This is a nationally recognised qualification which is designed to recognise the role you have in the workplace and to give you credit for the activities you undertake there.  This qualification is to guide and assess the development of knowledge and skills relating to your work as a health and social care worker. This is the new NVQ Diploma in Health and Social Care which came into effect 1^st January 2011.

Who is it for?

The Diploma in Health and Social Care QCF Level 2 is equivalent to the old NVQ 2 is for those working in the care sector benchmarking their level of competency in the workplace.  It helps employees to gain a nationally recognised qualification that shows that they have attained a level of ability which provides an important baseline in their own personal development. This QCF NVQ is applicable to anyone in the following job roles that hasn’t acquired any higher qualifications up to level 2.

• Care Assistants, Support Workers, and key workers in residential settings
• Healthcare assistants and Support Workers in community and primary care environments
• Healthcare assistants and support workers in acute health environments
• Care assistants, support workers and key workers in domiciliary services
• Care assistants, support workers, key workers in day services
• Support workers in supported living projects
• Community-based care assistants, support workers and key workers, including those employed in specialist areas e.g. dementia, learning disabilities
• Personal assistants employed directly by the individual they support or by any their family members.
• Emerging new types of workers and multidisciplinary health roles beyond traditional service limits and delivery methods.

You will be allocated a tutor who will help you through your learning.  You will also be allocated a QCF assessor/ NVQ Assessor who will assess your work and visit you at your workplace.

Qualification Structure and Units within this course.

To achieve the Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for England; Learners must achieve a minimum of 46 credits and would be able to choose from 3 pathways; generic pathway, dementia pathway, learning disability pathway. To do this they must achieve:

Generic Pathway

24 credits from the 9 mandatory units in Group A

A minimum of 2 credits and a maximum of 7 credits from the optional units in Group B

At least 15 credits from the optional units in Group C

OR

Dementia Pathway

24 credits from the 9 mandatory units in Group A

A minimum of 2 credits and a maximum of 7 credits from the optional units in Group B but must complete: DEM 201 Dementia Awareness

At least 15 credits from the optional units in Group C but one of the following must be completed: DEM 204, DEM 209, DEM 210 or DEM 211

OR

Adults with Learning Disabilities Pathway

24 credits from the 9 mandatory units in Group A

A minimum of 2 credits and a maximum of 7 credits from the optional units in Group B but must complete: LD 201 Understand the context of supporting and individual with learning disabilities

At least 15 credits from the optional units in Group C but one of the following must be completed: LD 202, LD 203.

Visit here to view a list of all units and topics within the Diploma in Health & Social Care Level 2.

Assessment Details

You will be assessed against the national standards and you will be required to demonstrate competence and knowledge for all areas of the QCF NVQ course.
The assessor will provide personal tutorial support at pre-arranged times plus personal assessment achieved through a variety of methods including observation in the workplace.

Eligibility Criteria

This is an opportunity for Healthcare Businesses and Employers to access free training, so that their employees can be trained at NO COST to themselves or their employees.  Subject to eligibility criteria, the entire programme is fully-funded.

Duration

This depends on your prior knowledge level.  We find that most employees need 4 to 6 months spread over a number of learning hours.

Entry Requirements

This programme is for those in work or those who are in voluntary employment and want to gain the experience.  Free spaces are available now; to be sure you qualify, fill the application form below for a fast process:

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QCF Level 2 | NVQ Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 2 is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

What’s QCF all about?

A new system emerged since 1st January 2011 to replace the pre-existed National Qualifications Framework (NQF) commonly known as NVQ Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 & Level 5. This new system is referred to as the QCF – Qualifications and Credit Framework ;  from 1st April 2011 the NVQ Level 4 along with the Leadership & Management courses (LMC) have already been combined to create a new award referred to as the QCF Diploma Level 5.

QCF is the new framework for recognizing and accrediting the qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  This Framework is in the midst of a big transformation of vocational qualifications.  The QCF framework has been created to provide simplicity and then make the entire vocational qualification system easier and a lot much easier to understand.   With the QCF, qualifications are now more relevant to employers, it meets their needs and it introduces flexibility for learners.

How does the QCF Diploma Work?

