Health and Social Care (BTech)

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of healthcare in every country has become paramount and we have come to truly appreciate our key healthcare workers and thank them for all that they have done and continue to do. Many individuals have felt inspired by the recent events and decided that they too would like a path in healthcare.

KS4

Students in KS4 study the Pearson BTEC Tech Award in Health and Social Care. This course is ideal for students who want to acquire technical knowledge and skills through vocational contexts as part of their Key Stage 4 learning. The qualification recognises the value of learning skills, knowledge and vocational attributes to complement GCSEs. The qualification will broaden students’ experience and understanding of the varied progression options available to them.

The main focus is on four areas of equal importance, which cover the:

  • development of key skills that prove aptitude in health and social care such as interpreting data to assess an individual’s health
  • process that underpins effective ways of working in health and social care, such as designing a plan to improve an individual’s health and wellbeing
  • attitudes that are considered most important in health and social care, including the care values that are vitally important in the sector, and the opportunity to practise applying them 
  • knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in the sector such as human growth and development, health and social care services, and factors affecting people’s health and wellbeing.
KS5

Health and Social Care is a two-year modular A Level equivalent course, concerned with the study and explanation of the health and social care professions. The main aim of the course is to understand how professionals provide care for service users. The course allows students to explore different approaches to support and care for members of society.

Health and Social Care is a subject that can be helpful to any student, whether or not you are interested in a career in the health and social care sector. It can usefully be studied in combination with subjects including Sociology, Psychology, Politics, Law, Citizenship and Biology. The course requires strong written skills as there is a significant level of coursework (it accounts for 50% of the overall mark in the first year).

Students follow the Pearson course and can achieve either a Distinction *, Distinction, Merit or Pass and these are equivalent to A*, A, C and E at A Level.

Year 1:

  • Unit 1 Exam Human Lifespan Development
  • Unit 2 Exam Working in Health and Social Care

Year 2:

  • Unit 5  Synoptic Unit   Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs (coursework)
  • Unit 10 Optional Unit  Sociological Perspectives (coursework)
Course assessment

For the Level 3 course there are 360 Guided Learning hours.

The Year 1 Certificate consists of two topics:

1. Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs (50%)

This unit is coursework based and involves students writing a project on health care provision based on case studies provided by the exam board. It covers the principles and values that are crucial in meeting care and support needs of individuals.

2. Human Lifespan and Development (50%)

This unit is externally assessed by a 90-minute exam taken in May. It consists of short answer questions and extended response questions based on case studies. It focuses on life stages; the different factors that affect growth and development; and the effects of ageing. Possible questions include ‘Discuss the likely negative effects of living in a deprived area on a person’s health’.

The Year 2 Extended Certificate consists of a further two topics: 

1. Sociological Perspectives (33%)

This coursework unit requires students to produce a report which looks at how sociological perspectives and concepts can contribute to understanding the service provision in a local health and social care setting.

2. Working in Health and Social Care (67%)

This unit is externally assessed by a 90-minute exam taken in May. It consists of short answer questions and extended response questions based on case studies. It explores what it is like to work in the health and social care sector and includes: ‘The roles and responsibilities of different professions’ and ‘Working with people with specific needs’.

The marks from all four units combine together to give one BTEC National Extended Certificate grade at the end of the two-year course.

 

 

Health and Social Care Btech