Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care BTEC

Meet the Department

• Mr Smith – Teacher of Health and Social Care

Introduction

Health and Social Care (abbreviated to HSC) isn’t really just one subject – the term relates to a range of services offered by health OR social care. Health and Social Care practitioners work all around you, and may work in the public sector (government funded), the private sector or charities.

Health and social care job roles include: nurses, doctors, teachers, occupational therapists, police officers, lab technicians, radiographers, care workers, optometrists, hospital porters, speech and language practitioners, counsellors, dentists, GPs, social workers, midwives and paramedics.

They will work with a range of people such as children (including vulnerable children), disabled people, adults with mental health difficulties, people who have committed a crime, vulnerable or older adults and/or families. They all share a common aim: to prevent illness and improve health and well-being.

Course description

The course is 60% coursework with only Unit 3 being assessed by an examination.

Unit 1 (Coursework) – Human Lifespan and Development: In this component, you will study how people grow and develop over the course of their life, from infancy to old age, this includes physical, intellectual, emotional and social development and the different factors that may affect them.

Unit 2 (Coursework) – Health and Social Care Services and Values: This component will give you an understanding of health and social care services and will help you develop skills in applying care values which are common across the sector (some of which are transferable to other sectors that involve interactions with clients or customers).

Unit 3 (Examination) Health and Well Being: In this component, you look at the factors that can have a positive or negative influence on a person’s health and wellbeing. You will learn to interpret physiological and lifestyle indicators and what they mean for someone’s state of health.

Delivery and Assessment

You will be assessed through internally assessed coursework (60%) – using a range of diverse activities including assignment and project work, case studies, role play and presentations.

External assessment (40%) – Component 3: Health and Wellbeing requires learners to assess an individual’s health and wellbeing and use this to create a health and wellbeing improvement plan. The design of this external assessment ensures that there is sufficient stretch and challenge, enabling the assessment of knowledge and understanding at the end of the learning period.

The BTEC Tech Award in Health and Social Care is a Level 2 qualification, graded at Pass, Merit, Distinction and Distinction*.

Progression

The Level 2 in Health and Social Care provides an excellent foundation for study in Sixth Form or to entry-level job roles within any health and social care industry. Achievement at Level 2 provides a solid grounding for the Level 3 BTEC National in Health and Social Care.