There exist 3 categories of qualifications within the QCF: Awards, Certificates and Diplomas.  Each unit within the QCF contains a credit value; one credit  is corresponding to 10 hours, here the learner knows the length of time is needed to finish a particular course.  Each unit will also have a level ranging between the entry Level 1 to Level 8; the higher levels represent how advanced a course is.

• Awards 1-12 credits
• Certificates 13 – 36 credits
• Diplomas 37 credits or more

With the QCF the learner can have an award at Level 1 or an award at Level 8. This is because the qualification type “Award, Certificate or Diploma” represents the size of a qualification, not level of difficulty.

Each QCF qualification title contains the following:

• The level of the qualification, which range from Level 1 – Level 8
• The size of the qualification, this could be either an Award, Certificate
• The content of the qualification is determined likewise.

Are you looking for work but no experience?  Are you already in work? The QCF will benefit you in the following ways:

1. It offers more flexibility; you could start with an award, certificate or move straight on to the diploma. Much wider range of units.
2. Easy access to information about the commitment and time needed to achieve the necessary qualification.  It will enable you plan your course around your commitments and responsibilities.
3. Allows you to gain credits at your own pace and combine them in a way that will help you reach your desired goals
4. Enables you to transfer credits between the various qualifications.  This ensures you don’t have to repeat courses undertaken already.

For an employer, the QCF framework have been created in such a way to make sure future qualifications allow a flexible procedure for meeting the various development needs within your workforce.

Learners could either go through the apprenticeship or the work based learning courses either way there is funding available for Level 2 and Level 3 NVQ Diploma; eligibility criteria applies however it is worth finding out if you qualify as a learner or as an employer you can get your staff funding for any of these QCF courses as they are vocational courses.

There are a number of industries to choose from:

1. Health and Social Care
2. Business and Administration
3. Beauty Therapy
4. Child Care
5. Customer Service
6. Distribution and Warehousing
7. Engineering and Technology
8. Hairdressing
   

You are welcome on these courses if:

• Still at school; need to combine vocational studies to maintain your job.
• Young people 16-19 years looking to do an apprentice course
• Adult learners 25 years and above
• Returning to work need to brush up your skills
• An employer looking to provide professional and career development for staff

Call us now on 07921100026 and we will get you on the appropriate course suitable for you; and more likely free for you if eligible.

You could tell us what you are looking for by filling the form below and we will get back to you within 72 hours.

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New QCF Diploma | QCF Courses | Free NVQ Training is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

NVQs are usually not about going on courses, studying, or passing exams. They’re about assessment of competence against a nationally recognized standard. It offers an opportunity for people, who have been doing a good job for years, to generally be recognized for their competence and get a rewarding qualification.

NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

Holistic Approach to Reflective Accounts.

Writing a single reflective account for 3 or 4 units within your NVQ course is good practice rather than writing a reflective account for each unit which may require you write 6 separate accounts at Level 2 or 8 separate accounts at Level 3.

The holistic approach will save you time as it will result in you writing an average of 2 to 3 reflective accounts for the whole NVQ.

What does Holistic mean?

This is related to the word holism taken from a Greek word holos meaning all, entire or total, therefore holistic is the study of the whole instead of a separation into parts. This means a holistic reflective account can be reflections on the whole of your job which can be included into a singular account which will eventually spread across a range of your units within the NVQ.

Your assessor will expect you to gather evidence holistically while using any method of assessment e.g. reflective accounts, witness testimonies, written questions or direct observations. Just as your assessor would plan to observe you holistically i.e. across a number of units at the same time and not one observation per unit, she or he will expect to watch you at work carry out different activities that can be referenced to more than one unit.

For example during one visit agreed and planned appropriately, your assessor can observe you use effective communication skills, access and update documents correctly, follow health and safety procedures and handle emergency situations appropriately. Your assessor may also observe you use moving and handling skills to reposition an individual, administer medication and also protect individuals from harm, danger or abuse. This is evidence of competence cutting across about 4 or 5 units, you should also write your reflections in this manner attempting to cover more than one unit depending on the shift you are writing about or the range of activities that was carried out. Remember your reflection ought to be in past tense and not present tense, therefore you cannot use expressions such as “I will” rather you must say “I did”.

