Module code: HWSC4002 HWSC4002 Health and Social Care 2 (Evaluating Policies and Practice) Module name: Health and Social Care 2 (Evaluating Policies and Practice)

BSc (Hons) Health, Wellbeing and Social Care with Foundation Year 

Module Handbook 

Module code: HWSC4002

HWSC4002 Health and Social Care 2 (Evaluating Policies and Practice)

Module name: Health and Social Care 2 (Evaluating Policies and Practice)

Level: 4

Credits: 20

Total learning hours: 200

Brookes Attributes developed in this module:

Introduction

We would like to welcome you to this module and look forward to working with you! To get the most out of this module, it is important that you consistently attend your classes throughout the teaching period. This will enable you to:

• get to know your lecturer and other students to enhance your experience and learn from each other
• benefit from access to the experience of your lecturer and being able to ask them questions directly
• receive ongoing feedback on your progress and support on your assessment.

Please begin by familiarising yourself with this handbook. If you have questions about the module content, ask your lecturer during class or on MS Teams.

Your Programme Handbook contains important information about relevant policies, regulations, and all available student support services, including our wellbeing offer. You will also find key contacts for your programme and a summary of all the modules you will study to earn your award.

Module information

This module is one part of a coherent package of modules that all contribute to the achievement of your programme learning outcomes (see your programme handbook for details) and to your student learning journey at GBS.

This module builds on the learning from the following module(s):

• HWSC4001 – Introduction to Research and Evidence in Health and Social Care

In addition, this module will prepare you for the following module(s),

• HWSC4003 – Communication and Ethics in Health and Social Care
• HWSC4004 – Cultural and Society in Health
• HWSC4005 – Biological, Psychological and Social Determinants of Health Across the Life Course
• HWSC4006 – Careers and Employability in Health and Social Care

Module aims

This module will explore the role and developments in public health agencies, this will consider the use of clinical guidelines, changes in public health governance, and competing demands on the NHS. The aims and objectives of health and social care settings and the role of political decision-making will be explored to help students understand competing priorities in Health and Social Care service delivery and planning.

This module aims to:

• Provide you with an understanding of how public health, clinical care, and social care services are structured and delivered in the UK.
• Explore different levels of intervention used to improve health outcomes at individual, community, and population levels.
• Analyse how these interventions affect health outcomes and contribute to overall public wellbeing.
• Evaluate the potential for interventions to either reduce or exacerbate health inequalities across different population groups.

Module learning outcomes (LOs)

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

Changes to the module

Any changes to this module that are made in response to student and other feedback will be included in this section.

Module delivery

Learning hour breakdown

The table below gives you a breakdown of the total study hours expected for this module.

What will be covered each week?

Module reading

You have access to the GBS library (see Moodle or library@globalbanking.ac.uk) and specific elements of the OBU library.

The sections below detail your module reading list. This includes `core reading`, which are the texts you are required to read as part of the module, as well as a list of recommended readings to enhance your learning further

Core reading

• Cottrell, S. M. (2019) The study skills handbook. 5th edn. Red Globe Press.
• Edwards, D., and Best, S. (2020) The textbook of health and social care. SAGE.

Recommend reading

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2025) NICE guidance. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance (Accessed: 5 June 2025).
• National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2020) NHS Digital Indicator Supporting Documentation IAP00459 Health Inequalities (area deprivation) – Life expectancy at 75. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/Media/Default/Standards-and-indicators/National-Library-of-Quality-Indicators/IAP00459%20-%20Supporting%20Documents.docx (Accessed: 5 June 2025).

How will I be assessed?

The assessment strategy for this module is designed to evaluate your ability to critically understand, apply, and communicate knowledge of health policy and practice within the context of public health and clinical care in the UK. It assesses both your theoretical understanding of key policies and interventions, and your ability to analyse their real‑world impact on health outcomes and inequalities.

You will work collaboratively in small groups to design and present a health campaign poster that focuses on a selected health condition. Students should design their campaign as if working within a multidisciplinary health and social care team, presenting evidence‑based recommendations to inform practice and influence public health outcomes.

Each group will critically evaluate relevant UK policies and three key interventions, demonstrating their effectiveness in addressing public health priorities, influencing clinical care, and reducing inequalities.

This assessment supports development of core employability skills including multi‑disciplinary working, digital literacy, policy interpretation, evidence-based communication, and public health advocacy.

Assessment will be based on:

• The quality and clarity of your poster design and presentation
• The depth of critical evaluation of policies and interventions
• Effective use of academic evidence and appropriate referencing
• Evidence of teamwork and collaborative planning

You must present your poster to pass the module (unless alternative arrangements have been agreed). Clear, concise academic writing is expected; although there is no automatic penalty for exceeding suggested lengths, over‑ or under‑developed work will affect the mark awarded.

For information on extenuating circumstances, support, or assessment guidance, please refer to your programme handbook.

AI tools may be used for planning and organisation, but not for generating submitted academic content. Any use must be declared following OBU academic integrity guidelines. Misuse will be treated under the Academic Misconduct Policy.

