BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care

The Award gives learners the opportunity to develop sector-specific knowledge and skills in a practical learning environment. The main focus is on four areas of equal importance, which cover the:

• development of key skills that prove your aptitude in health and social care such as interpreting data to assess an individual’s health
• process that underpins effective ways of working in health and social care, such as designing a plan to improve an individual’s health and wellbeing
• attitudes that are considered most important in health and social care, including the care values that are vitally important in the sector, and the opportunity to practise applying them
• knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in the sector such as human growth and development, health and social care services, and factors affecting people’s health and wellbeing.

This Award complements the learning in GCSE programmes such as GCSE English. It will complement the more theoretical aspects covered by GCSE Biology or GCSE Psychology by allowing you to apply your knowledge and skills practically in a vocational context.

What can the qualification lead to?

Study of the qualification as part of Key Stage 4 learning will help learners to make more informed choices for further learning, either generally or in this sector. The choices that learners can make post-16 will depend on their overall level of attainment and their performance in the qualification. Learners who generally achieve at Level 2 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to:

• A Levels as preparation for entry to higher education in a range of subjects
• study of a vocational qualification at Level 3, such as a BTEC National in Health and Social Care, which prepares learners to enter employment or apprenticeships, or to move on to higher education by studying a degree in aspects of health or social care.

Learners who generally achieve at Level 1 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to:

• study at Level 2 post-16 in a range of technical routes designed to lead to work, to progression to employment, to apprenticeships or to further study at Level 3. For these learners, the attitudes and the reflective and communication skills covered in this qualification will help them achieve
• study of health and social care post-16 through the study of a Technical Certificate. Learners who perform strongly in this qualification compared to their overall performance should strongly consider this progression route as it can lead ultimately to employment in the health or social care sector. Some learners may wish to build on an interest in human growth and development but take it in a different direction (at either Level 2 or Level 3) by studying for qualifications in Early Years education.