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a in “the diplom s ice public ser v real provides a for opportunity le to young peop sential develop es ill skills that w m prepare the ture for their fu careers.� intendent chief super , ll steve redha ire police sh rk yo th sou
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Be part of a or t c e s d e u l a v Public services needn’t mean working in government either. Many of the 5.5 million people currently involved in the sector work in private businesses, like Virgin, or the voluntary sector, for charities like Shelter. If you want to make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities, this could be the area for you. Build essential skills and experience
Public services are as much a part of our everyday lives as breathing. And just as important!
The Diploma in Public Services reveals the inner workings of this vibrant, varied and valued sector. You’ll discover how public service organisations operate and gain an appreciation of the social values that sustain them.
Where would we be without law and order, education, central and local government, the health service, social and emergency services, regeneration and development, leisure, and the armed forces?
A combination of classroom learning and practical experience will motivate and inspire you, so that you steadily build the skills you’ll need to work in this or many other sectors. 03
What will I learn?
The Diploma in Public Services gives you a comprehensive picture of how public services work and how they contribute to the individual, the community and to business. It introduces you to the many different services that are available to the public, and this will help you become familiar with the wide range of career and university options on offer. 04
How is the Diploma made up? Principal learning (subject learning you have to do) At the heart of the Diploma are your core public services subjects. These will teach you the main things you need to know about the sector. You’ll learn about the issues that helped build it and that are affecting the sector today, how it works and what skills you need to have to work within it.
Activities you might do in your principal learning These are just some examples of the kind of learning you’ll be doing. Foundation Diploma
Higher Diploma
Advanced Diploma
At Foundation level, you will be given a broad introduction to the sector. You’ll learn about the various career opportunities within the sector, and what attributes and skills you’ll need to deliver public services.
At Higher level, you will develop a deeper understanding of the role of public services. You’ll learn how different services are funded and look at how public services initiatives are promoted.
You could, for example, plan possible training, development and career pathways.
You could, for example, carry out a straightforward cost-benefit analysis on a service for health and well-being.
At Advanced level, you’ll evaluate the principles and practices of public services. You’ll look at how public finance operates and how political neutrality plays an important role. You’ll also learn the principles of marketing in public services.
You might investigate local public service delivery and present your findings.
You might look at areas of conflict between communities for public services and propose solutions.
You could use role play to show how you would communicate sensitively with colleagues or members of the public.
You could use a range of communication methods and media to promote a campaign.
You could, for example, measure productivity in a public service using finance management methods. You might scope, plan and implement a project of your own. You could gather together marketing materials from a range of services and analyse their usability for different target audiences.
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Personal, learning and thinking skills Additional and specialist learning (choices you can make) At each level, you can develop your particular interests in public services further by taking more specialist courses relating to your chosen subject and career ambitions. You could, for example, learn first aid, keyboard skills, administration and ICT at work, or focus on environmental work, voluntary and community work. You could also take courses to improve your fitness and prepare you for work in one of the uniformed services. Or you might choose a GCSE or A level in subjects like languages, history, politics or sociology which would help you get onto a university course. You can also broaden your course by taking an additional subject that reflects your other interests and career ambitions – like a science, or a creative subject like music. Functional skills in English, maths and ICT Like all Diploma students, you’ll develop a good standard of English, maths and ICT. These subjects are essential to succeed in any business or learning environment, whether you decide to continue in public services or move on to another sector.
All Diploma students will develop personal, learning and thinking skills, such as team-working, creative thinking and self-management. These are vital skills in both life and work, and will be useful to you in the future, no matter which path you take. Work experience Your Diploma will give you the opportunity to do at least 10 days’ work experience. This could mean volunteering at Shelter or helping to plan a communications campaign for your local council. Whatever you do, this is a great way to use the knowledge, understanding and skills you have learnt in the classroom, and experience what work is like from the inside. Student projects During your Diploma, you’ll complete a student project to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that you have learnt. This could be a written piece of work, like a report on the ten most common enquiries and responses at a local tourist information centre or local authority. Or it could be a practical piece of work, like carrying out a traffic impact assessment or comparing successful and failed planning applications and explaining the decisions. 07
a m o l p i D a What o t d a e l l l i w
A Diploma in Public Services will give you the skills you need for further education, university or work, and is a first step towards a career in the sector. It could lead you to a foundation degree in ecology or policing or an honours degree in business management, law or social policy. Or it could help you begin a career as a firefighter, police or community safety officer, in heritage management, housing or as an environmental health officer. 08
However, the Diploma in Public Services doesn’t mean you have to opt for a career in this sector. Because a Diploma teaches a mix of subjects, it will give you the skills that will be welcomed by colleges, universities and employers in a wide range of areas.
e l p m a x e t n Stude
wHat i will learn... The Diploma is great, because it helps us understand why public services are so important. All these rights we take for granted – like free healthcare, education and financial support – are only there because our society prioritises them as public services. i’m looking Forward to...
tHe year is 2012. tHis could Be tHe experience oF one diploma student. meet asHley, a diploma in puBlic services student.
Ashley is studying for a Higher Diploma in Public Services. ‘What I like about the Diploma is all the relevant experience you get. I really enjoy meeting the people involved, like when a police officer came in to speak to us or when we went on a day trip to the local council. I can’t wait to do some work experience myself!’
I really enjoy the day trips we do, so I’m really looking forward to visiting more public service sites and talking to the people who deliver the services and benefit from them. These trips really help me understand how we all contribute to the costs of services that people in many other countries can’t afford. And it’ll be great when we get to do some work experience. I’m keen to find out where my skills can be best used. tHe Future... I want to go on to the Advanced Diploma in Public Services and maybe do an A level in geography or history. I really want to go to university, but I’d also like to start work and get involved. Whatever I decide to do, I’ll know a lot more about the society we’re living in and how we can all work together to make sure that everyone is treated with fairness and respect. This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma. It does not refer to a real individual. 09
f the “as chair o y social polic association ted i am deligh the to support a in new diplom ices. public ser v ide it will prov t an excellen igher route into h r education fo wish those who to study for the degrees in ces.� social scien , lendinning caroline g ocial polic y s e th or in chair of and profess a ssociation ic y research ol the social p versit y of york. uni unit at the
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d Want to fin out more? To find out more about the Diploma in Public Services, speak to your teacher or careers adviser. You can also find more information about Diplomas on these websites: www.direct.gov.uk/diplomas www.connexions-direct.com www.publicservicesdiploma.co.uk Downloading this leaflet If you’d like to download this leaflet, go to http://yp.direct.gov.uk/diplomas/news_and_features
Finding a course in your area If you’d like to find out where you can study for this Diploma in your area, go to http://yp.direct.gov.uk/diplomas/where_you_learn 11
You can download this leaflet or order copies online at www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications. Search using reference DCSF-00276-2009. You can also order more copies by calling 0845 60 222 60; textphone 0845 60 555 60. Please quote reference 00276-2009LEF-EN. Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged. For any other use please contact hmsolicensing@opsi.x.gsi.gov.uk
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