It has been observed that many candidates are advised by their assessors to write one reflective account per unit; although this is not good practice it seems to be easier for the candidate to produce sufficient evidence for the performance criteria within the units. This is why NVQ Made Simple has products to address this style of gathering evidence however once you have the guides to any unit you can still write holistically to reduce the number of reflective accounts and save time.

I suggest you write a rough account covering a complete shift and all that you did, or you can write an account that spreads over weeks or months. See how many of your units you have touched and then use the explanations to the performance criteria in our reflective account resources to expand each paragraph and ensure you reference your work accordingly.

You will discover that your account will be robust and sufficient enough to cover a lot of your elements and performance criteria and your assessor will be pleased with your work.

Now look at the holistic reflective account below; can you tell why it is not sufficient enough for HSC31, HSC32, HSC33, HSC35 and HSC335? These are the 5 units the candidate intended to cover.

Share with us using the comment box below how she could have expanded this reflection to show her competence.

Candidate Evidence Record

NVQ Title: Health and Social Care Level 3

NVQ Unit: HSC31, 32, 33, 35,335,

Name : Abiodun O

Use this form to record details of activities (tick as appropriate)        

Observed by your assessor   ¨      self reflective accounts          -      Work Product              ¨

Seen by a witness                   ¨      Project/Assignment              ¨          APL                            ¨

Are you writing your reflective account holistically? is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

The act of effective interaction between individuals can be obtained by spoken words or by other means. For communication to occur there has to be at least two people involved. The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently is one of the most important skills that can be gained by a healthcare professional.

What is Communication?

In a simple definition, communication is the process of sending or receiving messages between two or more individuals.

Effective communication is more than just talking, and is essential for the well-being of the individuals you care for.It includes body language, gestures, facial expressions, positioning and appearance.It is important to be aware of non-verbal communication when interacting with your individuals at work.

It is impossible to do without communication in health and social care, we have many reasons to communicate and it is essential communication is done effectively without misunderstanding others or being misunderstood. We communicate with:

• Patients, residents, clients,
• Health care professionals,
• Managers and supervisors,
• Family and friends.

• Speech difficulties due to disabilities’ or illness e.g. Dementia, stroke
• Deafness
• Poor Sight
• Noisy Environment
• Poor Cognitive Skills e.g. learning disabilities
• Difference in Language spoken

Communication Skills in Health and Social Care Settings. is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

I have been working as an NVQ assessor for a few years, assessing NVQs in Health and Social Care. Recently I was getting tired of the amount of paper work I had to deal with and the time spent with candidates was increasing because of the need to reference their evidence appropriately and meet up with funding requirements and organizational procedures.

Being a Health and Social Care worker in the past and a trainer at present, I can understand the burden the paper based NVQ places on candidates who are hands on individuals rather than academicians. Some learners are finding the NVQs difficult to produce written evidence.

My targets for completing cohorts of learners were becoming incredibly impossible to meet; therefore I knew I had to adopt another strategy as quickly as possible. I attended a training session that introduced me to a number of ways to improve assessment methods and behold it was the one thing I thought was going to be difficult to adopt that was presented as a simpler method – Electronic Assessment.

The outcome of the training I attended was really advantageous; presently as an NVQ Assessor I mix both kinds together, I mean paper and electronic assessment. I capture as much evidence as possible on digital Dictaphone and my Blackberry phone. I find this method very effective for witness testimonies, observations, professional discussions, reflective accounts and Questions and Answers. I find using electronic methods brings so many different and positive advantages to the assessment process, for example:

Witness testimonials, Professional Discussion, Reflective Accounts and Questions & Answers – I am able to capture quality evidence as I interview the witnesses; this could be the manager or other key people. The learner finds it time saving to sit down with me and have a conversation recorded on my Dictaphone as a professional discussion, reflective account or oral questioning session. I can steer a conversation in the direction I need to capture the maximum amount of evidence. Within a short time I have implemented this method; I’ve noticed witnesses are much more likely to provide a testimonial if they think their involvement will be a brief interview. When you ask witnesses to write long reports you will be putting them off and this can often make them feel that this is not their NVQ award so why are they been made to write reports. As it is not a witness or learner’s role to know the assessment process, there is a risk that their evidence would not fully cover performance or knowledge criteria the testimony was aimed at. This can lead to de-motivation and reluctance of learners gathering evidence using witness testimonies or reluctance to complete the qualification because of the writing involved.

