Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core

Qualification Overview

The qualification has been developed for individuals working in, or intending to work, in the healthcare and social care sectors. It is targeted at learners in work based learning, further education, and school 6th forms.

It will enable learners to apply for registration with Social Care Wales as a social care worker in domiciliary care or residential child care providing that they meet any additional registration requirements.

Who is the qualification for?

It is suitable for:

• learners aged 16+ currently working in or intending to work in the health and social care sector

• social care worker (adults)

• social care worker (children and young people)

• healthcare support worker

• healthcare assistant.

It is strongly recommended that learners have completed the core qualification prior to, or alongside other qualifications within the suite as this will be a requirement for practice set by Social Care Wales. It will also be feature of the new Foundation Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care.

What will the qualification cover?

The qualification will provide a thorough introduction to the principles, values and knowledge needed to work in the healthcare and social care sectors with adults and children and young people.

The content for this qualification supports learners to develop their knowledge and understanding of:

• the core principles and values which underpin health and social care practice

• ways of working in the health and social care sectors

• effective practice within health and social care

• progression routes to further study or employment within Health and Social Care safeguarding.

The qualification has three pathways:

• Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core (Adults)

• Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core (Children and Young People)

• Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core (Adults & Children and Young People).

Learners can choose to complete qualification pathways separately to suit their career aspirations or they can choose to complete a combined qualification that includes content relevant to both adult and children & young people services.

Qualification structure and assessment

To achieve the (Adults) and (Children and Young People) pathways within this qualification, candidates must pass:

• one externally-set, externally-marked multiple choice test.

To achieve the (Adults & Children and Young People) pathway within this qualification, candidates must pass:

• two externally-set, externally-marked multiple choice tests.

What could the qualification lead to?

On completion, the qualification will provide a broad foundation of knowledge across health and social care. The Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core qualification provides the knowledge to progress on to:

• Level 2 Health and Social Care: Practice (Adults)

• Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Adults)

• Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Children and Young People)

• Level 2 Health and Social Care Principles and Contexts

• Level 3 Health and Social Care Principles and Contexts (Adults/Children & Young People)

• Advanced GCE and Advanced Subsidiary GCE in Health and Social Care, and Childcare.