Health & Social Care, Society
Health & Development Diploma and
Foundation Award for Caring for Children
This department offers a variety of courses within the 14-19 curriculum. It is a popular vocational subject, available to Key Stage 4 and 5 learners.
At Key Stage 4, both Level 1 and Level 2 courses are available:
- A Foundation Award in Caring for Children is a Level 1 qualification, equivalent to 3 GCSEs grades D-G. It is a modular course and learners must undertake work experience in a setting with children under 8 years old.
At Key Stage 5, Level 2 and Level 3 courses are available:
Level 2 courses:
- BTEC First Certificate in Health and Social Care
- BTEC First Diploma in Health and Social Care
Level 3 courses:
- Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Certificate
- Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma
- Society, Health and Development Advanced Diploma
- Society, Health and Development Progression Award
Teachers
- Mrs P March (Head of Applied Humanities Faculty)
- Miss M Colgan
- Mrs P Emery
- Mrs H Dixon
Bringing Learning to Life
As a vocational department, we aim to bring our learning to life and apply it to real working environments. Our learning and teaching involves a variety of visiting speakers and external visits:
- A wide range of teaching and support staff are invited into the classroom on a regular basis; to discuss their role or share their area of expertise.
- The SHD Advanced Diploma group attend Alder Hey Children’s Foundation Trust one day a week, where they are taught 50% of their SHD Diploma by the hospital’s expert team of practitioners. SHD diploma learners will undertake a variety of one and half day work placements on-site at Alder Hey, in addition to a two week placement in an area of their choice.
- SHD learners have to research Community Justice. PC Jeff will come to discuss his role and the group visit the Community Justice Centre, to learn about its role in society.
- All Health and Social Care learners visit Liverpool Disabled Living Centre to receive a tour and a talk by an Occupational Therapist.
- A physiotherapist will deliver sessions to both the BTEC Level 3 learners on anatomy and physiology
- Communication is a BTEC Level 3 unit, to bring the topic to life and engage learners; we visit the Royal Wavertree School for the blind, where they research how to communicate with blind and disabled children. Also, learners visit the Deaf Resource Base at Broadgreen International School to establish how to communicate with hearing impaired children. Kate Adams from ‘Deaf Active’, who is based at Merseyside Centre for the Deaf, comes to talk to the group.
- A Community Dietician comes to both BTEC Health and social Care groups to discuss healthy eating.
- SHD learners visit the NSPCC Hargreaves Centre, where they investigate what happens at the Centre.
- All Level 3 learners study to receive a First Aid qualification to complement their coursework content. Mrs Densmore the business Manager helps the group investigate risk assessment sand management.
- The childcare learners visit local nurseries and playgroups who provide an insight into the real world of work.
- The Matron at Wavertree Nursing Home provides a tour and explains the policies, procedures and codes of practice they have to follow.
The department aims to embrace the vocational nature of the subjects. Learning takes place not only in the classroom, but we make use of our local facilities and surroundings in bring learning to life.