Health & Social Care

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Rationale for Health & Social Care at Padgate Academy:

The health and social care sector Health is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK with demand for both health and social care employees continuously rising. In 2019/20, the adult social care sector contributed approximately £41.2 billion a year to the UK economy. Social care employees such as care assistants and social workers work with individuals to support them to be as independent as possible in their own homes, in care homes or nursing homes. Healthcare employees, such as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and physiotherapists, work with individuals to enhance their quality of life by improving their health. Approximately 3 million people are currently employed in the sector. In 2019, it was estimated that by 2035 approximately 2.17 million health and social care job vacancies will need to be filled.

BTECs are vocational qualifications. Students develop knowledge and understanding through applying their learning to work-related contexts and gain the skills they need for further study and employment. 

BTEC Tech Awards consist of Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications, which complement GCSEs and provide a first glimpse into a professional sector. These qualifications assess learners through assignments and tasks alongside traditional exams. The awards are the equivalent to GCSE.

The course is made up of three components: two internally assessed and one that’s externally assessed. The three-block structure, explore, develop and apply, has been developed to allow students to build on and embed their knowledge. This allows them to grow in confidence and then put into practice what they have learned. The assessment structure is also designed so that students can build on what they learn, and develop their assignment skills, as they move through the course.

This course will give learners the opportunity to develop knowledge and technical skills in a practical learning environment. They will also develop key skills relevant to the health and social care sector such as research techniques and how to measure someone’s physical health. They will also develop written communication skills as they create health and wellbeing plans for an individual with specific needs. Everyone taking this qualification will study three components, covering the following content areas:

Human Lifespan and Development provides the opportunity to study how people grow and develop over the course of their lives, from infancy to old age. It will also look at the factors that may affect growth and development throughout the lifespan, such as lifechanging events like marriage or death of a partner. It will explore how individuals cope with these changes, as well as investigate the types of support available to help them. 

Health and Social Care Services will investigate common services as well as those for specific needs, and consider how they may work together to meet individuals needs. It will examine the barriers to individuals accessing services and how they may be overcome. It will explore the skills, attributes and values that are required in health and social care, and their importance in making sure that the people who use these services get the care they need. 

Health and Wellbeing explores the factors that can have a positive or negative influence on an individual's health and wellbeing. Students will learn to interpret physiological and lifestyle indicators, and what they mean for someone’s state of health. They will learn how to use this information to design an appropriate plan for improving someone’s health and wellbeing, including short- and long-term targets. Additionally, we will explore the difficulties an individual may face when trying to make these changes.

Once students have completed the qualification, they will have developed a practical understanding of the health and social care sector. They will have built useful skills, which are not generally covered in GCSE courses, and will have developed a good understanding of whether the health and social care sector is for them, and if so, which part of it they might want to study further. 

If students decide to go on to further study of health and social care, their options will depend on the grades achieved and what they enjoy doing. Students could progress to a Level 2 Technical Certificate or to a Level 3 programme, such as A Levels, a T Level or a BTEC National, either on its own or in combination with A levels.

This course builds on and uses the knowledge and skills learnt in GCSEs, particularly in GCSE Psychology. It can also be complementary learning for GCSE Biology. This course is different from studying GCSEs, as, by taking part in different types of research, application and health improvement activities, it gives provides the opportunity to apply knowledge, skills and the techniques in practical ways.

The Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care has:

● Total Qualification Time: 150 hours 

● Guided Learning Hours: 120 hours.

The three components focus on the assessment of applied knowledge and practices. These are all essential to developing a basis for progression and therefore learners need to achieve all components in order to achieve the qualification.

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/btec-tech-awards/health-and-social-care-2022.coursematerials.html#filterQuery=Pearson-UK:Category%2FSpecification-and-sample-assessments