Health & Social Care
Health and Social Care is an ever-growing workforce that employs approximately 3.4 million people in the UK alone. Demand for health, social and early years care will continue to rise with an ageing and increasing population and the workforce clearly plays a critical role in UK society.
We are passionate in providing our students with opportunities to develop into autonomous, resilient and compassionate learners who are prepared to succeed. Students cover a wide range of topics that provide them with an appreciation for the diverse nature of the population in the UK and the needs of vulnerable people; specialist knowledge and skills which can be used in caring careers, as well as research, essay writing and exam techniques which will support them in further education and in future careers.
Our curriculum aims to ensure that all students develop health and social care knowledge, conceptual understanding, exam and coursework skills and the Warlingham Learner attributes. The curriculum is a progression model, through which the ‘big ideas’ are developed and built upon, as students develop their own schema for Health and Social Care. Our big ideas or Core Concepts, through which all aspects of our subject can be linked to or explained by are:
The Core Concepts
- Health: the human body - its structure, functions and malfunctions
- Care: how to protect and meet the needs of a diverse range of individuals
- Wellbeing: fostering an understanding of how to empower and promote happiness, comfort and safety
key stage 4
Year 10
Essential values of care for use with individuals
- Students learn about the relationship between practitioners and care users within care settings and how this enables effective care of individuals which leads to improved health and wellbeing. They learn that for effective care to take place, practitioners need to follow best practice and maintain the values of care which are informed by professional standards, guidelines & legislation. When best practice and the values of care are carried out, care user's rights are maintained and they are kept safe.
Using basic first aid procedures
- Students learn about how a first aider can deliver first aid to a casualty in order to keep care user's safe. These skills are vital to have when working in care to promote the health and wellbeing of individuals who may have suffered from a range of injuries. Students also learn skills that are required to be a reflective practitioner which is vital for effective care to take place.
Year 11
Communicating and working with individuals
- Students learn about how to effectively communicate through a variety of means in order to provide effective care. They show how these communication techniques positively impact on a care user's health and wellbeing. They also identify factors that can positively influence communication to make it as effective as possible. Students also identify the personal qualities a practitioner must possess in order to deliver effective care.
Creative activities to support individuals
- Students learn about a way in which care can be carried out in a variety of settings to meet the needs of individuals. These are a range of different types of creative activities which are designed to support and promote the health and wellbeing of care users. Students also continue to learn skills that are required to be a reflective practitioner which is vital for effective care to take place.
key stage 5
Why should I study AAQ Health and Social Care?
The World Health Organisation estimates that there will be a need for more than 14.5 million Health and Social Care jobs to be filled worldwide by 2030. This is one of the fastest growing job sectors in the UK and there are over 350 different types of jobs in the NHS alone.
This qualification isn’t just about caring for babies or the elderly and the ill; it will provide you with the skills, knowledge and understanding to progress into Higher Education on a health and social care-related programme such as Health & Social Care, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Counselling, Social Work or Early Childhood Studies. You will learn about how to offer specific, person-centred care and support and build positive relationships with the people you are working with, so that their needs and requirements are met.
Studying this subject will enable you to:
- Understand how to apply a person-centred approach to health and social care.
- Understand how to support an individual’s rights, encourage equality and value diversity.
- Learn how to support individuals with mental health conditions.
- Gain full knowledge of the structure and function of different body systems and how they might malfunction.
- Understand sexual health issues, pregnancy and postnatal health.
- Learn about current public health issues and strategies for promoting a healthier society.