Observations – I electronically record observations when I can and where confidentiality will allow. This allows the observation to be viewed/ heard by all involved in the process and reduces issues that could arise around assessor interpretation. In health and social care we do have a lot to keep confidential however some aspects can be either voice recordings or video recordings.

Work products – I reference all work products to the portfolio rather than being printed and put in the portfolio. This reduces the amount of paper used in the process and allows evidence to remain in its natural environment of the work place. For example policies and procedures followed by learners at work, supervision records, care plans, accident reports etc

A learner could either be using an e-portfolio or the traditional paper based portfolio and would still be able to produce evidence using these kinds of electronic methods. Capturing electronic evidence reduces the amount of time I need to spend working on evidence. Assessing the learner’s written work and dealing with insufficient evidence due to the learner not being able to express themselves in writing can wastes a lot of time. Using electronic evidence means I can spend more time making assessment decisions and capturing evidence rather than spending time typing or writing it into a report. It is also very important to reduce our carbon footprint and paper portfolios can contain a vast amount of paper.

Using electronic methods reduces paper usage and promotes an environmentally friendly image. This has filtered through to the NVQ assessment process as electronic evidence reduces the need for storage space in the office or in your home if you are a freelance Assessor. As an assessor this is an advantage to me as I do not have to transport heavy and large portfolios anymore which you agree with me is not a healthy exercise over a long period of time.

Capturing evidence electronically also enhances the quality assurance processes. All those involved in the process are able to validate and authenticate evidence as they are able to see and/or hear the live evidence which reduces potential issues; for example concerns regarding assessor assumptions.

At the beginning of this process of change I was not very sure it would work but as the days rolled into weeks and weeks into months, I’m sure getting better at it and my learners are very happy at the thought of a reduction in writing because they can provide evidence verbally.

At NVQMadeSimple.com we want to encourage verifiers, assessors and learners to embrace electronic assessments as it has definite advantages for us all in the coming years. If you would like to share with us your personal experience and opinions about electronic assessments for NVQ, please leave your comments below.

Stop Struggling with NVQ Assessment – Adopt Electronic Assessment Methods. is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

NVQ Health and Social Care Units.

This is a task that you will be required to do at the beginning of your NVQ, shortly after registration forms have been completed. Your assessor should complete a skill scan with you which is a short discussion about your job role and activities you carry out regularly at work. This discussion should be recorded in a form called a skill scan; the format of the form differs from centre to centre.

Sometimes candidates think they can choose a unit that they would like to explore new skills and knowledge on but unfortunately this is not the main objective of going through an NVQ rather it is to assist you package your experience and competence on your job into a certificate for which you need sufficient, valid, reliable and authentic evidence. Therefore your choice of optional units should be based on what you do regularly and you can present evidence using different methods including direct observation at work by your NVQ Assessor.

See below a list of health and social care units option codes for both NVQ 2 and NVQ 3 (Adults) and their respective titles:

To gain the full NVQ health and social care Level 2 all four mandatory units and two optional units must be achieved, this makes a total of 6 units.

Health and Social Care Units for NVQ Level 2 (Mandatory Units)

HSC21: Communicate with, and complete records for individuals   

HSC22: Support the health and safety of yourself and individuals

HSC23: Develop your knowledge and practice

HSC24: Ensure your own actions support the care, protection and well-being of individuals

Health and Social Care Units for NVQ Level 2 (Optional Units)

HSC25: Carry out and provide feedback on specific plan of care activities

HSC26: Support individuals to access and use information

HSC27: Support individuals in their daily living

HSC28: Support individuals to make journeys

HSC29: Support individuals to meet their domestic and personal needs

HSC210: Support individuals to access and participate in recreational activities

HSC211: Support individuals to take part in development activities

HSC212: Support individuals during therapy sessions

HSC213: Provide food and drink for individuals

HSC214: Help individuals to eat and drink

HSC215: Help individuals to keep mobile

HSC216: Help address the physical comfort needs of individuals

HSC217: Undertake agreed pressure area care

HSC218: Support individuals with their personal care needs 

HSC219: Support individuals to manage continence

HSC220: Maintain the feet of individuals who have been assessed as requiring help with general foot care