Component 1

Component details

Group work

Details on how the group work for this component will be managed can be found below:

Formation:

• Students will work in small groups of 4-5 members formed during the first two weeks of the module. Group formation will be managed by the module tutor to ensure a balance of skills, diversity of perspectives, and equitable group sizes. Once groups are established, each team will choose a specific health condition to focus on and begin collaborative planning for their health campaign poster. Groups will be expected to meet regularly, both in class and independently, to plan research, divide responsibilities, and develop your final poster and presentation.

Conflict resolution:

• Working collaboratively is a key skill in health and social care practice, and students are encouraged to resolve any disagreements professionally and constructively within your groups in the first instance. If conflicts cannot be resolved internally, students need to contact their module tutor at the earliest opportunity for support and mediation. Where necessary, the tutor may meet with the group to facilitate a solution or reassign roles to ensure fair contribution and progress.

Evidence of LO:

• Although the assignment is a group task, each student will be assessed individually based on your contribution to the poster, the quality and depth of your presentation, and your demonstration of knowledge and skills against the module’s learning outcomes. This ensures that individual marks reflect the work and understanding of each student rather than a shared group mark. Students will also complete a short individual reflective statement outlining their contribution and learning from the collaborative process, which will be used as part of the marking evidence.

Component details

Allocation of Pyramid Levels

Each group member will be responsible for ONE level of the Health Impact Pyramid (Frieden, 2010).

This ensures:

• balanced coverage of all levels
• depth of analysis
• clear individual contributions

Each student must evaluate the policies and interventions relevant to their assigned level.

Required Tasks

1. Introduce the project and select a condition

As a group, select a health condition and agree how the Health Impact Pyramid will be used to analyse relevant policies and interventions.

2. Individual Responsibilities: One Level of the Pyramid

Each group member must:

• Using literature to discuss how impactful the level is for managing or preventing conditions.
• Critically analyse the impact of UK policies at this level
• Using literature to discuss how impactful the level is for managing or preventing conditions.
• Evaluate:
  • how these shape clinical care
  • their effectiveness in improving outcomes
  • cost/benefit considerations
  • potential to reduce — or widen — inequalities

3. Group task: Comparison of the different levels of the pyramid

Compare the effectiveness of policies/interventions at their level with those at other levels

• Recommend further policy or intervention strategies for their level

3. Bringing the Poster Together

Your group must integrate individual analyses into a cohesive poster that:

• clearly displays each level of the pyramid
• shows how all levels interact
• uses appropriately referenced, concise academic content
• supports the key arguments presented orally

4. Group Presentation

Your group will deliver a 15‑minute presentation.
 Each group member must present the section of the poster relating to their pyramid level and the comparison of the effectiveness between levels of the pyramid.

Participation is required to pass.

Formatting guidelines

Your group poster should be presented in a clear, visually engaging, and well-structured format suitable for an academic audience. There is no template provided, so there will be variation across the submissions.

All text on the poster should:

• Use a clear, legible font (Arial or Times New Roman) at an appropriate size for readability
• Include headings and subheadings to organise sections logically
• Incorporate visual elements (images, charts, infographics) where relevant to support key points
• Use concise academic language ad avoid unnecessary jargon

All references must follow the Oxford Brookes University Harvard referencing. A reference list will need to be on the last slide of the presentation document.

Submission instructions

All files should be submitted before 23:59 on Monday 4^th May 2026 via Turnitin on Moodle.

Your assessment includes a presentation that must be completed in class as advised by your lecturer and confirmed on the module pages on Moodle.

We recommend that you aim to submit well before the deadline in case you encounter any problems. This video shows how to submit your work on Moodle. You should retain your digital receipt in case of any issues.

Resits

If you do not meet the pass requirement on the first sit, you will be offered a resit opportunity. There is a dedicated week timetabled for you to receive support from lecturers if you are in this position, and a resubmission deadline.

The Oxford Brookes University Regulations for Study (6.9) set out the rules governing your entitlements to resit assessments and retake modules.

The mark that you achieve for a resit will be capped at the pass mark unless there was an approved Exceptional Circumstances that agrees an uncapped mark.

How will my work be marked?

Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated criteria in the level-appropriate marking rubrics provided in this document.

Once the submission date has passed, your module tutors will begin to mark your work. There are a number of phases to this to ensure fairness is maintained across the whole cohort. Following this process, a sample of work is reviewed by a subject expert at Oxford Brookes University and an External Examiner for the programme to ensure that the standards applied are comparable to those at other institutions.

How will I get feedback?

Feedback on your work will be provided in a range of ways at various times throughout this module to support your learning and help you to improve subsequent work.

Feedback provided throughout the module will not be limited to the assessed tasks but will include areas such as your contribution in class and formative assessments.

Assessment feedback will normally be provided within 15 working days of submission. All marks are provisional until they have been ratified by the Examination Committee and are visible in your Oxford Brookes student record.

If you would like further information about feedback, or how to use it, please talk to your module leader on this module or your level leader.

Marking rubrics for: HWSC4002 – Health and Social Care 2 (Evaluating Policies and Practice)

Cohort: February 202