wide diversity of clients


• Learn to make creative presentations to the rest of the class and tutors

Improving learning and performance

One of the principal aims of this course is to develop self reflective practitioners and to this end the student will learn to use reflective practice to inform your development. Work based learning (in this case counselling members of the public within a placement organisation) is intended to ensure the student applies your learning on the course with regard to skills as well as knowledge of theory and current best practice to the work environment. The student will draw upon your counselling practice as a basis for the assignments and assessments, using this experience for critical analysis and reflection to understand new knowledge. Through this reflection the student will identify, assimilate and integrate into practice all appropriate sources of knowledge in relation to experience, thereby enabling the student to develop critical thinking. The student will be supported in your growth and development by the course team, your external supervisor, your personal counsellor, the placement organisation and your personal tutor.

Progress files

As part of the course assessment strategy the student will be required to complete a portfolio in each year. In addition, many of the assignments require that the student reflect on development with regard to knowledge, skills and attitudes. The student will be given the opportunity to discuss your development on a regular basis with your personal tutor.

Professional standards

The student will be expected to abide by the College and University regulations as they apply to students.

These will include regulations on:

• Attendance and punctuality


• Plagiarism


• Attitudes towards others, both fellow students and members of staff

As well as these the student will need to become a student member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy BACP and agree to adhere to your framework for ethical practice.

In addition, the students behaviour and performance in your placement organisation will be scrutinised with any issues for concern raised with the college by the placement organisation or your supervisor being formally investigated which could result in the student being prevented from continuing with the course, for example where the student has been proved (to within reasonable doubt) to have behaved unethically in your work or has been found unfit to practice in line with the BACP framework.

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

Adherence to the above professional standards whilst on the course is a condition of your learner agreement with the College. The University's code of conduct for students and its disciplinary procedure will be highlighted at the start of the course. Written information about all relevant policies relating to student behaviour will be in both the student handbook and the college handbook. Information will also be available online.