Bachelor of Environmental Health
Health Sciences and Social Services - Preventive Health
Purpose and Rationale
Qualification Overview
Purpose
Upon completing this qualification, learners will be able to operate independently as Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP), overseeing and managing various health activities across different fields within the environmental health profession. Graduates will have the capability to apply risk identification, assessment, and management principles to enhance community health and support sustainable development. They will evaluate the effectiveness of control measures and management systems to drive necessary enhancements. Additionally, they will develop management systems in diverse environmental health areas such as air quality, water quality, food and meat hygiene, occupational health and safety, and environmental health-related sustainability initiatives. Graduates will also be required to conduct audits on these systems.
Furthermore, they will be adept at utilizing research skills, interpreting and implementing legislation, regulations, and policies relevant to environmental health, while also educating stakeholders on specific issues within their practice scope. As members of multidisciplinary professional teams, EHPs will effectively communicate, promote entrepreneurship, uphold professional and environmental health ethics, and efficiently manage human, financial, and physical resources. This Degree responds to a national demand for training a proficient Promotive and Preventive Health workforce capable of addressing emerging environmental health challenges. Learners meeting the qualification criteria will be eligible to register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as independent Environmental Health Practitioners.
Rationale
Advancements in environmental health have necessitated a reevaluation of practice expectations. While previous training emphasized specific areas and practices, the evolving scope of work now calls for individuals with a profound theoretical understanding of the discipline and its related disciplines. Sustainable development must underpin all decisions made by environmental health practitioners. Both international and national shifts have underscored various environmental health-related aspects, demanding practitioners to possess a comprehensive theoretical knowledge along with an integrated understanding of related fields. In the South African context, professionals must address newly developed, constantly changing, and highly technical management systems required nationally and internationally due to heightened global communication and trade. Concurrently, they must tackle developmental issues associated with environmental health. This qualification will furnish learners with advanced knowledge, skills, and competencies essential for the sector to comply with the legislative and operational requisites of the Environmental Health profession.
Outcomes
- Apply the principles of ethics, relevant legislation and professional behaviour within the environmental health milieu.
- Integrate and apply foundational, scientific principles and knowledge to environmental health sciences.
- Manage environmental health risks within natural, socio-economic, built and working environments within the scope of the profession.
- Manage environmental health programmes focussing on prevention. Range: Manage refers to: Design, develop, implement and evaluate.
- Manage environmental health services. Range: Manage will involve financial, human and physical resources, the planning, control and utilisation thereof.
- Demonstrate project management skills within a project management lifecycle.
- Conduct and participate in environmental health research.
- Demonstrate communication skills in interpersonal relations and professional behaviour to promote environmental health services. Critical Cross-Field Outcomes: All the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes are addressed in this qualification.
Assessment Criteria
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
- 1.1 Ethical and legal responsibilities are applied in interactions.
- 1.2 Activities adhere to ethical rules and principles.
- 1.3 Professional growth through assuming various roles.
- 1.4 Interactions handled with tactful communication skills.
- 1.5 Requirements for registration are fulfilled.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
- 2.1 Integration of principles in managing environmental health risks.
- 2.2 Application of anatomical and physiological principles.
- 2.3 Integration of social and behavioural principles.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
- 3.1 Identification and assessment of health risks.
- 3.2 Recognition of health risks according to legislation.
- 3.3 Compilation of a risk management plan.
- 3.4 Evaluation of intervention measures.
- 3.5 Monitoring and reviewing of risk management plan.
- 3.6 Addressing risks with various strategies.
- 3.7 Monitoring and reviewing of risk management plan effectiveness.
- 3.8 Reporting findings in an acceptable format.
- 3.9 Conducting public participation.
- 3.10 Presentation of outcomes to stakeholders.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
- 4.1 Performing situational analysis in the community.
- 4.2 Designing sustainable health promotion programmes.
- 4.3 Participation in multi-disciplinary programmes.
- 4.4 Using participatory methodologies for health promotion.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
- 5.1 Application of administrative skills.
- 5.2 Development of a skills development plan.
- 5.3 Review and development of policies and legislation.
- 5.4 Identification and analysis of policy gaps.
- 5.5 Human resource management.
- 5.6 Application of labour relations policies.
- 5.7 Application of sustainable development in service delivery.
- 5.8 Management of financial matters and resources.
- 5.9 Control of accounts, budgets, and financial procedures.
- 5.10 Management of an environmental health information system.
- 5.11 Application of relevant electronic/software programmes.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
- 6.1 Planning, implementation, and assessment of projects.
- 6.2 Application of time and financial management principles.
- 6.3 Monitoring and evaluation of projects.
- 6.4 Communication of results to stakeholders.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
- 7.1 Identification of research need/theme/problem.
- 7.2 Adherence to research proposal guidelines and ethical norms.
- 7.3 Application of research principles in investigation.
- 7.4 Management of research data.
- 7.5 Development of intervention measures.
- 7.6 Implementation and evaluation of intervention measures.
- 7.7 Communication of results.
- 7.8 Report interpretation and prioritisation.
- 7.9 Addressing identified problem in the research report.
- 7.10 Reflection of intervention measures in research findings.
- 7.11 Feedback of results and recommendations to role players.
- 7.12 Presentation of research capability.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:
- 8.1 Development and management of communication strategies.
- 8.2 Handling of all forms of communication professionally.
- 8.3 Development of protocols for communicating environmental health issues.
- 8.4 Planning of participatory sessions.
- 8.5 Development and review of systems for service delivery strategies.
- 8.6 Demonstration of conflict resolution skills.
- 8.7 Management of communication and marketing strategies.
- 8.8 Explanation of complicated issues at the target audience level.
- 8.9 Seeking opportunities for public speaking on environmental health issues.
- 8.10 Demonstration of various public speaking skills.
- 8.11 Demonstration of tactful marketing strategies.
- 8.12 Evaluation and remedial actions on marketing strategies.
Integrated Assessment:
- Formative assessment: Tests, assignments, case studies, peer evaluation, etc.
- Summative assessment: Examinations, practical assessments, supervisor reports, etc.
Qualification Details
- Type
- National First Degree(Min 480)
- NQF Level
- 08
- Min. Credits
- 488
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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