What is the purpose of this qualification?
This qualification provides a range of introductory skills, as well as core knowledge relevant to health and care, alongside generic employability skills which are needed both in the health and care sector and across other sectors. The qualification is of specific relevance to:
• Young people interested in a career in the health and care sector who intend, but are not yet ready, to access level 3 qualifications or an advanced apprenticeship.
• Young people and adults usually with prior attainment at level 1 and below, including those who have had a significant break from or disjointed experience of education, who wish to work in the health and care sector but need a broad grounding in the subject and an opportunity to develop more general workplace skills before applying for work.
What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?
This qualification provides a range of introductory skills, as well as core knowledge, relevant to health and care, alongside generic employability skills which are needed both in the health and care sector and across other sectors. Mandatory units include:
• Working in Health and Social Care
• Person-Centred Approaches in Health and Social Care
• Communication in Health and Social Care
• Equality and Inclusion in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
Optional units include knowledge and skills relevant to different job roles in the sector (such as disability awareness, first aid, food safety) alongside generic employability skills (such as leadership skills and setting and meeting targets at work).
How is this qualification different from other, similar qualifications?
This qualification is part of a suite which includes an Award, Certificate and Diploma. Learners should take the Certificate if they need a broad introduction to the sector, as well as more generic workplace skills, before progressing to employment (with further training where possible), to a level 3 Apprenticeship or to a Level 3 qualification, as illustrated in the target learner profiles provided above. The Certificate may also be the most appropriate size of qualification for learners who have not yet achieved Level 2 English and Maths and need to include significant learning time for these subjects within their learning programme.
Which sector does this qualification support?
This qualification could lead to a number of roles in health and social care such as healthcare assistant, community care worker, older people support worker.
What are the progression options?
Learners can progress to a Level 3 certificate or diploma in Health and Social Care in any of the available pathways, including Tech level qualifications, Access to Higher Education Diploma in Health and Social Care or Early Years, or to an advanced Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care in any of the available pathways.
Progression & entry requirements
Learners do not need any prior qualifications or a specific level of attainment to take this qualification although they will benefit from having English and Maths skills at level 1. It is available to learners of any age.
