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Health and Social Care

Subject Overview

This GCSE is an ideal qualification for students who want a broad background in health and social care. It is designed to enable you to make valid personal choices upon completion of the qualification and to progress to further education, training or employment. It provides a suitable basis for further study in this subject or for related courses, which could include A levels, National Diplomas or Modern Apprenticeships. In order to understand the nature of health and social care, you must actively experience the health, social care and early years occupations. As a result a range of teaching and learning styles are used throughout the course: teacher presentation with discussion, pair work, group work, student presentation, role play, case studies, individual research, links with local health, social care and early years employers, listening to and interacting with occupational specialists who are invited to the lessons, elearning, videos and practical work.

What courses or employment can I progress to at the end of my course?

Students with a GCSE in Health and Social Care have access to a wide range of career and higher education opportunities. You will learn and use a variety of transferable skills throughout the course. Health and social care gives you a broad base of knowledge and experience, which can lead to a wide variety of options after completion. Health and social care is an excellent background if you wish to pursue a career which is people orientated or in a health care setting such as:

  • Health administration
  • Health promotion
  • Physiotherapy
  • Radiography
  • Midwifery
  • Nursing
  • Occupational therapy
  • Social work
  • Working with people with learning disabilities or mental health issues
  • Teaching
  • Childcare eg Early Years Worker, Childminder,
  • Care of the elderly
  • Care management
  • Fire service
  • Police force

The GCSE is made up of two mandatory units, one of which is externally assessed and the other internally assessed and externally moderated.

Syllabuses (Course Outline and Structure)

2 Units

  • Unit A911: Health, Social Care and Early Years Provision
  • Unit A912: Understanding Personal Development and Relationships

GCSE Units

Unit A911: Health, Social Care and Early Years Provision

  • The range of care needs of major client groups
  • The ways people can obtain services and the possible barriers that could prevent people from gaining access to services
  • The types of services that exist to meet client group needs and how they are developed and organised
  • The principles of care that underpin all care work with service users
  • The main work roles and skills of people who provide health, social care and early years services
  • Controlled assessment 60%
  • Up to 18 hours’ research and up to 26 hours’ writing up

Unit A912: Understanding Personal Development and Relationships

  • The stages and pattern of human growth and development
  • The different factors that can affect human growth and development
  • The development of self-concept and different types of relationships
  • Major life changes and sources of support
  • Written examination 40%
  • 1 hour

Assessment Objectives

Each unit that you produce requires you to work towards the following assessment objectives in order for you to be successful:

You will be expected to demonstrate your ability to:

AO1 Demonstrate Knowledge and Understanding

  • recall, select, use and apply your knowledge and understanding of health and social care

AO2 Plan and Carry Out

  • plan and carry out tasks in which you analyse issues and problems; and identify, gather and record relevant information and evidence

AO3 Analysis and Evaluation

  • analyse and evaluate information, sources and evidence, make reasoned judgements and present conclusions

Heart of England School is currently reviewing specification options for a future Health and Social Care qualification at this level.

Activities and Trips

You will have the opportunity to do work placements during the two years of this course.

Subject Resources

Schemes of Work and Past Papers

Courses References

  • OCR Health and Social Care for GCSE by Hilary Thomson and Sylvia Aslangul, Hodder Education

For more information please contact Mr R Ambrose, Acting Head of Social Science

Notice for Open Evening:

Miss Smith will not be available at our Open Evening on 29 November 2018 but if you have any questions about the course please contact her on SmithN@heart-england.co.uk.