Health and Social Care
This is a new subject you can choose to study, and is taught by our Humanities Department.
Students who chose this option will take the qualification OCR Cambridge National in Health and Social Care
[What is a Cambridge National? See page 4 of this parent and student guide]
Course Description
The Health and Social care OCR Cambridge Nationals course is a level 2 course and is the equivalent to a GCSE.
What will you study as part of this qualification?
All students will study four topics as follows:
Principles of care in health and social care settings - Exam 40% final mark
Supporting individuals through life events - Coursework 30% final mark
Health promotion campaigns - Coursework 30% final mark
Cambridge Nationals in Health and Social Care will equip learners with sound specialist knowledge and skills for everyday use. They will also challenge all learners by encouraging independence and creativity. All learners will develop an understanding in Values of Care and the current legislation requirements and the importance of softer skills such as communication skills to ensure individuals right to independence and dignity.
Who would this course be suitable for?
Health and Social Care is an ideal course for someone who hopes to follow a career working with young children or in the health sector. It enables students to develop a range of personal skills and techniques which will benefit them both in education and in their chosen future career.
Potential career paths
There are a variety of different paths that you could follow after studying OCR Cambridge Nationals.
Some students study this further at college or at university.
This could result in careers such as social work, midwifery, doctor (GP), dentist or nursing. Others choose to enter straight into working life, possibly gaining additional qualifications at the same time.
To investigate Health and Social Care careers further please visit:
https://icould.com/explore/categories/subject/health-and-social-care
What do students say about this course?
"I really love doing Health and Social Care, it has helped me understand the wider world".
Video: your choices in Humanities
Students learn about the rights of individuals and the values of care required when working in a health, social care or early years environment. Through role play and case studies they gain understanding of how to apply these values so that individuals’ dignity is maintained.
Students focus on the respiratory, digestive and cardiovascular systems. They learn about their structure and function, and the illnesses and disorders that can affect them, as well as how to take and interpret key measurements.
Students explore different types of communication. They learn about the importance of effective communication to connect with individuals using care services, and they develop their understanding of how the way they communicate impacts on an individual’s care.
Students find out about basic first aid procedures that might be required in a health or social care setting*, including how to carry out basic first aid on adults. They learn how to assess the scene of an accident for further risks and what information they need to communicate when contacting the emergency services.