Health & Social Care

What is BTEC Health & Social Care?

Studying Health and Social Care at college is a great way to prepare for a career in healthcare, social work, or community support service. You will learn all about working with people across all life stages. Your learning will focus on health care, which looks at the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of health conditions, illness and injuries, and also social care, studying the care, protection or support for individuals who are at risk or in need.

What Will You Study in BTEC Health and Social Care?

The Units covered on the course are:

Exams:

Human Lifespan Development
Working in Health and Social Care
Research in Health and Social Care

Coursework:

Meeting Individual needs
Supporting individuals with additional needs
Principles of Safe Practice in Health and Social Care
Promoting Public Health
Nutritional Health

Students studying the extended diploma, will also study the following units:

Exam:

Anatomy and Physiology

Coursework:

Infection Prevention and Control
Work Experience in Health and Social Care
Physiological Disorders
Assessing Children’s Development

All students are supported to gain work experience. Extended diploma students are required to pay for a DBS (a background check to work with vulnerable children and adults) and complete at least 100 hours of work experience in relevant health and social care settings as part of the course.

What Next after Completing BTEC Health & Social Care?

Studying Health and Social Care will allow you to apply for higher education courses and supports progression in to the following areas:

Extended diploma (human biology focus):

Nursing (adult, child, mental health)
Midwifery*
Physiotherapy*
Occupational Therapy*
Paramedic Practice*
Radiographer*
Podiatrist*

*please check the entry requirements for each university as some will require science as a separate subject

The Diploma combined with other relevant subjects supports:

Social care
Social work
Counselling
Speech and Language Therapist
Health care worker

Alternatively, you may choose to progress into a related apprenticeship or training position or study another subject at a degree level.

What is the Exam Board for BTEC Health & Social Care?

Edexcel

All courses will have two exams in Year 12 - Human Lifespan Development in January and Working in Health and Social Care in May. Extended diploma students will have an additional exam in Anatomy and Physiology in May/June of Y12. In Y13 there is a Research exam in January for Diploma and Extended Diploma students.

To prepare for these exams there is lots of support available via CP, Newman Revise, regular assessments and mock exams. Other units are assessed via coursework. The grades from both the coursework units and examined units are combined to calculate an overall grade for the course.

What are the Entry Requirements for BTEC Health & Social Care?

At least five 4s at GCSE including at least a 4 in English Language or Maths. 

NOTE: Completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service Application (DBS) is compulsory as gaining work experience with a range of vulnerable client groups is an essential requirement of the extended diploma course.

What is the Course Type for Health & Social Care?

BTEC Diploma, this is equivalent to 2 A-Levels 
BTEC Extended Diploma, this is equivalent to 3 A-Levels

Assessment is via a mixture of coursework and external assessments.

What Enrichment is on offer in this subject?

A range of enrichment opportunities are provided including:
- Hospital visits
- First Aid course
- University visits
- Use of the onsite simulation suite
- Team building trips
- Trips abroad - Amsterdam, Disneyland Paris