Health and Social Care: Principles and Contexts (First Assessment 2024)

Level 3

Who are the qualifications for?

The Health and Social Care: Principles and Contexts qualifications are designed for post-16 learners who are interested in learning more about the health and social care sectors.

The qualifications provide a suitable progression route for learners who have studied Level 2 qualifications within the health and social care, and childcare suite including:

  • Level 2 Health and Social Care: Principles and Contexts
  • GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare
  • Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core, or
  • Level 2 Children's Care, Play Learning and Development: Core.

They are also suitable for learners who have not previously studied Health and Social Care but who are capable of Level 3 study.

What do the qualifications cover?

The qualifications enable learners to develop and demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding within the context of health and social care services.

The knowledge, understanding and skills a learner is required to achieve within these qualifications build on the content of the Health and Social Care: Core qualification. It is strongly recommended that a learner undertaking either of these qualifications has completed or is currently undertaking the Health and Social Care: Core qualification.

It is a requirement of Social Care Wales that an individual working within the health and social care sector will need the Health and Social Care: Core qualification and a relevant Practice qualification to work within specific job roles.

Please note that learners need to be in employment if undertaking level 2 and 3 Practice qualifications.

Completion of the Diploma and Extended Diploma qualification requires learners to undertake a minimum of 100 hours of sector engagement, of which 60 hours must be spent undertaking a work placement. 

Centres are encouraged to ensure that, where possible, learners experience a minimum of two settings during the sector engagement.

What opportunities for progression are there?

This specification provides a suitable foundation for the study of health and social care through a range of higher education courses, or apprenticeships. Learners may also progress to other qualifications within the health and social care, and childcare suite, for example the Level 2 and Level 3 Health and Social Care Practice qualifications.

In addition, the specification provides a coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study for learners who do not progress to further study in this subject.

Who did we develop the qualifications with?

This qualification has been developed by the Consortium in conjunction with stakeholders from the health and social care sectors. These included Social Care Wales, NHS Health Education and Improvement Wales, tutors, teachers and workplace assessors.

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Specification

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Course Materials

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 1

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 2

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 3

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 4

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 5

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 6

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 7

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 8

Sample Assessment Materials - Unit 9

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 1

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 2

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 3

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 4

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 5

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 6

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 7

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 8

Guidance for Teaching - Unit 9

Head to our Training and Events page for the latest information on Professional Development events and learning opportunities for this qualification.

Resources are currently being updated to ensure they align with the new Extended Diploma content, and will be published on this page as they are approved.

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