Unit 4 - Working in Health and Social Care (K/618/4170)

Level 3
Related Qualifications: level 3 Diploma in Health and Social
Care
Assignment
There are fundamental, essential principles that underpin the work of all health and
social care practitioners and it is vital that workers understand and know how to
apply these aspects which are key to service provision. For example, person
centred practice, effective communication and safeguarding and protection.

The Study Skills used, developed and assessed through this assignment are as
follows:

● Critical thinking
● Planning, organising and time management
● Research
● Gathering information, note taking and summarising
● Analysis
● Written skills
● Academic skills, including referencing
● Application of IT skills
● Reflection

Task 1
For this task, you are applying for a role within a local health and social care
organisation. You are required to prepare a training resource for the interview
which includes the following:
● A definition of person centred practice.
● An analysis of how person centred ways of working contribute to continuity of
care.
● A description of the role of safeguarding and protection in person centred
practice.
● An explanation of the benefits of positive risk taking for individuals accessing
services.
Extension activities:

To gain a merit grade you must also:

● Analyse how the 6 Cs of care underpin person centred practice.

To gain a distinction grade you must also:

● Analyse why it is important for health and social care workers to demonstrate
person-centred values throughout their working practice.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria: LO1 AC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1M1, 1D1
Task 2
Communication is a process to make contact with others to understand their needs
and requirements. Communication involves sending and receiving messages in a
continuous cycle which is repeated and becomes an important part of all
relationships.

Using a health and social care setting you are either familiar with, or have seen in
the media, assess the methods of communication used by people accessing the
service and people working there.

Prepare a report, in which you:

● Describe the role of communication in health and social care.
● Explain methods of communication used in health and social care.
● Identify barriers to communication in health and social care.
● Describe information handling and recording procedures.
● Explain the principles and practices relating to confidentiality in health and
social care.

Extension activities:
To gain a merit grade you must also:
● Evaluate factors that can influence the maintenance of confidentiality in health
and social care.

To gain a distinction grade you must also:

● Evaluate strategies used in health and social care settings to overcome
barriers to communication.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

LO2 AC2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2M1, 2D1

Task 3
For people accessing health and social care services infections can be serious, and
in some cases, life-threatening. Regular contact with staff, others using the service,
family, and friends all mean infection can easily be passed around, so it is vital to
ensure everything is done to help prevent infection occurring.

You have been tasked with preparing a training guide for staff new to the health
and social care sector. In the guide you are asked to:
● Explain the cause and spread of infection.
● Explain the importance of preventing and controlling the spread of infection.
● Explain how to reduce the spread of infection
Extension activities:
To gain a merit grade you must also:
● Analyse how an outbreak of infection would be managed in a health and
social care setting

To gain a distinction grade you must also:

● Assess how risk assessment can contribute to reducing the spread of
infection in a health and social care setting

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

LO3 AC3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3M1, 3D1.

Task 4
Using a health and social care organisation of your choice, for example a care
home or healthcare setting, carry out an analysis and review of their approaches
to partnership working. In your review you should:
● Describe different working relationships in health and social care settings
● Explain the role of an advocate in supporting individuals accessing services.
● Explain why it is important to work in partnership with others.
● Evaluate the role of teams in providing a co-ordinated approach to service
delivery.

Extension activities:
To gain a merit grade you must also:
Analyse how team leadership can address challenges faced by teams in health and
social care.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

LO4 AC 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4M1.

Task 5
There are many different kinds of care plans used in health and social care, but they
all have the same purpose, which is to ensure that the person gets the same care at
all times, to ensure that the care given is recorded and to support the person to
identify, manage and, hopefully, meet their needs, wishes and preferences.
You are supporting a person new to the service you work at, and you are involved in
preparing their care plan. The person is very anxious, and not at all sure of what is
involved in the care planning process. Prepare for them a short information
leaflet, in which you:

● Explain the purpose of care planning.

● Outline roles and responsibilities involved in the care planning process.

● Describe how to ensure the individual is involved in all stages of care planning
and review.
Extension activities:
To gain a merit grade you must also:
● Analyse ways to overcome barriers to implementing care plans

To gain a distinction grade you must also:

● Critically review the challenges of developing care plans that meet the needs
of the individual and their agreed outcomes

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

LO 5 AC 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5M1, 5D1

Task 6
Supporting the safe and correct administration of medication is a key function of the
roles of many carers working in the health and social care sector. Reflect on an
occasion when you or someone you know were prescribed medication. Carry
out research to enable you to complete an account relating to this person’s
medication, and more broadly to the administration of medication. In your account,
you must:
● Describe common types of medication and their effects, and potential side
effects
● Explain the different routes of medicine administration.
● Describe how to administer medication safely and in line with current
legislation and guidelines.
● Explain the records to be completed for the storage, administration, and
disposal of medication.

