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Subjects & Qualifications
Health and Social Care - Higher (SCQF level 6)
Contact the Qualifications Manager for this subject area
Mary Hainey 
Structure of the Course
- Mandatory Units
- Summary of Course content
- Summary of content of each Unit
- Assessment approaches
- Learning and teaching materials
- Experience of the workplace
- Resource requirements
- Progression
- Conditions and Arrangements
- Arrangements document
This Course is at Higher level and consists of four 40 hour mandatory Units.
Mandatory Units:
|
Understanding and Supporting People in Health and Social Care Settings (Higher) |
1 Unit credit |
|
Care Principles and Practice (Higher) |
1 Unit credit |
|
Working in Health and Social Care Settings (Higher) |
1 Unit credit |
|
Health, Safety and Protection Issues in Care Settings (Higher) |
1 Unit credit |
Summary of Course content
The Course introduces candidates to the nature of health and social care work. It includes investigating the types of health and social care establishments that are available and the roles of care workers in these settings. Candidates will also be investigating the principles of good care practice and exploring what constitutes day to day care work, for example identifying people’s needs and strengths and learning how care workers try to meet those needs through care plans.
Health, safety and protection isues are important within health and social care settings. Therefore candidates will explore these issues and some practical approaches to dealing with them. Using the insights gained from psychology they will also explore how to support service-users in an informed way. This will include a study of how people develop, how to help raise self-esteem and how to help service-users manage their stress. This will help candidates to become flexible health and social care workers if they decide to pursue a career in this sector.
Central to the Course is developing the employability attitudes and skills necessary for effective work in health and social care settings. These are incorporated in the different Units giving candidates the opportunity to practise and develop them throughout the Course. Candidates will have the opportunity to develop their skills through work placements or simulation exercises, investigation and group work. They will be involved in evaluating their own skills, setting themselves personal goals and reviewing their progress during the Course. The emphasis throughout the Course will be on experiential learning and developing the knowledge and skills valued by the care sector.
The Units of the Course have been designed to be delivered in an integrated manner. Guidance on a suggested teaching pattern is given in the Course Specification.
Summary of content of each Unit:
- Understanding and Supporting People in Health and Social Care Settings
Candidates will learn how people develop physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially and culturally through life and what might affect their development. They will explore Carl Roger’s theory of self-concept and its relevance to care work. In addition, they will learn about models of stress and how to support service users in preventing and managing stress. - Care Principles and Practice
In this Unit candidates will have the opportunity to develop their team working skills while researching together the National Care Standards and their importance to care work. They will also learn how to assess someone’s needs and strengths and prepare a plan to meet those needs. - Working in Health and Social Care Settings
Central to this Unit are the skills and attitudes valued by employers in the care sector. Candidates will have the opportunity to develop these skills and attitudes through placement experiences or realistic simulations and class exercises. Candidates will review their skills and attitudes and set personal goals which they will work on throughout the Course. In addition to this, candidates will also be learning about service provision and the responsibilities of a care worker in preparation for further training or future employment. - Health, Safety and Protection Issues in Care Settings
This Unit will involve a study of health, safety and protection issues which arise in health and social care contexts. It will also involve the investigation of practical approaches to dealing with these issues. Candidates will be involved in interviewing care workers and visiting care establishments. Teacher/lecturer input and research will also be important.
Assessment Approaches
The assessment of the Course will consist of the following:
- Understanding and Supporting People in Health and Social Care Settings
This Unit will be assessed through case studies covering essential theory and through an investigation. - Care Principles and Practice
This Unit will be assessed by means of a group investigation and case studies. - Working in Health and Social Care Settings
This Unit will be assessed through an investigation and candidate self evaluations of progress in employability skills. - Health, Safety and Protection Issues in Care Settings
This Unit will be assessed through a simulated risk assessment and case studies.
Each Unit will be supported by a National Assessment Bank (NAB) item which will provide an assessment package and will exemplify the national standard.
Learning and Teaching Material
Learning and teaching packs have been produced for each Unit, in partnership with the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU). These can be accessed via the SFEU website.
Experience of the workplace
Central to this Course is practical and experiential learning. Candidates need the opportunity to experience realistic workplace settings. This can be achieved through workplace placements, visits to workplaces, inviting visiting speakers and simulation exercises. In order to provide this range of learning environments it is expected that the Course will, in most cases, be delivered by means of a partnership arrangement between school and college or another training partner.
Resource Requirements
Since practical and experiential learning is central to this Course, it is important that candidates have access to a variety of learning environments. This could include access to health and social care settings, either to visit or as work placements, simulated workplace settings or visiting speakers from health and/or care establishments. The use of audiovisual resources and real or simulated case studies will also be required.
Progression
This Course may provide candidates with opportunities to progress to:
- Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in Health and Social Care
- Further/Higher Education
- training/employment
Conditions and Arrangements
Arrangement documents
|
Subject: |
Health and Social Care |
| Level: | Higher |
| Code: | C245 12 |
| Edition: | Version 1, April 2007 |
| Downloads: | SfW Health and Social Care Higher Course and Unit Specifications (276 KB) |
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