Broughton Hall Catholic High School - Curriculum / Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care

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Introduction

Health and Social Care The study of Health and Social Care at both Key Stage 4 and 5 allows pupils to learn about a sector that is vital to the health and well-being of our society. Involving both practical and theoretical elements, this course give pupils the opportunity to understand the role doctors, nurses, Allied Health Professionals, social workers, youth workers, and other care workers play in supporting the health and wellbeing of people across the UK.

Pupils not only investigate the structure of the health and social care system, but they also consider the skills and qualities health and social care professionals must embody in order to meet the needs of the service users in their care. From considering the impact of illness, disability, physical environment and stress on an individual's health to developing a number of solutions to empower that individual, students obtain an awareness of the importance of effective professional support for those with specific needs and their families.

Through a mixture of examinations and internally assessed coursework, pupils apply their knowledge of this course to various true-to life case studies: developing health and well-being plans, outlining the role of multi-disciplinary teams and role playing the use of specific equipment for monitoring health (e.g blood pressure monitors), improving mobility (e.g. walking frames), and supporting visual or hearing impairment (e.g. the use of braille), etc.. Throughout, students incorporate skills and theories such as the 6 care values, communication, observation, empathy and ethics to show an understanding of how every service user should be supported in a holistic way.

By taking Health and Social care, pupils will connect to a fast-growing industry that presently employs over 2.2 million specialists. They will discover job opportunities, learn about rewarding career paths, and start to get a sense of the feeling of achievement that comes with improving an individual's quality of life. Pupils often have a personal connection to what they are learning because of their own experiences and those of their families. Pupils are consistently able to apply the skills and knowledge they are learning in this course to understanding how people in their own community are cared for; this is at the heart of the Health and Social Care curriculum.

Extra-curricular Activities

Subject staff endeavour to connect students to the subject through educational visits when possible as well as guest speakers from across the health and social care sector. There will be an emphasis on careers in health and social care, with students given guidance as to the appropriate courses and experience they will need in order to follow a path into job roles within this sector.

There will also be opportunities for students to support local health and social care organisations via raising money and awareness, sending cards and letters, and participating in other local events benefitting these organisation. Tutor2u conferences and support workshops are periodically organised for students to attend in Manchester.

More information about our department

Student feedback for Health and Social Care is very positive. Students have reported feeling satisfied with the level of support they are being given, are happy with the teaching, and are confident that the staff are working well to help them achieve. Staff connect with other teachers of Health and Social Care and BTEC courses across the city and country via regular meetings, trainings, and quality assurance. This allows specialists to share good practice and develop a wide variety of health and social care-related experiences for students to plug into.

Staff work with students to create a welcoming and calm atmosphere where students feel they can achieve. At all levels, learning is individualised to meet the needs of each student. Students are monitored closely on every topic and given consistent feedback as to their progress. We want to share with students the enthusiasm we have for this subject, giving them the opportunity to think about health and social care in terms of their own experiences and what role they may be able to play in this or another related sector in future.

Contact Information

For more information please contact Mrs Sykes on 0151 541 9440.

Programme of Study KS4


Head of Department: Mrs A Sykes
Contact email address: sykesa@broughtonhall.com
Specification: Edexcel
Qualification: BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care Health and Social Care at Key Stage 4 is designed to help students connect to factors that affect their own physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. They will learn about sources of support for people who are going through a variety of life challenges and then explore the role of health and social care professionals who help people overcome these challenges. One of the most important skills students learn in this course is how to design a health and wellbeing plan to improve the quality of an individual's life. Students will also have the chance to role play good quality care and learn about different health care fields from professionals within these fields.

The aims of this course are:

  • To give students the opportunity to investigate key milestones in the holistic development of human beings and apply this understanding to an individual case study of their choice.
  • To introduce students to the various factors that affect individuals' health and wellbeing. Students then develop short and long term goals to support service users in improving their own health and wellbeing, overcome obstacles and have a good quality of life.
  • To offer students the opportunity to investigate the roles and responsibilities of health and social care organisations and professionals that support people with specific needs. Student learn about different roles in health care, child and adult social care, and how people working in these fields empower and meet the needs of those individuals in their care.
  • To give students real life experiences within health and social care fields. This includes role plays demonstrating how to offer support to service users and careers advice and guidance from people working in the health and social care sector.


How is the course structured & assessed?

