Key Facts
Qualification purpose
Recognise personal growth and engagement in learning
Qualification Grading Type
Pass
Assessment Methods
Why choose this qualification?
Available at Entry 1, 2 and 3, the Skills for Independent Living qualifications allow learners to develop the skills most relevant to them, as they prepare for or make the most of adult life. They are able to combine employability, personal and social and learning skills, as appropriate, to create a highly personalised package to meet their individual needs, whether their primary focus is on progression to employment, independent living, further learning or a combination of these.
The rule of combination also enables them to work at the level most relevant to them in each of the different skills they choose to include in their qualification, as Entry level learners typically have quite varied profiles in relation to different skill areas.
These Skills for Independent Living qualifications have been developed as part of a coherent suite designed to recognise the achievements of learners working at Entry level, as they prepare for employment, independent living, further learning or adult life in general. The suite also includes qualifications with the following titles:
- Skills for Active Learners
- Making Support Work
- Personal and Social Skills
- Preparation for Employment
- Enterprise
- Skills for Independent Living.
All the qualifications in the Entry level suite are designed to enable maximum flexibility, combining units at different levels and offering a wide range of choice, so that the curriculum can be led by the learners’ needs, accommodating the spiky profiles typical of learners at this level. Learning outcomes and assessment criteria are written in such a way that centres have the freedom to determine their own approach to teaching and learning, as well as the most appropriate form of assessment and type of evidence. In this way, the qualifications can be used to underpin person-centred programmes.
Skills for Independent Living – 2019
This qualification was developed in 2019 to update our Entry level suite of qualifications. It will replace the older LEGACY: Gateway Qualifications Entry Level Extended Certificate in Skills for Independent Living (Entry 2) qualification. The two versions of the qualification will run in parallel until 31st July 2020.
If you are running Skills for Independent Living qualifications please double check that you are registering and claiming on the correct version. If you have any queries about which version you are approved for, please contact us.
For information about the older version of the qualification, please visit LEGACY: Gateway Qualifications Entry Level Extended Certificate in Skills for Independent Living (Entry 2).
Rules of Combination
Learners must complete 26 credits of which a minimum of 16 must be at Entry 2 or above. Learners must include units from at least 2 of the 3 groups: A Personal and Social Skills, B Employability Skills and C Learning Skills. They cannot include more than 19 credits from any one group. Learners cannot include more than one unit with the same or similar title (e.g. a learner may not include Working in a Team at Entry 1 and Entry 2).
Units
Learners can include up to 19 credits from this group .
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Being a householder
Being a householder
Looking after your own home
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Being part of a group
Being part of a group
Being part of a group
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Completing a task
Completing a task
Contributing to tasks
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Contributing to the community
Contributing to the community
Contributing to the community
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Dealing with problems
Dealing with problems
Dealing with problems
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Direct Own Support
Direct Own Support
Making Support Work for You
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Handling money
Handling money
Using money
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Healthy eating
Healthy eating
Healthy eating
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Independent travel
Independent travel
Independent travel
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Keeping safe online
Keeping safe online
Keeping safe online
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Looking after own mental wellbeing
Looking after own mental wellbeing
Looking after own mental wellbeing
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Making choices
Making choices
Making choices
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Managing money
Managing money
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Negotiation Skills
Negotiation skills
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Personal safety
Personal safety
Personal safety
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Rights and Responsibilities
Rights and Responsibilities
Rights and responsibilities
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness
Self-awareness
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Self-advocacy
Speaking up for yourself
Speaking up for yourself
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Taking exercise
Taking exercise
Taking exercise
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Understanding relationships
Understanding relationships
Understanding relationships
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Using social and leisure facilities
Using social and leisure facilities
Using social and leisure facilities
Learners can include up to 19 credits from this group .
