Admission Criteria

Candidates must be able to satisfy the general admission requirements of the University of the West of Scotland as specified in Chapter 2 of the University Regulatory Framework together with the following programme requirements:

SQA National Qualifications

or GCE

or SQA National Qualifications/Edexcel Foundation

Other Required Qualifications/Experience

A first degree or qualifications at levels 9 or above
or
Qualifications or experience deemed to be equivalent to the SCQF level of a first degree (for example SVQ 4; or considerable experience in working with people with personality disorder and evidence of further learning at an equivalent level).

Applicants may also be considered with other academic, vocational or professional qualifications deemed to be equivalent. These are expected to be available within the student’s PDP or equivalent.
Accreditation of Prior Learning will be judged on individual claims made by the student and in conjunction with the University APL/APEL coordinator.

All applicants must have the language and literacy skills to understand and use the written materials utilised in the learning and teaching of the programme and be able to communicate clearly and accurately in spoken and written English. All International students are required to meet English Language requirements outlined by UWS, with the exception of:
• Native Speakers of English (as defined by the UKVI)
• Erasmus students (unless advised otherwise)
• Non-Erasmus students from EU partner institutions (you may provide a statement from your institution confirming English language ability in place of a formal qualification)
If you do not meet the above categories, then you are required to provide proof of your English language ability through a SELT (secure English language test). Minimum requirements are IELTS 6.0 with no skill below 5.5 and should normally be taken no more than two years before applying to UWS.

Further desirable skills pre-application

Previous experience in working with people in forensic services or a relevant area is desirable.

General Overview

This Graduate Certificate in Personality Disorder has been developed to provide a focussed, academic qualification in working with the person diagnosed with personality disorder. The programme offers students an opportunity to develop specialised knowledge about the needs of the person with personality disorder in a variety of settings. There has been a significant shift in the current and future provision of care and support for people diagnosed with personality disorder and those who work with them. This programme provides an opportunity for students to extend their knowledge, understanding and skills to support and meet the needs of the changing experience of the person who is commonly rejected and stigmatised due to their challenging behaviour.

This programme is offered on a part time basis on the Lanarkshire Campus,  with a blend of face to face and online learning opportunities. Learning will be facilitated by lecturing staff with a wide range of knowledge about people with personality disorder from diverse perspectives and contributions from experts in health sectors across Scotland.

The programme consists of three modules at SCQF level 9. The modules are: Theory of Personality Disorder; Risk assessment and management approaches and Interventions and strategies. This will provide students from a range of backgrounds including: nurses; allied health professionals; social workers; prison officers and police officers, with an in-depth understanding of the issues involved in working with people who have challenging behaviour/ personality disorder in the current environment. The programme will encourage both staff that already have a first degree as well as those who have other educational preparation; providing both groups with additional specialist knowledge about people with problem behaviours. 

The programme will use a blend of learning and teaching strategies (delivered using both distance learning and taught components) on a part time basis. The modules are delivered using a blend of face to face provision on the Hamilton Campus and online learning. This will provide students with a varied and interesting range of learning opportunities while ensuring that they are supported in their studies. Learning approaches include group discussion and seminars, action learning, lectures from experts in the field and enquiry based learning using studies of the people with personality disorder’s experiences. The media will provide a rich source of material for discussions and presentations in small groups. The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) at UWS will be employed for learning, teaching and assessment. Online materials, handbooks and assessment information will be available via the VLE and discussion boards are also featured in aspects of the programme. This online aspect allows the support materials to be maintained and updated to meet constantly changing learning needs. Communication is also facilitated with students using the VLE and this is particularly important in part time programmes. Personal development planning is incorporated into the programme and students will be encouraged to fully engage with the process of identifying, reflecting and developing goals to address their learning needs.

It is recognised that students who enter this programme may come from different professional and academic backgrounds and the assessment planning for the programme reflects this diversity while providing supportive strategies to facilitate successful outcomes. Therefore module one in the programme will use a progressive approach to assessment with an initial formative assignment to allow feedback to the students before a summative paper is submitted. This strategy is intended to increase student confidence at the start of the programme. The assessments for this programme are varied and include: Peer eview, Essay, Critical Incident Analysis, Presentations and Care plans.

