Social Policy and Health and Social Care

Social policy and health and social care is a combination that addresses two of the most important areas of public life, examining how societies decide what support to provide for their members and how health and care services are organised, funded, and delivered. Social policy is an academic discipline concerned with the welfare state, inequality, poverty, housing, education, and the political and ideological forces that shape government provision. Health and social care brings this into contact with the practical realities of how care is experienced by people using services and delivered by professionals working within them.

At the University of Bedfordshire, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a solid academic preparation before the main degree begins. You will study the structure and history of the welfare state, the politics of health and social care policy, equality and diversity, safeguarding, social research methods, and the theoretical frameworks from sociology and psychology that underpin professional practice in the sector. The combination gives you both the analytical perspective to understand how policy is made and the practical orientation to understand how it is experienced and delivered.

You will develop critical thinking, research, and communication skills, alongside the ability to evaluate evidence and engage with complex social and ethical questions. These capabilities are valued across a wide range of professional and research contexts.

Graduates go on to work in health and social care management, social policy research and analysis, NHS management, local government, the voluntary sector, housing, education, and a range of roles in public services where the intersection of health, care, and policy is relevant. Many pursue further professional qualifications in social work, healthcare management, or public health, or postgraduate study in social policy, health studies, or related fields.