Health, Social Care & Childcare

Take the first steps to a rewarding career

Childcare, Health and Social Care jobs can be rewarding, with the potential to help care for people of all ages in a wide range of work settings. At South Essex College our Childcare.

Health & Social Care courses are designed to help you develop the self-confidence, self-reliance and independence required for a career in the care sector.

With a large range of courses to choose from, we will help develop your professionalism and ability to work as part of a team and as an individual.

You will be taught by industry-trained professionals and enjoy many opportunities to progress with different subjects and levels to choose from.

Career destinations
  • Childminder
  • Play worker
  • Nursery manager
  • Care worker
  • Healthcare assistant
  • Hospital nurse
  • Radiographer
  • Speech and language therapist
  • Learning support assistant
  • Health visitor
  • Primary teacher
  • Dental nurse
  • Mental health nurse
  • District nurse
  • Midwife
  • Learning disabilities nurse
  • Early years education specialist
  • Childhood studies teacher
  • Paramedic
  • Occupational therapist
  • Physiotherapy

Success stories

Lisa D’Auria and Amy Cassen

Lisa D’Auria and Amy Cassen

Course studied

Early Years Care and Education BA (Hons)

I highly recommend early years. Knowing that you have changed that child’s life.

Lisa D’Auria, Owner of Rocking Horse Childcare (Mother) and Amy Cassen, Manager of Rocking Horse Childcare (Daughter).

My name is Lisa D’Auria, the Owner of Rocking Horse Childcare and my name is Amy Cassen, the Manager of Rocking Horse Childcare.

I chose to study at the college because my daughter, Amy had done her first year of university degree. After looking at her module, I thought that I could do that. I was unsure being a mature student, so I got in touch with Maria Cruikshank and spoke to her about the degree and then decided to give it a go.

It was close to where I lived at the time because I lived at home. I didn’t want to go away for university because I felt like I needed that extra support from home, and I had also been to the tour. I got to speak to the staff and the staff were so friendly.

I would highly recommend university. As a mature student, the support I was able to give other students. Knowledge and experiences I already had that maybe they hadn’t. There were also things they knew that I hadn’t, that combination was brilliant.

The tutors were everything there, Maria she was amazing. They made you think about why you’re doing it and that filtered down to the assignments. That carried on throughout my career, because that’s when I decided to do my PGCE and was successful in doing it. I understood my purpose. The tutors on my course were incredibly supportive.

I enjoyed the whole experience. Coming from early years for so many years and coming from different sectors within that, there was so much I missed and so much building-blocks there and I wanted the underpinning knowledge. That’s what I got from the course.

After I finished my degree, I left early years for a while and went into finance because we all know that the sector isn’t funded well. It was because I didn’t know directly what I wanted in early years at the time, so I had to take a step back and think about it. I didn’t last very long out of the sector, so I went straight back to it. I did my QTS in Teaching and that came from my Early Years degree because I loved the learning and development side, so I wanted to take that further. I did all of those, got into teaching and absolutely loved it, but I still have a passion for the early years side of it. In all honesty, that’s grown me as a person, because coming back to early years with all that knowledge has solidified my passion for it.

After I left the degree, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go but maybe going into accessing. I had been a mentor for the students within the degree, and I liked that way of helping others. I looked into assessing for a while, but I loved being with the children. After going back into nursery, I then started up my own childcare business and Rocking Horse Childcare was born.

Now I’m managing our new setting at Rocking Horse Childcare, working alongside my Mum which is lovely. We took the decision from that we both always loved early years, that’s why I taught because of my Mum. She’s worked within that all her life, that’s all I’ve ever known, and it just worked out. The timing was right, and we wanted to do it together. We’ve both got ideas that we wanted to imbed. Where I said that university empowered us, we felt confident in putting these practises into place.

The early years needs a lot more support in recruiting staff. I love every aspect in being here at work. I love early years, I’m passionate about early years and I like helping little ones achieve. The slightest thing you see, a crawl, a first word, to threading to jumping, it’s all those things that you know that you’ve been part of that process for that child.

I highly recommend early years. Knowing that you have changed that child’s life. It doesn’t always seem like it, but you are. Everything you do in the way you talk to them and the way you’re supporting those families. The tiniest things can have a huge impact and you grow as a person, so I would highly recommend even just chatting to the tutors, just go.  

Leah Horton My Story

Leah Horton My Story

Course studied

Early Years Care and Education BA (Hons)

My time at the university helped me gain confidence and persistence. With my greatest achievement being achieving a 2:1 in my dissertation. 

My name is Leah Horton, I am 21 years old, I studied Early Years Education at University Centre South Essex from 2020 until 2023 and this is my story.

Before starting at UCSE, I had just dropped out of Winchester University after a short period of time, as I felt homesick and was unsure of the course. I was then accepted into UCSE at the very last minute and have been grateful for having this opportunity. I chose to study at South Essex College as I was able to commute from home. When looking at the course, it was suited to the career I originally wanted to do, whilst also having brilliant reviews. 

My time at UCSE prepared me for the workplace as it made me understand that to achieve and succeed in life, you have to work hard for it. The best thing about doing higher education is the rewarding feeling you get once you have completed everything at the best standard you possibly could have. I have gained lots of confidence during my time at the university, whilst also gaining organisation skills, both in which I will use in the workplace. 

My favourite memory of being at the university is when my friends and I would walk down to the beach at lunchtime and eat the donuts! After finishing my degree, I applied for many jobs, and participated in online courses to ensure I got a job in the industry I wished to work in. I have been lucky enough to have been given a job in a Lloyd’s Syndicate in the City, at my dream company, Munich Re.

My official title will be a Claims Delegated Authority Assistant, where I will be assisting the claims team in various tasks including the day-to-day admin. I have had no experience in this industry, however, I was proactive in searching for jobs and completing free courses to gain a better understanding of the industry. 

My tutor at UCSE, Maria helped me to achieve the grades I have achieved in all of my assignments, whilst also helping me to understand what it was that I actually wanted to do as a career, and for that, I couldn’t recommend UCSE enough. Maria helped me grow as a person and gain lots of confidence. My time at the university helped me gain confidence and persistence. With my greatest achievement being achieving a 2:1 in my dissertation. 
I

n the future, I hope to progress through insurance and to gain my CII certification.
 

Celebrating Success 2022: George Humphries

Celebrating Success 2022: George Humphries

Course studied

Foundation T level in Health

I would recommend South Essex College because it is a good college to go to and you get to make friends and learn about the different courses.

Health & Social Care Student of the Year, George Humphries has strived to remove barriers to learning and has worked towards achieving high standards despite finding assignments difficult.

George says he feels great about winning the award and that he chose to study at South Essex College because he had a choice of many different courses.

He said: “I like learning new things in my course and my greatest achievements have been starting the course and meeting new friends who I did not know before.”

His tutor said: “George is a kind and caring student, who also shows concern for his fellow peers and also tries to help with class activities and offering advice. George has overcome any barriers that have been thrown at him and has constantly succeeded in anything he does. He is an inspiration to us all and I cannot wait for him to succeed in the health and social care profession. 

George said he would recommend South Essex College because it is a good college to go to and you get to make friends and learn about the different courses.

He added: “My ambition when I finish my course is to stay on for another year of college and then to either get an apprenticeship, or to be able to work in a hospital as a porter or work in a school.”

His tutor said: “Overall George has made outstanding progress and I wish him every success for the future. Well done George!”