Unit 13 health and social care sector specification

UNIT 13: THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SECTOR

BF034943 – Specification – Edexcel BTEC Level 1/Level 2 First Certificate and Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care – Issue 2 – February 2013 © Pearson Education Limited 2013

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Unit 13: The Health and Social Care Sector

Level: 1 and 2

Unit type: Optional specialist

Guided learning hours: 30

Assessment type: Internal

Unit introduction

A career in the health and social care sector could involve choosing from an enormous selection of jobs. The roles and responsibilities in the health and social care sectors are many and varied. If you have considered a career in this sector, then this unit will help you explore the area in more depth.

In this unit you will need to complete a placement of a minimum of 25 hours in a health or social care setting.

You will learn about the basic structure of the health and social care sector. This will include the different types of services and provision in the sector, including different types of statutory, private and voluntary provision and their different characteristics. You will also learn about the different job roles available in the sector and their requirements, such as training or qualifications.

There are a number of skills that health and social care workers need to develop in order to work effectively with in the sector. You will learn about these skills and their importance and will have the opportunity to see how these are put into practice on your work placement. You will also investigate the importance of maintaining professional standards. You will investigate the purpose and benefits of the placement setting to service users. You will be able to see first-hand what working in the sector is like on your work placement. An important aspect of working in health and social care is the ability to reflect. In this unit you will have to reflect on your performance during your work placement and make recommendations for future improvement.

Learning aims

In this unit you will:

A develop an understanding of the skills and professional standards required of health and social care workers

B investigate service provision and job roles in the health and social care sector

C undertake a work placement within the health and social care sector and reflect upon performance.



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Learning aims and unit content

What needs to be learnt

Learning aim A: Develop an understanding of the skills and professional standards required of health and social care workers

Topic A.1 Skills required when working in the health and social care sector:

● teamwork, recording and reporting information accurately, following instructions, time management, maintaining dignity, empowerment, promoting independence, respecting diversity, culture and beliefs, maintaining confidentiality, empathy, caring disposition

● communication with colleagues and service users: verbal and non-verbal skills, conversation, active listening, alternative forms, e.g. British Sign Language, Makaton, picture cards, Lightwriters, assistive software

● observation of service users: to observe behaviour, to identify improvement or deterioration in ability or health status

● planning activities: e.g. according to ability, provision of resources, planning and displaying work.

Topic A.2 Professional standards:

● own behaviour: professional conduct, timekeeping, personal hygiene, dress code, positive attitude, values, confidentiality

● responsibilities: professional relationships, identifying and meeting individual needs of service users, managing service, maintaining service users’ safety, safeguarding activities

● importance of maintaining skills and professional standards, and possible consequences of not doing so.



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Learning aim B: Investigate service provision and job roles in the health and social care sector

Topic B.1 The different types of provision relating to health and social care, and their characteristics

● Different types of provision:

o statutory provision

o private provision

o voluntary provision.

● Different services provided in health and social care: e.g. GP services, midwifery, surgery, general medicine, nursing, private hospitals, dentists, physiotherapy clinics, health centres, Alcoholics Anonymous, Macmillan Cancer Support, British Heart Foundation, SANE, National Blood Service, Air Ambulance, day care, residential care for older people, residential care for young people with complex needs, night shelters, domiciliary care, warden-assisted complexes, sheltered housing, training centres, advice centres.

Topic B.2 Job roles within health and social care settings

● For example, nurses (mental health, general, children, learning disability), midwives, doctors (general practitioner, consultant), physiotherapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, dieticians, counsellors, healthcare assistants, social workers, social work assistants, social care support workers, housing officers, key workers, family support workers, day care officers, community development workers, activity coordinators, youth workers.

● Working in health and social care: training and qualifications required, requirement to register, salary scales.

● Purpose and benefits: e.g. care/activities given, safeguarding, quality of life, access to treatments and services, social and support networks, emotional support, support with activities of daily living, increased sense of independence.



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Learning aim C: Undertake a work placement within the health and social care sector, and reflect upon performance

Topic C.1 Skills to use for addressing a work-related task, including:

● communicating with others, e.g. line manager, colleagues, service users

● working with others, including colleagues and relatives of service users

● completing tasks within agreed timescales

● following instructions

● following health and safety practices

● maintaining confidentiality, adhering to Data Protection Act

● asking for help and guidance when necessary

● placement expectations: active participation, following placement policies and procedures including absence, agreed working hours, limits of role.

Topic C.2 Reflective practice and evaluation

● Reflective practice: understanding how to reflect on your own work and its importance for future learning, setting goals and working towards them, identifying strengths, achievements and areas to improve.