Graduate Attributes, Employability & Personal Development Planning

In the current financial climate, the employability aspect of academic courses is a vital component of the learning experience. This programme will provide students with a graduate certificate in a specialised subject area for a variety of workplace settings. Working with people with a personality disorder is an area of expanding, rather than contracting, employment opportunities given the increased focus of the forensic population in the community. At the same time, employment and promotion are increasingly competitive and this programme may provide the student with some advantages in relation to employability.

In accordance with the Personal Development and Planning Policy and Procedure, personal development planning is embedded within each module in the programme to enable students to become aware of their knowledge, skills and abilities and how these have been developed within each module. Students are encouraged to reflect on learning achievements and experiences and the implications these have for their future development.

The learning and assessment undertaken during this module will contribute to the development of the UWS Graduate Attributes: Universal - critical thinking, analytical, inquiring, culturally aware, emotionally intelligent, ethically-minded, collaborative, research-minded and socially responsible; Work-Ready - knowledgeable, digitally literate, effective communicator, motivated, potential leader; and Successful - autonomous, incisive, creative, resilient and daring. Further information on Graduate attributes is available here:- https://www.uws.ac.uk/current-students/your-graduate-attributes/

The UWS Graduate Attributes (Universal, Work-ready and Successful - further information available ) align with the three dimensions of the UWS corporate strategy (Academic, Personal and Professional), and recognise that each of these is supported and contextualised by programme-specific key skills and competencies. Through studying on this programme at UWS, graduates will develop attributes across three dimensions which encapsulate the breadth of the learning experience at University level:

• Universal - development of knowledge and understanding of globally relevant content, supporting the development of abilities, skills and behaviours appropriate to the field of personality disorder.
• Work ready - engagement with subject-specific content which aids and supports preparedness for employment in the complex environment of personality disorder.
• Successful - challenged by academically relevant skills at SCQF level 9, so providing a solid foundation to succeed at this level, and a platform to continue academic success into higher levels.

Work Based Learning/Placement Details

There are no formal work-based practice learning experiences associated with this programme. Students study part-time and use existing employment in health and/or social care to supplement in-class learning experiences by allowing the tranfer of theory/ knowledge into applied practice.  

Engagement

In line with the Academic Engagement Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on the relevant learning platform, and complete assessments and submit these on time.

Where a programme has Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body requirements these will be listed here:

A proactive and practical approach to the monitoring and reviewing of individual student engagement will be taken reflecting the flexible definition of 'engagement' within the context of hybrid delivery. The programme will reflect UWS Academic Engagement Procedure. Minimum thresholds for engagement will be set as follows:

1. Engagement with the VLE by week 3 of term (as determined by evidence from VLE learner analytics)

2. Engagement with assessment between weeks 7-12 of term (as determined by formative or summative assessment submission)

The recording of engagement activity will support early identification and swift intervention of non-engagement with monitoring and reporting of engagement led by module Coordinators in the first instance, followed by programme level review by the Programme Leader.

Equality and Diversity

The University's Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Procedure can be accessed at the following link: UWS Equality and Diversity Policy

At UWS and within the School of Health and Life Sciences we are committed to advancing and promoting equality and diversity in all of our activities and aim to establish an inclusive culture, free from discrimination and based upon the values of fairness, dignity and respect.
We do this by promoting equality, valuing diversity and communicating the importance of dignity both at work and study. We are committed to enhancing wellbeing; see https://www.uws.ac.uk/current-students/supportingyour-health-wellbeing/ and have the structures, leadership and support in place to embed equality. For further information see https://www.uws.ac.uk/aboutuws/
uws-commitments/equality-diversity-inclusion/

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Regulations of Assessment

Candidates will be bound by the general assessment regulations of the University as specified in the University Regulatory Framework.

An overview of the assessment details is provided in the Student Handbook and the assessment criteria for each module is provided in the module descriptor which forms part of the module pack issued to students. For further details on assessment please refer to Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework.

To qualify for an award of the University, students must complete all the programme requirements and must meet the credit minima detailed in Chapter 1 of the Regulatory Framework.

Combined Studies

There may be instances where a student has been unsuccessful in meeting the award criteria for the named award and for other more generic named awards existing within the School. Provided that they have met the credit requirements in line with the SCQF credit minima (please see Regulation 1.21), they will be eligible for an exit award of CertHE / DipHE or BA / BSc in Combined Studies.

For students studying BA, BAcc, or BD awards the award will be BA Combined Studies.

For students studying BEng or BSc awards, the award will be BSc Combined Studies.