HSC221: Assist in the administration of medication

HSC222: Support individuals prior to, during and after clinical procedures 

HSC223: Contribute to moving and handling individuals

HSC224: Observe, monitor and record the conditions of individuals

HSC225: Support individuals to undertake and monitor their own health care

HSC226: Support individuals who are distressed

HSC227: Contribute to working in collaboration with carers in the caring role

HSC228: Contribute to effective group care

HSC229: Gain access to, and ensure individuals’ homes are secure

HSC230: Manage environments and resources during clinical activities

HSC232: Protect yourself from the risk of violence at work

To gain the full NVQ Level 3 all four mandatory units and four optional units must be achieved, this makes a total of 8 units.

Health and Social Care Units for NVQ Level 3 (Mandatory Units)

HSC31: Promote effective communication for and about individuals

HSC32: Promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the working environment

HSC33: Reflect on and develop your practice

HSC35: Promote choice, well being and the protection of all individuals

Level 3 Optional Units

HSC328: Contribute to care planning and review

HSC329: Contribute to planning, monitoring and reviewing the delivery of service for individuals

HSC330: Support individuals to access and use services and facilities

HSC331: Support individuals to develop and maintain social networks and relationships

HSC332: Support the social, emotional and identity needs of individuals

HSC333: Prepare your family and networks to support individuals requiring care

HSC334: Provide a home and family environment for individuals

HSC335: Contribute to the protection of individuals from harm and abuse

HSC336: Contribute to the prevention and management of abusive and aggressive behaviour

HSC337:  Provide frameworks to help individuals to manage challenging behaviour

HSC338: Carry out screening and referral assessment

HSC339: Carry out assessment to identify and prioritise needs

HSC340: Carry out comprehensive substance misuse assessment

HSC341: Help individuals address their substance use through an action plan

HSC342: Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users

HSC343: Support individuals to live at home

HSC344: Support individuals to retain, regain and develop the skills to manage their lives and environment.

HSC345: Support individuals to manage their financial affairs

HSC346: Support individuals to manage direct payments

HSC347: Help individuals to access employment

HSC348: Help individuals to access learning, training and development opportunities

HSC349: Enable individuals to access housing and accommodation

HSC350: Recognise, respect and support the spiritual well-being of individuals

HSC351: Plan, agree and implement development activities to meet individual needs

HSC352: Support individuals to continue therapies

HSC353: Interact with individuals using telecommunications

HSC354: Counsel Individuals about their substance use using recognised theoretical models

HSC355: Counsel groups of individuals about their substance use using recognised theoretical models

HSC356: Support individuals to deal with relationship problems

HSC357: Carry out extended feeding techniques to ensure individuals’ nutritional and fluid intake

HSC358: Identify the individual at risk of skin breakdown and undertake the appropriate risk assessment.

HSC360: Move and position individuals

HSC361: Prepare for and undertake physiological measurements

HSC362: Recognise indications of substance misuse and refer individual to specialists

HSC363: Test for substance use

HSC364: Identify the physical health needs of individuals with mental health needs

HSC365: Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects

HSC366: Support individuals to represent their own needs and wishes at decision-making forums.

HSC367: Help individuals identify and access independent representation and advocacy

HSC368: Present individuals’ needs and preferences

HSC369: Support individuals with specific communication needs

HSC370: Support individuals to communicate using technology

HSC371: Support individuals to communicate using interpreting and translation services

HSC372: Plan and implement programmes to enable individuals to find their way around familiar environments

HSC373: Plan and implement programmes to enable individuals to find their way around unfamiliar environments

HSC374: Provide first aid to an individual needing emergency assistance

HSC375: Administer medication to individuals

HSC376: Obtain venous blood samples

HSC377: Encourage and support individuals undergoing dialysis therapy at home

HSC378: Insert and secure urethral catheters and monitor and respond to the effects of urethral catheterisation

