Health and social care is the study of human growth and development and providing care to individuals to meet their needs. The health and social care sector comprises of two sub-sectors; health care and social care. Within our ever-growing society the demands on both of these continue to increase and adapt and as a result it is a major employer, employing almost four million people across the UK.
With more than 300 distinctive career paths into this sector this course is designed to help you develop the transferable knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to successfully progress directly to employment, apprenticeships and higher education.
This course aims to provide an introduction to the study of the sector for students interested in learning about health and social care. You will gain an understanding of physical, intellectual, emotional and social growth and development throughout the life stages. Students will learn how needs are identified and diagnosed, how effective care and treatment is delivered and the variety of roles involved in the process. You will investigate the importance of sector related legislation, policies and procedures and the impact they have on individuals, service providers and the sector. The programme provides awareness of the necessity of equality, diversity and anti-discriminative behaviour in order to effectively deliver care.
Within the Vocational Faculty, the aims of the Health and Social Care course are;
BTEC Health & Social Care is a vocational subject offered at Key Stages 4&5. Vocational subjects are qualifications which focus on developing sector-specific applied knowledge and practical skills through realistic vocational contexts. At Key Stage 4 we study the BTEC Tech Award (2022) in Health & Social Care (equivalent to 1 GCSE) and in Key Stage 5 we study the BTEC National Extended Certificate in Health & Social Care (equivalent to 1 A level) which is recognised by all universities.
BTEC TECH AWARD (2022) IN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE
Component 1: Human Lifespan Development
Learning outcomes
A - Understand human growth and development across life stages and the factors that affect it
B - Understand how individuals deal with life events.
Assessment - by a Pearson Set Assignment (PSA)
Component 2: Health and Social Care Services and Values
Learning outcomes
A - Understand the different types of health and social care services and barriers to accessing them
B - Understand the skills, attributes and values required to give care.
Assessment - by a Pearson Set Assignment (PSA)
Component 3: Health and Wellbeing
Assessment objectives
AO1 Knowledge of health and wellbeing
AO2 Understanding of health and wellbeing
AO3 Apply knowledge and understanding of health and wellbeing
AO4 Make connections between aspects of health and wellbeing
Assessment - by a written exam
BTEC NATIONAL EXTENDED CERTIFICATE IN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE
UNIT 1: HUMAN LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT – EXAM IN MAY
Assessment outcomes
AO1 Demonstrate knowledge of physical, intellectual, emotional and social development across the human lifespan, factors affecting human growth and development and effects of ageing
AO2 Demonstrate understanding of physical, intellectual, emotional and social development across the human lifespan, factors affecting human growth and development and effects of ageing
AO3 Analyse and evaluate information related to human development theories/models and factors affecting human growth and development
AO4 Make connections between theories/models in relation to human development, factors affecting human growth and development and effects of ageing
Assessment - external written exam.
UNIT 14: PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND THEIR CARE
Learning Aim
A - Investigate the causes and effects of physiological disorders.
B - Examine the investigation and diagnosis of physiological disorders.
C - Examine treatment and support for service users with physiological disorders.
D - Develop a treatment plan for service users with physiological disorders to meet their needs.
Assessment - internal assessment.
UNIT 5: MEETING INDIVIDUAL CARE AND SUPPORT NEEDS
Learning Aim
A - Examine principles, values and skills which underpin meeting the care and support needs of individuals
B - Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs
C - Investigate the principles behind enabling individuals with care and support needs to overcome challenges
D - Investigate the roles of professionals and how they work together to provide the care and support necessary to meet individual needs.
UNIT 2: WORKING IN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE – EXAM IN JANUARY
Assessment outcomes
AO1 Demonstrate knowledge of service user needs, roles and responsibilities of workers, and working practices within the health and social care sector
AO2 Demonstrate understanding of service user needs, roles and responsibilities of workers, working practices and procedures in the health and social care sector
AO3 Analyse and evaluate information related to the roles and responsibilities of health and social care workers and organisations and how workers and organisations are monitored and regulated
AO4 Make connections between the roles and responsibilities of health and social care workers and organisations, how workers and organisations are monitored and regulated and how multidisciplinary teams work together to meet service user needs
Assessment - external written exam.
Students completing the BTEC National Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care will gain a broad introduction to the subject. The qualification develops learner’s knowledge and skills that are necessary to prepare them to successfully go on to employment and higher education courses. This is done in close collaboration with experts from professional bodies.
As the Health and Social Care sector grows, so do the job role opportunities. This vocational course develops behaviours and transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, research and analysis, all of which are valued in both higher education and the workplace.
The following lists some examples of the wide range of careers in Health and Social Care;
There are many websites dedicated to finding a career in Health and Social Care, for example;
