Health & Social Care

Title: BTEC Nationals Diploma in Health and Social Care (equivalent to two A Levels)
Title: BTEC Nationals Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care (equivalent to three A Levels)

Type: Vocational
Entry Requirements: Standard entry requirements.
Course Length: 2 Years

BTEC Nationals Diploma in Health and Social Care
This 2 year course consists of 8 units:

• Unit 1 Human lifespan development
  Human growth and development through the life stages. 
  Factors affecting human growth and development. 
  Effects of ageing.

   

  
  

• Unit 2: Working in health and social care
  The roles and responsibilities of people who work in the health and social care sector.
  The roles of organisations in the health and social care sector.
  Working with people with specific needs in the health and social care sector.

   

• Unit 5: Meeting individual care and support needs
  A Examine principles, values and skills which underpin meeting the care and support needs of individuals.

  B Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs.
  C Investigate the principles behind enabling individuals with care and support needs to overcome challenges.
  D Investigate the roles of professionals and how they work together to provide the care and support necessary to meet individual needs. 

   

• Unit 7: Principles of Safe Practice in Health
  A Examine how a duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social care settings.

  B Understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse and neglect in health and social care settings.
  C Investigate the influence of health and safety legislation and policies in health and social care settings.
  D Explore procedures and responsibilities to maintain health and safety and respond to accidents and emergencies in health and social care settings.

• Unit 8: Promoting Public Health
  A Examine strategies for developing public health policy to improve the health of individuals and the population.
  B Examine the factors affecting health and the impact of addressing these factors to improve public health.
  C Investigate how health is promoted to improve the health of the population.
  D Investigate how health promotion encourages individuals to change their behaviour in relation to their own health.

• Unit 10: Sociological Perspectives
  A Understand how sociological concepts and perspectives are applied to the study of health and social care.
  B Examine how sociological approaches support understanding of models and concepts of health.
  C Examine how social inequalities, demographic change, and patterns and trends affect health and social care delivery.
• Unit 14: Physiological Disorders and their Care
  

  A Investigate the causes and effects of physiological disorders.
  B Examine the investigation and diagnosis of physiological disorders.
  C Examine treatment and support for service users with physiological disorders.
  D Develop a treatment plan for service users with physiological disorders to meet their needs.

BTEC Nationals Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
This 2 year course consists of 13 units (the 8 units above and the following 5 units):

• Unit 3: Anatomy and Physiology for health and social care
  The structure and organisation of the human body.
  The structure, function and disorders of body systems.
  Medical research.
• Unit 6: Work experience in health and social care
  A Examine the benefits of work experience in health and social care for own learning and development.
  B Develop a work experience plan to support own learning and development.
  C Carry out work experience tasks to meet set objectives.
  D Reflect on how work experience influences own personal and professional development.
• Unit 12: Supporting Individuals with Additional Needs
  A Examine reasons why individuals may experience additional needs.
  B Examine how to overcome the challenges to daily living faced by people with additional needs.
  C Investigate current practice with respect to provision for individuals with additional needs.
• Unit 17: Caring for Individuals with Dementia
  A Examine the types, causes and symptoms of dementia.
  B Examine the effects of dementia on people who have the condition.
  C Investigate the concept of person-centred care for people who have dementia to maintain quality of life and wellbeing.
• Unit 19: Nutritional Health
  A Understand concepts of nutritional health and characteristics of essential nutrients.
  B Examine factors affecting dietary intake and nutritional health.
  C Plan nutrition to improve individuals’ nutritional health.

Here’s a taste of the different career health and social care can lead to:

• Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner
• Physician Assistant
• Dental Hygienist
• Social Worker
• Paramedic
• Nursery Nurse
• Healthcare Assistant
• Midwife
• Occupational
• Therapist
• Counsellor

“The teachers were fantastic, and went out of their way to help me whenever they could!”