HSC379: Support individuals who are substance users

HSC380: Supply and exchange injecting equipment for individuals

HSC381: Support individuals through detoxification programmes

HSC382: Support individuals to prepare for, adapt to and manage change

HSC383: Prepare and support individuals to move and settle into new living environments

HSC384: Support individuals through bereavement

HSC385: Support individuals through the process of dying

HSC386: Assist in the transfer of individuals between agencies and services

HSC387: Work in collaboration with carers in the caring role

HSC388: Relate to families, parents and carers

HSC389: Work with carers, families and key people to maintain contact with individuals

HSC390: Support families in maintaining relationships in their wider social structures and environments

HSC391: Provide services to those affected by someone else’s substance use

HSC392: Work with families, carers and individuals during times of crisis

HSC393: Prepare, implement and evaluate agreed therapeutic group activities

HSC394: Contribute to the development and running of support groups

HSC395: Contribute to assessing and act upon risk of danger, harm and abuse

HSC396: Enable people with mental health needs to develop coping strategies

HSC397: Reinforce positive behavioural goals during relationships with individuals

HSC398: Contribute to assessing the needs of individuals for therapeutic programmes to enable them to manage their behaviour.

HSC399: Develop and sustain effective working relationships with staff in other agencies

HSC3100: Participate in inter-disciplinary team working to support individuals

HSC3101: Help develop community networks and partnerships

HSC3102: Work with community networks and partnerships

HSC3103: Contribute to raising awareness of health issues

HSC3104: Support the development of networks to meet assessed needs and planned outcomes.

HSC3105: Contribute to the recruitment and placement of volunteers

HSC3106: Plan, organise and monitor the work of volunteers

HSC3107: Lead and motivate volunteers

HSC3108: Facilitate learning through presentations and activities

HSC3109: Facilitate group learning

HSC3110: Support colleagues to relate to individuals

The following are Additional units which provide opportunities for professional development, and to meet employer needs for specific job roles. Candidates can’t use Additional Units instead of Optional Units, but they are available to candidates and their centres through their registration period. 

HSC3111:  Promote the equality, diversity, rights and responsibilities of individuals

HSC3112:  Support individuals to identify and promote their own health and social well being

HSC3119:  Promote the values and principles underpinning best practice

NB: Please note there are forbidden unit combinations; please check with your assessor before undertaking any combination.

Visit here for resources to help you with questions on NVQ health and social care units.

Choosing Optional Units for your NVQ is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

NVQ 2 Health and Social Care

If you’ve got formal Health and Social Care training and qualifications, you’re an asset to any employer operating in the care sector – whether it’s a day care centre or sheltered housing, a care home for the elderly or a domiciliary post in a private home.  An NVQ in Health and Social Care lets you strengthen the skills you use to do your job, helps you fill in any training gaps you might have and gain valuable qualifications at the same time.

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are qualifications that demonstrate your ability to do your job. There are no formal examinations. The training is mainly on the job and NVQ assessment is directly related to your performance at work.

NVQ Level 2 will be suitable for you if you report to and take instructions from a boss or supervisor. Your job role will have some responsibility and may require you to work as part of a team.

At Level 2 you’ll develop a clear understanding of your specific role and responsibilities and you’ll be shown how you can help to create a safe, healthy environment for yourself and those you care for. The courses also cover equality, discrimination and stereotyping and you’ll see the day-to-day problems caused by prejudice within a care environment.

The benefits of the NVQ 2 Care has been covered in previous articles, however today I would like to present to you the different units within this course particularly the mandatory units, these are HSC21, HSC22, HSC23 and HSC24 and how you can complete them using our products and services, SEE WHAT YOU WILL GET

HSC21 – Communicate with and complete records for individuals

There are 14 knowledge requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise.

HSC21a – Work with individuals and others to identify the best forms of communication

HSC21b – Listen and respond to individuals’ questions and concerns

HSC21c – Communicate with individuals

HSC21d – Access and update records and reports

This unit helps you understand how to find out about individuals communication and language needs, where to get support to assist service users to use their preferred communication method and how to pass on information and records about changes in the needs of individuals.

There are legislations you need to be aware of with regards to accessing records and using them and you will need to be familiar with your organisations policies and procedures with regards to communicating with individuals and completing records.  All support required can be obtained from our unique resource.