Component 1 - Human Lifespan Development (stages of growth, factors affecting development, the process of ageing) Year 1 (Internal Assessment - Coursework)

Component 2 - Health and Social Care Services and Values (Specific job roles and organisation in health and social care, barriers to care, demonstrating care values and reviewing your own practice when working with a service user) Year 2 (Internal Assessment - Coursework)

Component 3 - Health and Wellbeing (factors affecting health and wellbeing, obstacles to improving health and wellbeing, developing a health and wellbeing plan) Year 1 & Year 2 (External Assessment - Examination)

Students are taught 3 lessons per week over the course of the two years. They will take the Component 3 examination at the end of their first year. They will submit their Component 1 coursework at the end of their first year and their Component 2 coursework at the end of their second year.

What can this qualification lead to?

By taking Health and Social care, pupils will connect to a fast-growing industry that presently employs over 2.2 million specialists. They will discover job opportunities, learn about rewarding career paths, and start to get a sense of the feeling of achievement that comes with improving an individual's quality of life. Students who have achieved this qualification have gone on to complete Level 3 qualifications in this subject, i.e. a certificate, extended certificate and diploma.

From here, students go on to complete degree courses in nursing, midwifery, health sciences, pharmacy, physiotherapy, social work, primary school teaching, youth work, health and social care management, and counselling. Having this course on your CV is also useful when applying for employment and work experience in hospitals, care homes, nurseries, youth centres, and specialist treatment clinics.

Programme of Study KS5


Key Information

Level: LEVEL 3
Examination Board: Pearson
Subject Leader: Mrs Sykes

Entry Requirements

A grade 5 in GCSE English Language.

Why Choose this course?

Students taking the Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care will have the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of this sector. The Extended Certificate is equivalent in size to one full A Level. In this course, students will learn how people develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially through the course of their lives and how specific life events can impact their personal growth. Students will investigate a write about the diagnosis, treatment and impact of physical disorders and learn about how professionals within a variety of health and social care fields support people who use these services.

Students in Health and Social Care will develop problem-solving and research skills, use critical thinking and apply their knowledge creatively to develop care plans for service users with a wide range of needs. Communication, working collaboratively, and presentation skills will also be emphasised over the 2 years. Students will learn to manage their time effectively, develop resilience and connect successfully to outside health and social care organisations.

Prospects

This qualification is an ideal first step to careers within health and social care. The course supports access to a range of related apprenticeships and higher education courses and combines well with other sixth form subjects. For example:

A combination of Health and Social Care along with A Levels in psychology and biology can lead to a BSc (Hons) in nursing.
A combination of Health and Social Care along with A Levels in English and history can lead to a BA (Hons) in primary education.

A qualification in health and social care can also lead to degree courses in social work, youth work, sports studies, and police studies.

Course Content

Year 12
Unit 1:Human Lifespan Development
(External Exam)

Unit 14:Physiological Disorders and their Care. (Coursework)

Year 13
Unit 2: Working in Health and Social Care (External Exam)

Unit 5:Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs. (Coursework)

Each unit has specific learning aims that are addressed throughout the course some of which are synoptic.

Course Opportunities/ Activities

Throughout the 2 year course, Health and Social Care students will have the opportunity to connect with professionals in these fields. Workshops and talks from nurses, social workers, midwives, occupational therapists, youth workers, and care home managers will be offered regularly throughout the course. Students will also learn about how they can volunteer and complete work experience at local hospitals, residential care facilities and other health and social care providers. These experiences are vital for students pursuing a career in health or social care field. Future opportunities include collaboration with the Broughton Hall Science department in developing an on-site replica hospital ward. On this ward, students interested in health care can experience what it is like to work in a hospital setting whilst developing their health care skills.

Support and Challenge

All health and social care students are given topic booklets, past papers and access to an online textbook. Additional revision and examination activities are provided throughout the course as well as revision and extra coursework sessions and one-to-one support. Every half term, all students are given a calendar of activities, revision and extensions opportunities for each week. This allows them to organise their time, balance their coursework with their revision, and prioritise their focus.

The extension opportunities give students the chance to investigate the role of health and social care further, including the impact the recent pandemic has had on services and the people who provide them. Relevant podcasts, news articles, films, and television programmes are recommended and referred to in every unit. Students have been supported with successful applications to apprenticeships and university courses in nursing, midwifery, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, primary and early years education, sports sciences, and social work.

Student Comment

Health and Social Care really helps me understand the roles of people who work in the health field. I want to become a nurse and this subject is giving me the skills and understanding of what it will be like to work with patients and how I can best help the people in my care.

I really like Health and Social Care because it is really relevant to me. It has given me the knowledge of how we all grow and develop throughout our life and the different events that can affect our health and well being. I have also developed research skills, time management and confidence in taking exams which has helped me in my other subjects.