Our aim is to provide students with an understanding of the health and social care needs of people throughout the different stages of human life; how development and needs are affected by life events, lifestyle choices and relationships; how to interpret health and lifestyle data; and an insight into the skills and care values of service providers.
We aim to give learners the opportunity to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal skills and attributes essential for successful performance in life and in work.
We also aim to provide a course of study which learners find interesting, stimulating and thought provoking which enables them to gain a good vocational qualification. We hope to both challenge and inspire our students to enable them to move on successfully to further education or employment.
The health and social care sector is varied and interesting and we will inform students of the many opportunities that are open to them in order that they may fulfil their potential.
Year 10 & 11 students will start the BTEC (Tech) Level 1/2 Award in Health and Social Care.
This is the equivalent of a GCSE.
The BTEC Tech L1/L2 Award in Health and Social Care is a 2 year course studied in years 10 and 11.
There are 3 components to the course:
Component 1 – Human Lifespan Development (weighting 30%)
Aim – Understand how we grow and develop throughout our lives.
Assessment – Internally assessed assignments
During Component 1, you will:
• explore how individuals develop physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually over time
• investigate how various factors, events and choices may impact on individuals’ growth and development
• discover how people adapt to life events and cope with making changes.
Component 2 – Health and Social Care Services and Values (weighting 30%)
Aim – To get to know how health and social care sector works and the care values that underpin it.
Assessment – Internally assessed assignments.
During Component 2, you will:
• learn which health and social care services are available
• identify why people might need to use these services
• discover who’s involved in providing these services
• explore what might stop people from accessing the services they need
• look at the care values the sector has to make sure people get the care and protection they need.
Component 3 – Health and Well Being (weighting 40%)
Aims – Help improve someone’s health and well being
Assessment – Externally assessed task in which students create a health and wellbeing improvement plan for someone based on a brief.
To do this, you will:
• learn what ‘being healthy’ means to different people
• explore the different factors that might influence health and wellbeing
• identify key health indicators and how to interpret them
• assess someone’s health using what they’ve learned
• create a health and wellbeing improvement plan for that person which includes targets and recommendations of support services available
• reflect on the potential challenges the person may face when putting the plan into action.
About 3 million people work in health or social care. Health care roles include doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and health care assistants, while social care roles include care assistants, occupational therapists, counsellors and administrative roles. Together they account for nearly one in ten of all paid jobs in the UK. Demand for both health and social care is likely to rise so they will continue to play a key role in UK society, and the demand for people to fill these vital jobs will increase.
Study of this sector at Key Stage 4 will complement GCSE study through providing an opportunity for practical application alongside conceptual study. There are also strong opportunities for post-16 progression in this important sector.
Where will this take me?
When you have completed this qualification, you will have developed a practical understanding
of the health and social care sector. Because you will be building useful skills not generally
covered in GCSE courses, you will have a better understanding of whether this is an area
you want to continue to study. This course will also help you develop transferable skills and
knowledge, such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, self-evaluation, and research skills, which will benefit you wherever you progress to next.
After you have finished this course you may want to go on to further study, such as A levels,
BTEC level 3 or a mixture of both. Or you might want to find work in the health and social care sector
as a trainee or apprentice. Which option is best for you will depend on the grades you achieve
both in this qualification and other qualifications you have taken, what you enjoy doing and any
advice you can access about the further learning and training opportunities available in your
area.
BTEC Level 1/2 Award in Health and Social Care
For Students following a level 2 pathway the BTEC Tech Level 1/2 Award in Health and Social Care can be studied and completed in one year instead of two (see information above for details) Component 1 and 2 assignments contain 60% of the marks and the component 3 exam 40% of the marks.
Introduction
The health and social care sector employs some of the most talented and brilliant people the country has to offer. The NHS, as the main employer, has a continual need for doctors, nurses, ambulance staff and support staff, and there are further opportunities to work for the NHS in social care in hospitals, educational settings and residential homes.
A BTEC in Health and Social Care offers a practical and relevant start to any young person interested in a career in the caring professions.