HSC22- Support the health and safety of yourself and individuals

There are 18 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work.

HSC22a – Carry out health and safety checks before you begin work activities

HSC22b – Ensure your actions support health and safety in the place you work

HSC22c – Take actions to deal with emergencies.

At work you are responsible for your health and safety and the safety of the individuals you work with. Your employer must have informed you about what you need to do to maintain health and safety. For example wearing protective clothing, using equipment provided by employers at work. You are expected to be a role model at work and have knowledge of how to deal with emergencies if they arise. This unit will refresh your understanding of the health and safety principles and help you to cover any gaps in your knowledge.  You will be able to answer your questions and your reflective accounts when you get yourself a coy of the Mandatory Level 2 units.

HSC23 – Develop your knowledge and practice

There are 12 knowledge requirements and 2 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work.

HSC23a – Evaluate your work

HSC23b – Use new improved skills and knowledge in your work  

It is a legal requirement that you improve on your knowledge and practice as a care worker. You have a responsibility to keep your skills and knowledge up to date by: 

• Attending training courses
• In-house training
• Taking qualifications e.g. NVQ

Learning is an ongoing process therefore you don’t need to wait for your manager to send you on training you can keep your skills and knowledge up to date by:

• Talking to work colleagues
• Searching the internet
• Listening to the radio
• Reading newspapers, magazines and professional journals
• Watching the news
• Talking to your manager

This unit will enable you to see ways of creating new skills and improving on existing ones. Get the resource to answer any questions you may need support with.

HSC24 – Ensure your own actions support the care, protection  and well-being of individuals

There are 21 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work.

HSC24a – Relate to and support individuals in a way they choose

HSC24b – Treat individuals with respect and dignity

HSC24c – Assist in the protection of individuals

Almost everything you will have to do to support individuals at work should involve their rights, preferences and choice. The individuals you work with ought to be treated with respects and dignity. Remember they are not your children. Every individual has a right to be protected from harm, danger and abuse. If you have attended previous training on Protection of Vulnerable Adults now known as Safeguarding Adults you will have understanding of why abuse happens, different types of abuse and what actions to take if you do suspect abuse.

You will need to provide evidence that you are able to safeguard individuals at work. Give answers or explanations to the knowledge criteria of this unit.

Our package NVQ 2 mandatory units resource package will support you to answer any questions set by your assessor around the knowledge criteria on HSC21, HSC22, HSC23, HSC24 and you will get a guide to how to write your reflective accounts. A detailed example is included in the package and best of all you get free online support from an NVQ Assessor if you need to ask further questions, grab your copy now

NVQ Care Level 2|HSC21|HSC22|HSC23|HSC24 is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

Perhaps your NVQ Assessor or tutor has asked you to obtain a witness testimony as part of your assessment plan to gather evidence of competence for your NVQ (National Vocational Qualification).

Are you wondering…

• What is this all about?
• Where do I get this from?
• Who can I ask to write one for me?
• Do I need to use some forms?

Well I would like to explain this in today’s article.

Firstly, who is a witness?

Literally, he or she is a person who testifies at a court hearing. As a witness, the person may have seen an accident, witnessed a crime, or be asked to describe the character of someone they know. As a witness they will be asked to answer some questions regarding their knowledge of a case in court.

Well in this case we are certainly not in a court of Law but in a work setting you need to locate someone who testifies in writing about you with regards to your work.

Secondly, what is a testimony?

This is evidence obtained from a witness who has made a statement or declaration of fact.

Using the 2 definitions above you can define

WITNESS TESTIMONY is an account of your work performance, which has been witnessed by another person.

This clearly suggests that you can’t write one for yourself. You need someone who can testify in writing to say what they know about you, what they have seen you do or describe an activity you have carried out which should relate to your job description and also to the performance criteria of the units within your NVQ.

You can get a witness testimony from:

• Your manager or supervisor
• Your colleague at work
• The individuals you work with
• Your tutors or trainers.

Depending on your training centre’s policy, generally you would be required to obtain the witness testimony on a form given to you and you have to request that they sign what is called a Witness Status List – normally found at the front bits in your portfolio. Anyone who writes out a witness testimony must sign the Witness Status List and then your assessor will judge the evidence provided.

