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Health & Social Care - Level 2 National Certificate

INTRODUCTION

The course gives a good understanding, under pinning knowledge and skills which are needed when working with people.  The topic areas covered are both interesting and relevant for a future career in the care sector. The course is assessed by course work only, submitted on a deadline meaning good organisational skills are required and are necessary.

LENGTH OF COURSE

One year

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

To enrol on this course you need to have  GCSE’s at D and E grades

COURSE AIMS

The course aims to develop and maintain an interest in health, social care, youth and community. In addition to knowledge and understanding for working in this field there is an element of  developing study skills as preparation for the next level of learning the following year.

HOW WILL I STUDY?

You will be expected to learn in a wide variety of ways;
Formal teaching, there are ten hours lesson times per week....
Work experience; appropriate placements to support learning experience....
VESA student conference sharing experiences with other HSC City students....
Visiting speakers brought into lesson as practicing professionals....
Watching DVDs, case studies, presentations and group work etc.... 

You may need to interview care sector professionals or do research in the library or using the Internet. You will, however, always be expected to take responsibility for your own learning, develop your time management and organisational skills as well as taking up enrichment opportunities that Gateway offers

The course has six units, three taught by one teacher and three by another; all units are assessed by course work which students are required to hand in regularly through out the year. The deadlines are given well in advance and the course teachers write detailed feedback as well as offering lunch time work shops and one to one tutorials to ensure the best grade possible for individuals.

COURSE CONTENT

Unit 1 – Preparing to give quality care
Learning about peoples Rights; to choice, to confidentiality, equal and fair treatment etc
Recognising individuals differences and how care workers can ensure these are protected also how care settings provide a service using policies and procedures to give quality care.
Look into anti-discriminatory practices and legislation that protects confidentiality as well as conduct a survey which investigates how a service supports and values people who use it.

Unit 2 – Communicating with service users in care settings
Knowledge about verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Looking into positives that influence and factors that act as barriers to an effective communication. Discovering the ways of ensuring service users are treated with respect, offered choices, feel like they are viewed as individuals and their confidentiality maintained in the different types of communication which happens in the care sector. Students then need to evaluate their own skills as communicators .

Unit 3 – Practical caring
Studying ways to support and value service users by actions and positive behaviours as well as looking at skills and personal qualities that job roles require when working with people. Gain knowledge of the safest and professional way to use wheel chairs, clothing aids and how to assist someone who has additional needs to eat. This unit stresses the importance of service users independence and not taking over with too much care so students performances are evaluated.

Unit 4 – Hygiene and Safety in care settings
Research into a range of infections, how they are spread, diagnosis and treatments as well as measures to control or prevent out breaks and incidents. Recognising basic hygiene procedures that meet health and safety regulations and discover how risk assessments are accurately written to protect people from accident or injury. Safety and security measures at work in care settings will be learned in practice and evaluated so a broad understanding of health and safety can be demonstrated
 
Unit 7 – Development and care of young children
Recognising parent’s responsibilities and the average progress milestones for children 0-3 years-old with a focus on speech development and how this is encourage, identifying barriers to achieving the milestone norms. Intellectual stages in of play, social development and emotional advances are researched into thoroughly. The general care of a new baby and the ergonomics of a nursery as well as the practicalities of safety.

Unit 9 – Preparing to work with older service users
A look into what types of accommodation and the more common health issues with older services users such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis and hearing impairment. Analysing ways of ensuring safety in residential homes evaluating how communication can promote independence and support and value individuals. Finally, planning a suitable activity which stimulates thought, entertains and encourages mobility and dexterity evaluating the benefits of these as a care plan.

WHERE NEXT?

During your year studying Health & Social Care, in additional to meeting the exam board standard for a pass, merit or distinction you will also be learning organisational skills which are required in the next level of study, AS/A2 Level. However, it is essential you have a GCSE grade C in English for progression so make sure you work on this along side your Level 2!

Whether you decide to go into work after your course or continue to the next level of study there are a wide variety of job roles in the health, social care, child care and youth and community you can focus on as a long term career. Past students from gateway have gone on to jobs such as:-
Nursing; theatre nurse, paediatric nursing, psychiatric care, midwifery etc
Speech therapy, complementary therapy, physiotherapy, psychotherapy etc
Child care, nursery nurse, ward  play therapist, play leader etc
Youth and Community work, probation, police as well as drug and alcohol counselling etc
Social Work; adoption and fostering, adults with learning difficulties or elderly etc