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Applying for Jobs
Applying for a Job
Applying for jobs
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Career Planning
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Communication Skills for Work
Communication skills for work
Communication skills for work
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Completing a workplace task
Completing a workplace task
Contributing to workplace tasks
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Conduct and personal presentation for work
Conduct and personal presentation for work
Conduct at Work
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Dealing with Work-related Problems
Dealing with work-related problems
Solving Work-Related Problems
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Digital Skills for Work
Digital Skills for Work
Digital skills for work
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Direct own support in the workplace
Direct own support in the workplace
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Exploring and Presenting Enterprise Ideas
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Exploring Entrepreneurship
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Exploring the world of work
Understanding the world of work
Understanding the world of work
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Finding jobs
Finding jobs
Searching for a Job
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Following Instructions
Following Instructions
Following instructions
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Health and Safety in the Workplace
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Interview Skills
Interview Skills
Interview Skills
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Introduction to Self-Employment
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Making the Most of Work Placement
Making the most of work placement
Making the most of work placement
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Numeracy Skills for Work
Numeracy skills for work
Numeracy skills for work
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Presenting information about self to an employer
Presenting information about self to an employer
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Reviewing and reflecting on own progress towards employment
Reviewing and reflecting on own progress towards employment
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Self-Management Skills for Work
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Setting Work-related Targets
Setting and Meeting Work-Related Targets
Setting work-related targets
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Time Management
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Understanding self in an employability context
Understanding self in an employability context
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Using tools or equipment in the workplace
Using tools or equipment in the workplace
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Working in a Team
Working in a team
Working in a team
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Working Safely
Working safely
Working safely
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Customer service skills
Working with Customers
Working with customers
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Working with Colleagues
Working with Others in the Workplace
Working with others in the workplace
Learners can include up to 19 credits from this group .
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Adjusting to a New Setting
Adjusting to a New Setting
Adjusting to a New Setting
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Direct Own Support
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Identifying Own Starting Point
Identifying Own Starting Point
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Making Choices about Learning
Making Choices about Learning
Making Choices about Learning
Making Choices about Learning
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Preparing for the Future
Preparing for the Future
Preparing for the Future
Preparing for the Future
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Recognising Own Achievements
Recognising Own Achievements
Recognising Own Achievements
Recognising Own Achievements
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Review Own Support
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Reviewing and Reflecting on Own Progress
Reviewing and Reflecting on Own Progress
Reviewing and Reflecting on Own Progress
Reviewing and Reflecting on Own Progress
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Setting Targets
Setting Targets
Setting Targets
Learners may choose 1 unit from this group.
Starting Out on a New Learning Experience
Starting a New Experience
Starting a New Learning Experience
Starting a New Learning Experience
Internal Quality Assessor Requirements
DCS status for centres previously approved to offer the legacy version of this qualification can retain DCS status for this qualification subject to ongoing maintaining standards through external quality assurance monitoring.
What is the purpose of this qualification?
This qualification is for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND), including those with complex needs, who would benefit from a broad programme of learning which combines the skills needed for increased independence, (supported) employment and/or further learning.
What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?
This qualification includes a broad range of skills which will support learners to develop the skills they will need in order to live fulfilling adult lives including:
• personal and social skills such as self-advocacy and independent travel;
• the generic employability skills common to most entry-level jobs, including supported employment opportunities, such as following instructions and getting on with colleagues;
• learning skills such as setting targets and reviewing progress.
There are no mandatory units, enabling learners and providers to work together to select units appropriate to the individual’s needs, interests and aspirations for their adult lives, in line with the aims of the SEND reforms.
How is this qualification different from other, similar qualifications?
There is a Gateway Qualifications Certificate, Extended Certificate and Diploma in Skills for Independent Living. The Extended Certificate is designed to meet the needs of learners, including those on 16-19/25 study programmes, who need an extended programme (usually over two years), or for those who need an even longer programme (perhaps over three years) which combines accredited learning with non-accredited provision, before progressing to further learning at the next level, or in order to achieve their desired adult life outcomes.
Which sector does this qualification support?
This qualification supports progression to supported employment opportunities across a number of sectors.
What are the progression options?
Learners can progress from this qualification to further Entry level learning in preparation for their adult lives, including, for example, the Gateway Qualifications Entry level Certificate in Skills for Independent Living (Entry 3) or to more specifically focused Entry level qualifications such as the Gateway Qualifications Entry level Certificate in Preparation for Employment (Entry 3).
Progression & Entry Requirements
Learners do not need any prior qualifications or specific level of attainment to take this qualification and it is available to learners of any age.Funding information
Learning Aims Search
The Hub provides a Learning Aims Search which you can use to check the funding status of any qualification or unit.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Hub website
We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.
This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.
Offer our Qualifications
If you would like to teach our qualifications to your learners, submit an enquiry to discuss the best options.