Health and Social Care - Cambridge National Level 2 - OCR: J835

Course Content and Skill Development

The course gives essential knowledge and develops the skills needed by anyone considering working in the health, social or childcare industry. Students undertake:

Two mandatory units:

• Unit RO32 - Principles of Care in Health and Social Care settings 
• Unit RO33 - Supporting Individuals through Life Events

One optional unit from:

• Unit RO34 - Creative and Therapeutic Activities
• Unit RO35 - Health Promotion Campaigns

Method of Study

Students will work through a variety of activities including:

• Teacher / student presentations
• Discussion, pair work and group work
• Documentaries
• Primary research such as interviews and physiological data collection
• Secondary research using IT
• Practical work including role play
• Visiting speakers including Health and Social Care professionals to gain an understanding and appreciation of what their work entails

Assessment Structure

Unit RO32 - one written paper of 1 hour 15 minutes                40%

Units RO33 and RO34 or RO35 - coursework assignments      60% (30% each)

Opportunities beyond Year 11

This course is ideal preparation for progression to more detailed study of Health, Social Care and Early Years. Students can progress to Level 3 Health and Social Care and related subjects. Some may go on to work or train in a specialised area of Health, Social Care or Early Years, including midwifery, nursing, physiotherapy, teaching, social work, social care or Early Years settings.

Students complete the OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate (equivalent to an A Level).

Year 12

Mandatory units

Unit 1: Building Positive Relationships in Health and Social Care
Unit 2: Equality, Diversity and Rights in Health and Social Care
Unit 3: Health, Safety and Security in Health and Social Care

Assessment

Unit 1: Building Positive Relationships in Health and Social Care

No work in the health and social care sector is completed in isolation. Professional relationships are paramount to the delivery of safe and effective care and support. An understanding of these relationships and how they are formed is essential if you are considering pursuing a career in the health and social care sector.

This unit aims to introduce you to the many different relationships that you will encounter within the health and social care sector, whether with colleagues, senior members of staff, other professionals or individuals who require care and support. By undertaking this unit, you will apply communication and relationship-building skills in a practical way, considering how different factors, including context, can impact on the building of positive relationships. You will also be introduced to the concept of the person-centred approach, which will help with your relationship- building skills.

Unit 2: Equality, Diversity and Rights in Health and Social Care

Everyone is different and everyone has rights. Promoting equality and respecting diversity and rights in health, social care and childcare environments is essential in today’s very diverse society. Whatever role you aspire to in health, social care or childcare, an effective practitioner must be able to provide care that meets the needs of individuals and supports their rights. Many individuals who use health, social care or childcare environments can be vulnerable and dependent on others; this means that practitioners’ attitudes, values and prejudices can significantly affect the quality of care.

This unit will help you to understand the implications of diversity on practice and also the effects of discriminatory practice on individuals who require care or support. You will also gain an appreciation of how legislation and national initiatives can support and promote anti-discriminatory practice. Strategies used to promote equality, respect diversity and support individuals’ rights will be examined. You will develop your ability to recognise both good and discriminatory practice in care situations. You will develop your judgement and decision-making skills to choose appropriate responses to care situations and determine a course of action to promote the equality, diversity and rights of individuals in care settings.

Unit 3 Health, Safety and Security in Health and Social Care

What does it mean to be ‘safe’? Safety and being safe is a basic human need. Consciously or subconsciously we all take practical steps to stay safe. All individuals have the right to work in a safe environment and individuals who require care or support also have a right to be safe in health and social care contexts. As a result, there are responsibilities that practitioners must actively promote in order to provide and maintain a safe environment for colleagues and the individuals who require care and support.

This unit introduces you to health, safety and security in health and social care. You will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to equip you in maintaining a safe working environment for yourself, your colleagues and individuals who require care and support. You will learn how legislation, policies and procedures work to reduce risks in health and social care and the consequences of not following them. You will also learn how to respond to different incidents and emergencies with health and social care settings.

Year 13

Mandatory units

Unit 4: Anatomy and Physiology for Health and Social Care

Optional units

Unit 13: Sexual Health, Reproduction and Early Stage Development

Unit 17: Supporting People with Mental Health Conditions

Assessment

Unit 4: Anatomy and Physiology for Health and Social Care

We eat, we breathe and we control our bodies, as well as responding to the external environment, but why and how? This unit will help you to understand why these essential processes are so important in maintaining life. You will learn not only about the structure and function of some of the cells and tissues involved, but how they form organs and body systems that then have to interact to ensure that the body can provide the conditions necessary for thought, co-ordination, movement and growth.

This unit aims to introduce you to the basic structure and functions of the body systems involved in everyday activities and maintenance of health, including the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems. You will also understand the part played by organs such as the pancreas, liver and kidneys. You will investigate the systems and organs involved in detecting and responding to change, such as the nervous system as well as the eyes and ears. Unfortunately, things do go wrong and each system has well known diseases and disorders. Also, as individuals grow older, they are likely to be affected by malfunctions as a result of degeneration. Some of these will simply be inconvenient; others will be life-changers. You will understand the effects on individuals and what has to be done on a daily basis to enable them to lead as full and independent a life as possible.

Unit 17: Supporting People with Mental Health Conditions

One in four people will have mental health needs at some point in their life. What does mental health mean? There are many types of mental health conditions and causes can be complex. Despite the prevalence of mental health disorders in the population, there remain many barriers to inclusion for individuals who live with a mental illness. What are the effects of a mental health condition? What support is available for individuals? Treatments and services for individuals with mental health conditions, and attitudes towards those individuals, have developed over time.

This unit explores the meaning of mental health and mental health needs, and considers issues closely linked to mental health promotion and support. The unit introduces themes of inclusion, human rights, advocacy, empowerment and active participation. It will teach students about the main types of mental health conditions, how these may affect the life of the individual and the different ways in which they may be supported to promote their mental well-being, develop coping strategies to manage their illness. Students will gain an understanding of possible ways and models of understanding the nature of mental health needs, and how different factors may come together to influence the mental health of an individual.

Unit 13: Sexual Health, Reproduction and Early Stage Development

Health and well-being are not just relevant when you are an adult, it is just as relevant when you are a child and, as this unit demonstrates, they are of vital importance even before you are born. How can you be sexually healthy? What types of contraception are available? These kinds of questions are essential in contributing to an individual’s overall health and well-being. The health and well-being of an individual who is pregnant and the process of birth is impacted by many factors. How do you care for a newborn? What needs does a newborn have, and how do they differ from those of a one-year-old? All these questions will be considered in this unit.

The unit will also look at development from conception to a one-year-old child. On successful completion, students will have a sound understanding of the importance of sexual health and contraception. They will understand pre-natal health and the various stages of pregnancy and the factors that could have an impact.