Health & Social Care

In KS4, students can opt to study BTEC Health & Social Care (Pearson, First). 

This course is an ideal first step for anyone considering a career in caring for others in some way, be it nursing, child care, health visitor, social work or youth work. It can help you progress further in related further and higher education courses. 
Students will cover a wide variety of topics across 4 units. Mandatory units include an externally examined unit ‘Human Lifespan Development’. To complete the other three units students will need to produce a portfolio of coursework throughout their three years of study. Coursework tasks are tiered so that students can work to their own academic level and achieve their full potential. Topics covered throughout the course include:

Human Lifespan and Development (examined)
  • The different life stages people pass through during their life course
  • Key aspects of human growth and development at each life stage
  • The impact of social, cultural, economic and physical factors on growth and development
  • The impact of expected and unexpected life events on growth and development

Effective Communication in Health and Social Care
  • The importance of effective communication in a care setting
  • The difficulties in communication and how to overcome these difficulties
Tasks Include –
  • Describe different forms of alternative communication for different needs, using examples.
  • Using examples, explain ways in which barriers to communication may be overcome and the benefits to service users of overcoming these barriers.

Care Values in Health and Social Care
  • Explore the care values that underpin current practice in health and social care 
  • Investigate ways of empowering individuals who use health and social care services
Tasks Include –
  • Describe how health and social care values support users of services, using relevant examples.
  • Describe how an individual’s circumstances can be used to create a care plan that empowers the individual.

Promoting Health and Well Being
  • Benefits of health promotion to both the health and wellbeing of the individual and the nation.
  • The impact of health promotion on the individual’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social health and wellbeing.
Tasks Include –
  • Analyse the benefits of health promotion to individuals and the nation, using selected examples
  • Produce materials for a health promotion activity tailored to a target group, describing the health risk and health advice