Health and Social Care (BTEC)

HSC is a subject that students can study at both Key Stage 4 and 5.

Our aims and vision are informed by the whole school vision ‘ A broad, stimulating and enjoyable curriculum that engages, motivates and challenges all pupils, giving them knowledge, skills and understanding to grow as individuals, preparing them for the next stage in their lives’

In HSC this is achieved by

Broad – The course covers everything from jobs in the Health and Social Care sector, skills needed to be a good service provider, policies and procedures that must be followed, right through to how people develop through different life stages by looking at what is considered ‘normal’ development and what can disrupt this development. The course will develop knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to careers in nursing, allied health services, social sciences, social work, education, youth work, and many more.

Stimulating – Should the NHS make fertility available to everyone? Should someone in later adulthood have to pay for their own care? Which policies are the best at reducing misconduct in health? Students have the opportunity to consider questions like these alongside many other important issues that occur in Health and Social Care.

Enjoyable – Students choose their own celebrities to study and base their work on, they are able to look at how their celebrity has developed from when they were born and how they will develop right up to late adulthood. It is a lot more exciting when they choose someone they are interested in and I love seeing who they come up with! Students also take an active role in choosing disorders to investigate and collectively we decide on case studies to write care plans for so that they are relevant to their lives and fun to look into.

Engaging –. We look at a range of care settings from hospitals and care homes to day centres and nurseries. We have opportunities to go to some of these settings to gain first-hand knowledge, understanding and experience of the day-to-day running of a care setting. Guest speakers are regularly invited into school to share their knowledge and experiences.

Motivating – Students are encouraged to be inspired and changed by using case studies and scenarios that are relevant and relatable to their own lives and experiences. They will either have encountered them themselves or know someone that has. Students are encouraged to interview people in their own lives to gain information and knowledge.

Challenging – The course equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary for further study and work in the Health and Social Care sector by looking into key areas such as legislation changes, health and safety, barriers people face when accessing services, life events people face and the effect they have on a person’s development. When covering these areas students will have to use problem solving skills to relate their knowledge to case studies which will develop their abstract and critical thinking, they will have to use communication and collaborative skills to work in groups, and they will have to use self-managements skills to become adaptable and resilient.

11A and 11B – Friday

10A and 10B -  Thursday

 

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Check the Curriculum Year information for the homework timetable.

 

BTEC Level 1/2 Tech Award

Students receive 3 lessons a week studying 3 components, component 1 and 2 are coursework and component 3 is assessed by an exam.

There are a number of skills developed through the study of Health and Social Care, some of which are specific to the nature of the subject and some of which are widely transferable.  Specific skills include; to be able to make comparisons, to be able to analyse and to be able to draw upon personal and lived experiences.  Transferable skills include; communication, to present ideas and arguments verbally, identify and propose solutions to problems, to work independently, use information technology and reflect on and review progress.

Health and Social Care - Subject Details

 

BTEC Level 3 National

Students have 5 hours of Health and Social Care each week.

The subject prepares students for the world of work, access to university or the opportunity to join one of the main roles in the sector.

Students will be  assessed via coursework which will be presented in the form of

• Powerpoints
• Word Documents
• Leaflets
• Posters
• Or group presentations

Students are assessed via coursework and exams. 

Health and Social Care (Extended Certificate)

General Information (Useful Information for Parents)

Students have 1 exam in the February of Year 11 assessing knowledge and understanding of health, wellbeing and health monitoring plans

Useful Websites

Personal Learning Checklist	Click Here
Example Exam Questions/Model Answers	Sample Assessment Paper - Click Here September - 2016 - Click Here
Revision Materials/Sharepoint	Past exam papers Power points are available on each topic - Click Here SharePoint (Pupils must log in with their username as their usual computer login followed by @st-georgescofe-thanet.kent.sch.uk (e.g. JSmith123@st-georgescofe-thanet.kent.sch.uk) and their usual password they use to log on to school laptops)

General Information (Useful Information for Parents)

