Health and Social Care - Higher (SCQF level 6)

Contact the Qualifications Manager for this subject area 
Tom Stannage

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:

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

The Conditions and Arrangements for this subject are available from the NQ Care pages .

Arrangement documents