See an example; this is a witness testimony from a colleague at work. Yours might be how you handled a disclosure of abuse from a service user and the words in your form would be different.

Name of Witness:  S.M

Name of Candidate: A.O

Date of Testimony: 09/06/2007

Signature of Witness:

Go here for further help on witness testimony.

What is a Witness Testimony? is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.

Often learners have asked me “how do I write a reflective account?”

My answer is you need to know what a reflective account is before you can write good one. Many learners have submitted an account to their NVQ assessor and have been disappointed when told they need to write it again.

Let me tell you what might have happened – You probably wrote your account without a guide and therefore as lengthy as your account might have been you were told you haven’t met many performance criteria which are what your assessor is looking for. So let me tell you what a reflective account is.

A reflective account is usually a write up of how you have carried out part of your job in the past. It could be yesterday or a week, month or years ago as long as you use past tense. It maybe how you dealt with a health emergency, an abusive situation or how you have used a particular piece of equipment in the past.

Your account will be a record of events that actually happened. It must be reflected in your style of writing as what you did not someone else.

For example – I did this and then I did that

It is NOT acceptable to write I would do this as this does not demonstrate that you have done it or have been doing it.

If possible write about why you took the actions stated.

For example –When I arrived at Mrs A’s home I put on my gloves and apron to ensure I protect t he service user and myself from infection…..

Throughout your account you must maintain confidentiality by using Mrs A, R or any other alphabet rather than using their actual names or addresses.

Think about a typical day at work or over a period of days and write a story on how you carried out those activities using the performance criteria of the units within your NVQ as a guide. This might include:

• Assisting clients with toileting requirements. (HSC 218a)
• Assisting clients with their personal hygiene. (HSC 218bc)
• Preparing food and drink for clients. (HSC 213abc)
• Assisting clients to eat and drink. (HSC 214abc)
• Undertaking clinical activities. (HSC 230ab)
• Supporting others to undertake clinical activities. (HSC 361ab)
• Supporting clients with cleaning or other domestic needs. (HSC 29abc))
• Supporting clients to be comfortable (HSC 216ab)
• Providing pressure area care. (HSC 217ab)
• Supporting clients to move from one position to another (HSC 223ab, HSC 360ab)
• Supporting service users to access and use services and facilities (HSC 330abc)
• How you contribute to care planning and review ((HSC 328abc)
• Supporting individuals with specific communication needs (HSC 369abc)
• How you administer medication to individuals (HSC 375ab)

This list is in exhaustive it applies to any unit title you have chosen within your NVQ.

There are many other activities that you might have been involved in which you should include in your account.

The way in which you carried out the activities is very important; here you will find yourself covering a good part for your mandatory units. This might include

• How you communicated with clients and others such as colleagues, relatives and other professionals
• How you treated people as individuals and showed them respect and dignity.
• How you maintained a professional relationship with the different individuals. Did you have to deal with any conflicts, distress or challenging behaviour?
• How you worked as a team
• How you monitored and maintained health and safety during the different work activitie
• What information you passed on, how it was passed on and what records you completed.

Note: Your reflective account is expected to meet the standards of the NVQ usually the performance criteria and sometimes it will cover some knowledge specification.

I believe if you make use of all the points I have mentioned, you will be able to construct a good reflective account at NVQ Level 2, NVQ Level 3 or NVQ Level 4 on your own.

In all our packages – NVQ 2 & NVQ 3 Mandatory and Optional units, we have fully referenced examples of reflective accounts and a guide to how to write your reflective account. You also have FREE access to our online support centre once you purchase any of the packages, if you need more help on writing reflective account or any other aspect of your NVQ I will advise you to purchase any of our packages relevant to your needs.

If this post has helped you in anyway please leave a comment, this will encourage me to do more and others to read too. I also welcome other NVQ Assessors/trainers to contribute in order to enhance good practice in our profession, thank you.

Visit here for samples of NVQ Health and social care reflective account.

How to write a good reflective account for your NVQ. is a post from: Health and Social Care NVQ Made Simple | Assessors Resources.