● Ways of reflecting on practice: checklists, supervisor reports, one-to-one interviews with placement supervisor, feedback from teacher and peers, recall actions on a daily basis, use of a diary to record own performance.

● What to reflect on: working with service users, participation with placement staff, solving problems, recalling actions that happened during the day.



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Assessment criteria

Level 1 Level 2 Pass Level 2 Merit Level 2 Distinction

Learning aim A: Develop an understanding of the skills and professional standards required of health and social workers

1A.1 Identify the skills and professional standards required to work in the health and social care sector.

2A.P1 Describe the skills and professional standards required to work in the health and social care sector.

2A.M1 Explain how the skills and professional standards required in the health and social care sector enable successful working with service users, with reference to a selected placement.

2A.D1 Assess the importance of skills and professional standards required to work in the health and social care sector.

Learning aim B: Investigate service provision and job roles in the health and social care sector

1B.2 Give three examples of the each of the different types of provision and services in either health and social care.

2B.P2 Describe the different types of provision in health and social care.

2B.M2 Explain the different characteristics of different types of health and social care provision, using selected examples.

2B.D2 Assess the different characteristics of different types of health and social care provisions.

1B.3 Identify three different roles of health and social care workers.

2B.P3 Describe three different roles of health and social care workers.

2B.M3 Compare and contrast the characteristics of three selected job roles in the health and social care sector.

2B.D3 Assess own suitability for three selected job roles within the health and social care sector.

1B.4 Outline the purpose of provision of a selected health and social care setting.

2B.P4 Describe the purpose of provision and the benefits to service users of a selected health and social care setting.



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Level 1 Level 2 Pass Level 2 Merit Level 2 Distinction

Learning aim C: Undertake a work placement within the health and social care sector and reflect upon performance

1C.5 Demonstrate work-related skills to address a work task within the health and social care sector. #

2C.P5 Demonstrate work-related skills to address work-related tasks within the health and social care sector. #

1C.6 Identify the skills learned and understanding gained while on work placement.

2C.P6 Describe the skills learned and understanding gained while on work placement.

2C.M4 Discuss own performance on work placement, describing strength and areas for improvement, giving recommendations for future development.

2C.D4 Analyse own strengths and areas for improvement on work placement, justifying recommendations for future development.

*Opportunity to assess mathematical skills

#Opportunity to assess English skills



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Teacher guidance

Resources

In order to achieve this unit, learners must have the opportunity to undertake a work placement within the health and social care sector. Learners must be placed in an appropriate health and social care setting for a minimum of 25 hours. This could either be a block placement or one day a week, or a combination. This could encompass more than one placement or learners could select which placement setting to use for the assessed component.

Assessment guidance

This unit is assessed internally by the centre and externally verified by Edexcel.

Please read this guidance in conjunction with Section 8 Internal assessment.

When learners undertake assessments, they need to be aware that assessment criteria are hierarchical. For example, within a learning aim, the Level 2 Merit and Distinction criteria directly build on and encompass the expected learning of the Level 2 Pass criteria. Where there are examples of comparison, review, analysis, discussion or in-depth evaluation of selected examples, these must build on the breadth of understanding required through the definition of topics in the content section.

Although this unit could be achieved through one holistic assignment designed to assess all criteria, it would probably be more appropriate to use two or three smaller assignments. For example, learners could complete the requirements for learning aims A and B together as preparation for work placement, and then either complete separate assignments for learning aim C, or combine them so that experience gained within the placement can give an opportunity to gain required knowledge and understanding of skills and professional standards when working in health or social care.

Learning aim A

In 2A.P1, learners need to consider the different skills that health and social care workers should have or be developing in the workplace, as well as the professional standards they have to maintain. To achieve 2A.M1, they should explain how these skills and professional standards are used to ensure that they work successfully with service users in the selected sector. For 2A.D1, learners must give an assessment of the importance of the skills and professional standards required in the selected sector.

To achieve 1A.1, learners must identify the skills and professional standards required to work in the health or social care sector.

If the assessment for learning aim A is combined in an assignment with the tasks for learning aim B, learners should be able to use observations from their work placement to amplify their responses.



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Learning aim B

To achieve 2B.P2, learners are expected to explain what statutory, private and voluntary provision means, and then to describe some of the different types of services that are available. Learners must ensure that the different types of services covered include one from each of health and social care. This could be completed in the form of a table, and requires basic description, rather than a detailed report. To achieve 2B.M2, learners must look at an example of statutory, private and voluntary provision in their selected sector, and explain the characteristics of each with reference to their chosen examples. To achieve 2B.D2, learners’ answers must be extended to assess the different characteristics of three different types of organisations in the health and social care sector.