Pearson BTEC Level 3
National Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
1080 GLH
Equivalent in size to three A Levels.13 units of which 8 are Mandatory and 4 are external.
Mandatory content (72%).
External assessment (42%).
This qualification has been designed to be the only qualification in a two-year, full-time study programme; it is an in-depth study of the health and social care sector. It supports progression to health and social care related degrees.
The Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care is intended as an applied general qualification. It is for post-16 learners who want to continue their education through applied learning and who aim to progress to higher education and ultimately to employment in the health and social care sector. The qualification is equivalent in size to three A Levels.
The qualification develops a deep common core of knowledge, understanding and skills in the sector through mandatory content. It allows learners to focus on a particular aspect of the sector through a selection of optional units.
No prior study of the sector is needed, but learners should normally have a range of achievement at Level 2 in GCSEs or equivalent qualifications.
We require students to have achieved Grade C in English and Maths GCSE (and advise a grade B Science GCSE or the equivalent Merit grade for BTEC L2).
The content of this qualification has been developed in consultation with higher education to ensure it supports progression to higher study. Employers and professional bodies have also been involved in order to confirm that the content is also appropriate for those interested in working in the sector.
Learners taking this qualification will study eight mandatory units:
• Anatomy and Physiology for Health and Social Care
• Human Lifespan Development
• Working in Health and Social Care
• Meeting Individual Care And Support Needs
• Principles of Safe Practice in Health and Social Care
• Enquiries into Current Research in Health and Social Care
• Promoting Public Health
• Work Experience in Health and Social Care.
To develop a better understanding of the demands of the sector to demonstrate their commitment and interest in the sector when applying for further study, learners are required to undertake a minimum of 100 hours of work experience as part of the course and for learners.
Learners will also study five “optional units” from their chosen pathway.
Optional units in the general pathway include:
• Sociological Perspectives
• Psychological Perspectives
• Supporting Individuals with Additional Needs
• Nutritional Health
• Caring for Individuals with Dementia
(Physiological Disorders and their cause)
(Assessing Children’s Development Support Needs.)
This qualification is the main focus of a two-year study programme of learning and is equivalent to three A Levels, meaning that learners will be fully prepared for a range of health and social care degree programmes.
The qualification is intended to carry UCAS points and is recognised by higher education providers as contributing to meeting admission requirements to many relevant courses, for example:
• BSc (Hons) in Nursing
• BA (Hons) in Social Work
• BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy
• BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy
• BSc (Hons) in Speech Therapy
• BA (Hons) in Health and Social Care.
External assessment
This is 42% of the total qualification.
Unit Type Availability
Unit 1: Human Lifespan Development
• Written exam set and marked by Pearson.
• 1.5 hours.
• 90 marks.
Jan and May/June, First assessment May/June 2017
Unit 2: Working in Health and Social Care
• Written exam set and marked by Pearson.
• 1.5 hours.
• 80 marks.
Assessments are Jan and May/June
Unit 3: Anatomy and Physiology for Health and Social Care
• Written exam set and marked by Pearson.
• 1.5 hours.
• 90 marks.
Assessments are Jan and May/June
Unit 4: Enquiries into Current Research in Health and Social Care
• A task set and marked by Pearson and completed under supervised conditions.
• Learners will be given a choice of two articles (Part A) six weeks prior to a supervised assessment period in order to carry out research.
• The supervised assessment period (Part B) is a maximum of 3 hours.
• Written submission.
• 65 marks.
Assessments are Dec/Jan and May/June
Encourage your daughter to read independently or you may want to read with her and have regular discussions with her about the texts she is reading. You could get your daughter to think and reflect on what she has learnt and get her to communicate her ideas.
You could ask your daughter to check her homework carefully for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar before she hands it in. Encourage her to read through her sentences to ensure that they are clear and accurate.
You should encourage your daughter to use various sources to complete homework and coursework such as reading books, newspapers, searching the internet and watching the news. They will be developing analytical skills and will be able to summarise information.