Extension activities:
To gain a distinction grade you must also:
● Analyse standard precautions for infection control for the administration of
medication.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

LO 6 AC 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6D1
Guidelines for assessors

The assignments submitted by learners must achieve the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by the assessment
criteria for the unit. To achieve a merit or distinction grade, the learners must demonstrate that they have achieved all the criteria
set for these grades. Where work for the pass standard is marginal, assessors can take into account any extension work completed
by the learners. The suggested evidence listed below is how learners can demonstrate that they have met the required standards.

Task LOs and AC Suggested evidence Suggested additional Suggested additional

number PASS evidence MERIT evidence DISTINCTION
1. LO1 -1.1, 1.2, 1.3, The learner must show they understand Learners must engage Learners must analyse
1.4, 1M1, 1D1 person-centred practice and the effect it with the 6Cs to enable why it is important for
has on people accessing services, and them to analyse their health and social care
on the provision of services. Learners role in service provision workers to demonstrate
must present an analysis of the way and delivery. The 6C’s person-centred values
person centred ways of working (Care, Compassion, throughout their working
contribute to continuity of care, for Competence, practice. Responses
example consistency, ongoing review, Communication, should include inclusion,
responsive to change, knowledge of Courage, Commitment) the promotion of choice
care needs and the recording of needs provide guidance in and independence.
agreed by all parties involved. Learners relation to what can be
are also required to examine the benefits expected from health
to individuals of positive risk taking, for and social care staff.
example providing choice and supporting
development.
2. LO2 -2.1, 2.2, 2.3, The learner must identify the role and Learners must provide Learners must evaluate
2.4, 2.5, 2M1, 2D1 function of communication in health and an evaluation of factors the strategies used in
social care, for example to exchange influencing the health and social care
information, share feelings and express maintenance of settings to overcome
views, citing methods to support this, for confidentiality in health barriers to communication.
example BSL, verbal and non-verbal and social care. The This should include the
communication. Learners must also level of risk involved methods identfied
explain how to overcome identified and the needs of previously.
 barriers to communication, which could individuals must be
involve the use of the methods cited. cited.

Learners must also provide a full

explanation of the practice and role of
information handling and confidentiality.
The principles of confidentiality must be
fully explained
3. LO3 - 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, Learners must include an explanation Using content from the Linking to previous
3M1, 3D1 how infection is caused and spread, for previously answered content, learners are
example infected food and water-borne tasks, learners should asked to assess how risk
diseases. Learners will provide a analyse how an assessment can contribute
detailed explanation of why preventing outbreak of infection to reducing the spread of
and controlling the spread of infection is would be managed in a infection in a health and
important, for example to prevent illness, health and social care social care setting, for
escalation, or loss of reputation, to setting. For example example through
include how this can be achieved. isolating, barrier identification of potential
nursing, closure, deep hazards, risk management
clean. and harm reduction.
4. LO4 - 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, Learners will describe the role and With links to Pass
4.4, 4M1 function of different working relationships content, learners should
in health and social care settings, for provide an analysis of
example carers, family, external how team leadership
practitioners. This could include the role addresses challenges
of the advocate, or be presented as a faced by teams in
separate response, to include supporting health and social care.
inclusion and involvement. Learners will for example, the
provide an explanation of the value of provision of focus,
partnership working in health and social motivating team
care and how teams can help facilitate a members and having a
co-ordinated approach to service positive approach.
delivery. This should include identifying
 the best outcomes, efficiency, and
effectiveness.
5. 5-5.1, 5.2, 5.3 Learners will provide a detailed Learners will carry out Learners will draw on their
explanation of the purpose of care an analysis of methods existing response to
planning, to include the meeting of of overcoming barriers complete a review the
specific needs, decision making and to implementing care challenges of developing
inclusion. Linked to this process, plans which could care plans that meet the
learners will then detail who is likely to include risk assessment needs of the individual and
be involved in the care plannnig process, and accessing the their agreed outcomes.
for example carers, relatives and necessary resources. Examples should include
advocates, and how they can ensure the duty of care, inclusion, and
individual is fully involved in the decision safeguarding.
making process, for example through the
use of effective communication.,
6. 6-6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 Learners will use their own experiences Using their case study
to enable them to demonstrate material, leaners should
understanding of the role, function, analyse standard
route, and side effects of common types precautions for infection
of medication. Examples should include control for the
antibiotics and analgesics. administration of
Learners will provide a detailed medication.
description of how medication should be
safely administered and the records to
be completed; for example infection
control measures, name checks and the
completion of Medicine Administration
Record (MAR) charts