The Open University on iTunes U - Health and Social Care

old fashioned hospital bed

The Secret History of Sterilisation

The history of the sterilisation of women with learning disabilities is highly controversial and has remained, to a large extent, a secret.

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Mother pushing child on swing

Working with children and families

An extensive look at the ins-and-outs of family life and caring for children.

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someone holding a pill

Challenging ideas in mental health

The video tracks on this album tell the story of people who have been confined to the psychiatric wing of a large Northern hospital.

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Subject introduction

Health and Social Care

Health and social care is a vast service sector undergoing rapid change, with new government initiatives giving it a higher profile than ever. Priorities on the healthcare agenda include being more responsive to patient needs and preventing illness by promoting a healthy lifestyle. The focus in frontline health and social care is on giving service users more independence, choice and control. These developments mean there’s greater demand for well-trained and multi-skilled people across a range of rewarding employment opportunities. Our courses cover topics ranging from health sciences, health studies, nursing, public health, social care, social work and sport and fitness.

Subject highlights

Living with HIV: identity and support groups The benefits of sharing information and experiences with fellow sufferers, and overcoming initial misconceptions.	Homelessness: Ernest's story Personal account of homelessness by Ernest, a young Kenyan who resides in a small hostel run by Cyrenians Cymru in Swansea
Who cares? In a round table discussion, people acting as full-time carers for relatives and loved ones highlight the difficulties and the frustration of caring, along with problems faced dealing with benefits and medical professionals.	Maintaining standards of care The Legal Services Care Commission ensures that the quality of care in Scotland is upheld. Annabell Fowles describes the demands of inspecting both the workforce and amenities.
Activity: Meeting the diabetes care team Being a diabetes care technician	Race and rights These two interviews investigate both general and specific aspects of approaches to race and ethnicity, including policy from the Racial Equality Commission and the reality of working in the system.

Subjects

Arts and humanities

The Aurelianic wall

The renewed threat of barbarian invasion led to the construction of the Aurelianic wall - the second fortification in the history of Imperial Rome.

Artificial Intelligence

Philosophy professor Tim Crane explains what he sees to be the main philosophical issues in the area of Artificial Intelligence

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Business and Management

Calderdale: preparing the bid

Members of the Calderdale NHS trust and the private consortium discuss the affordability of the new hospital.

Sorting out strategies

How a group makes decisions and deals with discord.

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Childhood and Youth

Creativity and early years

Using interviews and a live recording of a learning environment, creativity is defined and discussed as both a central aspect of the curriculum and a developmental tool.

Making Music Together

Recording a DJ set, designing a cd cover, and a guitar lesson. Behind the scenes the facilitators discuss the group's teamwork.

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Computing and ICT

Adding text to video

Titles and visuals are a quick and simple way to give the audience more information.

Why go robotic?

Benefits for the cows, the farmer and his family.

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Education

TESSA - Anything for School

Adjua wants to go to school, even though she is sick

TESSA - Something Good

Jude's snap decision costs him money

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Engineering and Technology

A MIDI composer talks about his career and the equipment in his studio.

IDEO: Encouraging Ideas

How to manage small teams and ways to create innovative ideas.

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Environment, Development and International Studies

Women's roles in the war

Women were involved in various ways in war, and their roles both as perpetrators and in peace-building should not be under-estimated.

The Impact of Science

A discussion with scientists about the nature of scientific knowledge, and it's relationship to policy making regarding climate change

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Health and Social Care

Carers from Minority Ethnic Groups

The specific needs of carers from minority ethnic groups with emphasis on the Chinese Welfare Association in Belfast

Gate Control Theory

Doctors and patients at the Royal Free Hospital's Pain Clinic and at the Real Health Institute explain how chronic pain works

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Languages

Talking to the waiter

Beginners' German Introduction

A series of short tracks giving speaking, pronunciation and listening practice on the theme of Food and Drink.

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Law

Further reading

A list of further readings.

Freedom of speech

A current affairs journalist, a human rights lawyer and an academic debate issues around freedom of speech and to what extent the law should intervene to restrict it.

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Mathematics and Statistics

Taking a bearing

Discover how to get your bearings with a compass and a map.

The Open University's Alan Graham shares his knowledge on the link between music and math, and his band Betty's Kitchen perform several songs and talk us through their instruments.

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Psychology

Identical twinset

Linda, Sharon and their mother discuss their similarities as identical twins.

Discursive Psychological Research

Professor Margaret Wetherell discusses her pioneering research into the language of racism.

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Science

Focusing on fungi

Dr Sarah Watkinson reveals the role of fungi in breaking down dead leaves.

Waves: Electro magnetic waves

How radio waves work and their use at sea.

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Social Sciences

Migration: controlling borders

In Algeciras in southern Spain, the arrival of undocumented migrants from North Africa is a daily occurrence.

Working in partnership

Joan Devlin on how Belfast Healthy Cities is a model for further partnership initiatives.

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Research

Spectacular Flirtations

Open University Art History researcher, Gill Perry takes us through The National Portrait Gallery and explores the relationship between 18th Century art and theatre and the notion of actresses and their portraits as seductive, beguiling objects. Gill also looks at paralells in the ways contemporary female stars use media images to promote themselves as celebrities.

Building on History: the Church in London

Short documentary outlining a new Open University research project involving the Diocese of London and Kings College University in which existing c19th church history research is used to inform current strategies for the Church of England as part of a Knowledge Transfer Process.

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The OU on iTunes U

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