Design Technology Department

A-Level 'Health & Social Care' Double Award

This a modular course and provides the students with an opportunity to gain 2 A levels.

Why study Health & Social Care?
If youwish toworkwithin Social Care settings, youwill find that this course offers you the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the broad aspects of health and social care, its organisation and related services. It will provide you with the relevant qualifications and knowledge to move forward in the wide range of careers opportunities available within Health and Social Care.

What will you study?
Students studying for a Double Award (the equivalent qualification to two A2 level subjects) will study 12 units, some of which are compulsory. Four unitswill be assessed by external examination and the remaining eight assessed by the assignments produced for a portfolio.

Year 12

Students study for the AS qualification and are taught and examined in 6 units.

Autumn term: students study the 3 compulsory units.

1. Unit F910: Promoting quality care (exam)

• Attitudes and prejudices
• Rights and responsibilities of people who use services and providers
• Facilitation of access to services
• Values of care
• How organisations promote quality care.

2.     Unit F911: Communication in care settings (coursework)

• Types of communication
• Factors that support and inhibit communication
• Communication skills
• Theories relating to communication
• Interaction with the person who uses services(s)/practitioner(s).

3.     Unit F912: Promoting good health (coursework)

• Principles of health and well-being
• Preventative measures and job roles
• Planning a health promotion campaign
• Carry out a health promotion campaign.

These units are examined or assessed early in the Spring term

Spring/Summer Term: students study 3 further units:

4.     Unit F913: Health and safety in care settings (exam)

• The influence of current legislation on safe practice in care settings
• Safety and security
• Safe moving and handling techniques
• Contribution to infection control.

5.     Unit F914: Caring for people with additional needs (coursework)

• Common causes of additional needs
• Care-management process
• Production of a profile of a person who uses services with additional needs
• Models and approaches
• Barriers to access, support, aids and equipment available.

6.     Unit F916: Health as a lifestyle choice (coursework)

• Positive effects of exercise
• Nutritional value of food and the dietary function of nutrients
• Exploring dietary health
• Designing an exercise programme
• How diet and exercise affect health.

These units are assessed or examined in May.

After the AS examinations :students study 1 of the A2 units, this is assessed in January in year 13.

1.     Unit F925: Research methods in health and social care (coursework)

• Purposes and methods of research
• Ethical issues, sources of error and bias in research
• Planning, presenting and analysing findings from research
• Evaluating findings from research.

Year 13

Students study the A2 units, 1 of which is compulsory to complete the qualification.

Throughout the Autumn and Spring term

2.     Unit F919: Care practice and provision (Compulsory Coursework)

• Planning and provision of services
• Effects of national policy and legislation on care practice and provision
• How quality assurance is promoted by services
• Conducting a survey relating to quality assurance
• How services and practitioners meet individual needs
• Ways in which practitioners within services work in partnerships.

3.     Unit F921: Anatomy and physiology in practice (exam)

• Respiratory system
• Cardio-vascular system
• Digestive system
• Reproductive system
• Renal system
• Musculo-skeletal and neural systems
• Effects of lifestyle choices on body systems and health and well-being.

4.     Unit F923: Mental-Health issues (exam)

• The concept of mental health
• Types of mental illness
• Causes of mental illness
• Effects of mental illness
• Preventative and coping strategies
• Support for people with mental-health needs.

In the Autumn term only and examined in January

5.     Unit F920: Understanding human behaviour and development (exam)

• Factors influencing human development
• Theories of human development
• The application of theories to aid the understanding of human behaviour and development.

In the Spring/ Summer Term and assessed in May

6.     Unit F922: Child development

• Development and monitoring
• Factors that influence development and norms of development
• The role of play in development
• How to plan and make a learning aid/activity for a child (0-8).

Future prospects
This course will prepare you for further training for jobs in the Health and Social Care profession, such as nursing, social work and nursery teaching.
GCE Health and Social Care is a well regarded route into university for the study of a wide range of courses including Nursing, Social Work and Counselling.
You will also be able to use this qualification to help you get a job in Health and Social Care; you will often be able to take additional qualifications as you work through ‘day release’ courses.