To achieve 1B.2, learners must be able to give three examples of each of the different types of provision in health or social care.

To achieve 2B.P3, learners will need to describe three different roles including at least one from health and one from social care. To achieve 2B.M3, learners are expected to compare and contrast the duties, training, qualifications and roles of three different workers in the selected sector, ensuring that both sectors are covered. A description of daily tasks that might be carried out should be included. Salary ranges for each role could also be considered. It is important that learners are advised to select the three different job roles carefully to enable successful completion of 2B.D3 and that at least one example is taken from the health sector and one from the social care sector. For this criterion, learners will assess their own suitability for the selected job roles.

To achieve 1.B3, learners must identify different roles in the selected sector.

To achieve 2B.P4, learners are expected to be able to describe the purpose of the placement setting. This will focus on the care that the service user receives from the placement setting and benefits that this has for them. The benefits may be physical, intellectual, emotional or social.

For 1B.4, learners will be expected to identify the care given by the placement setting, but will not link the benefits to the individual.

Learning aim C

This learning aim is to be completed both during and after work placement, and learners could be advised to keep a daily diary during the placement to ensure that they remember what they have done so that they can reflect on and evaluate their performance.

For 2C.P5 and 1C.5, learners should be clear about the practical tasks they are expected to perform. They should also be responsive to broader issues such as timekeeping and health and safety issues in their placement.

It is recommended that learners complete a minimum of 25 hours on their work placement. This could be over consecutive working days, or spread over a wider period of time. Evidence from a simulated placement is not acceptable.

To achieve 2C.P6, learners must describe the skills they have developed and the understanding they have gained on their placement. This should enable them to start to relate theory to practice. For 2C.M4, they need to discuss their performance in work placement. This should include a description of their strengths and of areas where they feel that they require further development and they must give recommendations on how they could improve their performance in future placements. In 2C.D4, learners need to analyse the strengths of their performance on work placement and areas for future development, justifying recommendations on



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how they could improve their performance in future placements. This could be completed in the form of an action plan or a mock appraisal with the placement supervisor or unit teacher.

To achieve 1C.6, learners must identify the skills learned and understanding gained while on placement.

Through undertaking this unit, learners may realise that a specific role or sector (health, social care) is not suitable for them, which will help them make informed career choices later on. Learners need to be aware that placements which do not meet their original expectations are still beneficial. Also, while learners are on placement, they should be encouraged to explore what other roles in the setting involve, as it may give them an idea as to what they wish to do in their own eventual career.



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Suggested assignment outlines

The table below shows a programme of suggested assignment outlines that cover the assessment criteria. This is guidance and it is recommended that centres either write their own assignments or adapt any assignments we provide to meet local needs and resources.

Criteria covered Assignment Scenario Assessment evidence

1A.1, 2A.P1, 2A.M1, 2A.D1

1B.2, 2B.P2, 2B.M2, 2B.D2

The Health and Social Care Sector

You have been asked by a careers adviser to produce an information pack for learners going into health and social care settings on work experience. You need to include the different types of provision and services available, and an assessment of the roles of different health and social care workers. You must also assess the importance of the skills and professional standards required of health and social care practitioners.

Information pack

Presentation

1B.4, 2B.P4, 1C.5, 2C.P5

1B.3, 2P.3, 2M.3, 2D.3

Working in Health and Social Care

You will need to complete a work placement diary which covers the 25 hours you are on work placement.

In your diary you will need to include:

● the purpose and benefits of the placement setting to the service users

● a record of the daily activities.

While on placement you will also need to be assessed to show that you can demonstrate skills required when undertaking work tasks.

Write a short report that assesses your own suitability for working in your placement and two other roles: one in health and one in social care.

Work placement diary

Witness testimony and observation record

Placement report



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Criteria covered Assignment Scenario Assessment evidence

1C.6, 2C.P6, 2C.M4, 2C.D4

Reviewing performance

Halfway through your work placement, you have an interview with your manager. They have asked you to reflect on and evaluate your work, identifying what you have learned, your strengths and areas where you feel you could improve. They will discuss these with you and ask you to write an action plan that makes recommendations on how you can improve your performance for the remainder of your placement.

Interview

Observation record/witness testimony of interview

Table showing skills and understanding gained, strengths, areas for improvement and recommendations for improvement

Action plan/mock appraisal

Unit 13 health and social care sector specification

Education

Transcript of Unit 13 health and social care sector specification