Implementing QAA’s Subject Descriptor 2024-25: CAVA’s approach
The QAA has introduced a subject descriptor for Access to HE Diplomas in Nursing and Health Professions. The descriptor provides guidance and reference for the design, delivery, validation and review of programmes designed for progression to higher level study in these areas.
QAA Access to Higher Education Diploma Subject Descriptor for Nursing and Health Professions.
The descriptor is being piloted for provision from 1 August 2024, and will fully apply from 1 August 2025. CAVA is taking part in the pilot, and will be revalidating our Access to HE Diplomas (Health Professions) and (Health and Social Care) on 14 March 2024 for compliance with the descriptor in the 2024-25 academic year. Our Access to HE Diploma (Science) will also be developed for compliance through revalidation in 2024-25.
CAVA aims to support the development, quality assurance, validation and award of high quality Access to HE Diplomas. CAVA will take part in the QAA pilot to introduce the subject descriptor in 2024-25, to remain at the forefront of qualification developments and to support parity of student experience across the country. We also think it is important to contribute to any subsequent development of the descriptor and its future implementation.
We are committed to ensuring that the design of our Diplomas is, and continues to be, appropriate to the purpose of providing good quality progression opportunities for our adult students. As some of our providers use the Access to HE Diploma (Health and Social Care) for progression to higher education study in health professions and nursing fields, we will develop it alongside our Access to HE Diploma (Health Professions) during 2023-24. We also aim to develop our Access to HE Diploma (Science) for compliance through revalidation in 2024-25.
Our guiding principle as we develop our Access to HE Diplomas is to protect flexibility and innovation in course design. We aim to continue meeting the needs of providers and their local and regional contexts while providing the essential content of the descriptor.
Through revalidation we will introduce the QAA-designed units for Numeracy in Health context and Professional Behaviours. We will also introduce Biology units designed by CAVA in collaboration with subject matter experts. The Biology units provide a grounding in the key principles of the subject, informed by the existing content and assessment practices used by our providers. The content of units is presented as generically as possible, to support flexibilities in delivery and assessment through individualised assignment brief design.
The QAA-designed units and CAVA-designed units in Biology will be mandatory for all students registered to our Access to HE Diploma (Health Professions). They will also be mandatory for all students studying on a Access to HE Diploma (Health and Social Care) programme designed for progression to higher education study in health professions or a nursing field.
We will also consider existing psychology, sociology and health content and current assessment methods in reference to the recommendations of the descriptor, to confirm that programmes continue to be appropriate as preparations for the key intended progression routes.
Our revalidated Access to HE Diplomas (Health and Professions) and (Health and Social Care) will be identified as compliant with the subject descriptor on the QAA’s course database and visually signalled on QAA’s website. CAVA will promote the Diplomas as compliant with the descriptor via our promotional and marketing materials.
We look forward to working closely with our course teams during 2023-24 to develop our Access to HE Diplomas in (Health Professions) and (Health and Social Care) to not only comply with the requirements of the national subject descriptor, but also continue to provide high quality learning opportunities for our mature students to progress into higher education.
QAA Access to Higher Education Diploma Subject Descriptor for Nursing and Health Professions.
The descriptor is being piloted for provision from 1 August 2024, and will fully apply from 1 August 2025. CAVA is taking part in the pilot, and will be revalidating our Access to HE Diplomas (Health Professions) and (Health and Social Care) on 14 March 2024 for compliance with the descriptor in the 2024-25 academic year. Our Access to HE Diploma (Science) will also be developed for compliance through revalidation in 2024-25.
Summary of descriptor content
Minimum mandatory content and credit requirements:
- Biology: 15 credits covering cell structure, function; transport; homeostasis; and human anatomy
- Numeracy in Health Context: 3 credits for number rules; decimals, fractions, percentages; calculator use, and problem solving.
- Professional Behaviours: 3 credits for health professional characteristics, effective communication, teamworking; risk management, problem-solving, and reflection.
Maximum content and credit recommendations:
- Psychology: 15 credits covering perspectives; abnormal; cognitive; developmental.
- Context of Health: 6 credits covering: the role of the health professional; professional standards and regulation; definitions of professional practice; public health; government role in policy; demography; epidemiology
- Sociology: 6 credits covering: perspectives; social definitions of health and illness, especially mental illness
- The descriptor also includes recommendations for assessment methods and for opportunities for students to develop academic skills. All CAVA Access to HE Diplomas already include a centrally designed unit, or set of units, in academic HE Study Skills.
CAVA’s approach
CAVA aims to support the development, quality assurance, validation and award of high quality Access to HE Diplomas. CAVA will take part in the QAA pilot to introduce the subject descriptor in 2024-25, to remain at the forefront of qualification developments and to support parity of student experience across the country. We also think it is important to contribute to any subsequent development of the descriptor and its future implementation.
We are committed to ensuring that the design of our Diplomas is, and continues to be, appropriate to the purpose of providing good quality progression opportunities for our adult students. As some of our providers use the Access to HE Diploma (Health and Social Care) for progression to higher education study in health professions and nursing fields, we will develop it alongside our Access to HE Diploma (Health Professions) during 2023-24. We also aim to develop our Access to HE Diploma (Science) for compliance through revalidation in 2024-25.
Our guiding principle as we develop our Access to HE Diplomas is to protect flexibility and innovation in course design. We aim to continue meeting the needs of providers and their local and regional contexts while providing the essential content of the descriptor.
Through revalidation we will introduce the QAA-designed units for Numeracy in Health context and Professional Behaviours. We will also introduce Biology units designed by CAVA in collaboration with subject matter experts. The Biology units provide a grounding in the key principles of the subject, informed by the existing content and assessment practices used by our providers. The content of units is presented as generically as possible, to support flexibilities in delivery and assessment through individualised assignment brief design.
The QAA-designed units and CAVA-designed units in Biology will be mandatory for all students registered to our Access to HE Diploma (Health Professions). They will also be mandatory for all students studying on a Access to HE Diploma (Health and Social Care) programme designed for progression to higher education study in health professions or a nursing field.
We will also consider existing psychology, sociology and health content and current assessment methods in reference to the recommendations of the descriptor, to confirm that programmes continue to be appropriate as preparations for the key intended progression routes.
Our revalidated Access to HE Diplomas (Health and Professions) and (Health and Social Care) will be identified as compliant with the subject descriptor on the QAA’s course database and visually signalled on QAA’s website. CAVA will promote the Diplomas as compliant with the descriptor via our promotional and marketing materials.
We look forward to working closely with our course teams during 2023-24 to develop our Access to HE Diplomas in (Health Professions) and (Health and Social Care) to not only comply with the requirements of the national subject descriptor, but also continue to provide high quality learning opportunities for our mature students to progress into higher education.
