CTEC Health and Social Care

This qualification is equivalent to one A Level and must be taken alongside two other qualifications.

This course enables students to build up a bank of mandatory and optional units according to their interest and career aspirations. Units are assessed both externally and internally.

• Human lifespan development (external exam in Year 12)

• Working in health and social care (external exam in Year 13)

• Meeting individual care and support needs (internally assessed coursework unit in Year 12)

• Psychological perspectives (internally assessed coursework unit in Year 13)

Human lifespan development: this unit focuses on human growth and development across 6 life stages (from birth to later adulthood). Students are expected to develop knowledge and understanding of factors which affect development, as well as a comprehensive understanding of a range of theories relating to human development (for example in the field of child development). Working in health and social care: this unit require students to study the importance of the health and social care sector in modern society; students will research a range of job roles and responsibilities in the Health and Social Care sector, along with legislation and policies which supports safer working practices. This unit is particularly important for those students who want to progress to a career in Health and Social Care.

Students are encouraged to carry out work experience in the Health and Social Care sector where possible. Knowledge and understanding developed in Units 1 and 2 will support students in their completion of internally assessed coursework units.

A combination of assessment styles is used, giving students confidence that they can apply their knowledge in a Health and Social Care setting. Students will carry out research and projects linked to the theory content of units. They will also be required to demonstrate their skills in real-life scenarios provided by the exam board; these tasks will be set and marked by Pearson. Finally, essential knowledge will be assessed under exam conditions, via written papers.

General entry requirements of 5 GCSE grades at grade 4 or above including English Literature or Language and Maths.

This qualification in Health and Social Care leads directly into BSc Honours degrees in nursing, social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and Health and Social Care. Students are able to gain entry into careers including radiotherapy, midwifery and nursing, paramedic science, podiatry, healthcare science and the NHS practitioner training programme.