Useful Websites

Personal Learning Checklist	Unit 1 - Click Here Unit 2 - Click Here
Example Exam Questions/Model Answers	Unit 1 - Sample Assessment Paper - Click Here September 2016 - Click Here May 2017- Click Here Mark Scheme September 2016 - Click Here Unit 2 -  Sample Assessment Paper - Click Here September 2016 - Click Here June 2017 - Click Here
Revision Materials / Sharepoint	Past exam papers Power points are available on each topic Unit 1 - Click Here Unit 2 - Click Here Sharepoint - Year 12 Sharepoint - Year 13 (Pupils must log in with their username as their usual computer login followed by @st-georgescofe-thanet.kent.sch.uk (e.g. JSmith123@st-georgescofe-thanet.kent.sch.uk) and their usual password they use to log on to school laptops)

Career Opportunities in HSC after going to University:

• Health administration
• Care management
• Further Education teaching
• Community development
• Charity Officer
• Social work
• Nursing
• Health therapies
• Youth work.

 

Career opportunities after leaving School:

• Therapy assistant
• Medical technician
• Health care assistant
• Social Worker assistant

Health and social care can lead to careers such as:

Health visitors

What does a health visitor do?

Health visitors travel to people’s homes, especially new mothers and children, to provide information, practical care, and support to help clients cope with any difficulties they are experiencing. The role may involve working with a broad section of people in the community, and duties might often include:

• advising older people on health related issues
• giving advice to new mothers about their baby – for example hygiene, safety, feeding and sleeping
• counselling people on issues such as post-natal depression or bereavement 
• coordinating child immunisation programmes
• organising special clinics or drop-in centres

Health visitors work closely with other agencies, such as social services and local housing departments.

What do I need to do to become a health visitor?

To become a health visitor, you will need to have the ability to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds. You must have excellent communication and listening skills. Sometimes you will need to be able to cope with distressing issues.

You will need to be a qualified midwife or nurse to begin an approved health visitor training programme and work as a health visitor. There is no minimum length of experience required, but you will need the ability to study at university level. 

To start training, you would need to apply for the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Health Visiting (SCPHN/HV) programme. The qualification is studied at degree level, or postgraduate level if you already have a degree

CARE WORKER

What does a care worker do?

Care workers or home carers work with people who have difficulties with every day activities. You may be helping children, people with physical or learning disabilities, and older people or families. Tasks can include:

• spending time getting to know clients and understanding their wishes and needs
• looking after clients, helping them wash, use the toilet, dress and eat
• completing housework such as cleaning, washing clothes and shopping
• supporting clients to manage their money, pay bills and write letters
• helping other family members to get used to new caring responsibilities
• working with other health and social care professionals to provide individual care and development plans
• helping to run leisure activities

What do I need to do to become a care worker?

You can start this role as a trainee without formal qualifications, though some previous voluntary work in a care setting would be advantageous. A level 1 or 2 qualification in health and social care may offer an advantage with some employers. As an alternative, it may be possible to enter this job role through an apprenticeship. 

Nurses look after people when they are sick or injured.

 

NURSE

What does a nurse do?

Nurses look after people when they are sick or injured. You’ll provide support to doctors and other medical staff, take blood and urine samples, and in some cases, you may carry out minor surgical procedures.

As a nurse you can specialise in a number of different areas:

• adult nursing – where you look after adults between 18 and 65
• paediatric nursing – where you look after children
• geriatric nursing – where you look after elderly people
• mental health nursing – where you look after people with mental health problems
• district nursing – where you travel around an area looking after a variety of local patients
• learning disability nursing – where you help people of all ages with learning disabilities to live healthy and independent lives

You’ll need to have a caring personality and excellent communication skills, as you’ll be dealing with a variety of patients in potentially stressful environments. 

What do I need to do to become a nurse?

To become a nurse you will need to complete a degree. You will usually choose which area you will specialise in before starting your degree. You will also need to pass a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. 

To do a nursing degree, you will usually need five GCSEs (A-C) including maths, English and science, plus at least two A levels with one in a science or health-related subject.  

Alternatively, a level 3 vocational course in science or health and social care may be accepted – check with universities