Why study Care?
This course helps you to develop the knowledge and skills to understand people who use care services. You will learn why people need care, and how to support their health and wellbeing. The course helps you to develop important skills such as problem-solving, communication, planning and managing tasks, and applying knowledge and understanding to care issues and scenarios.
These skills are valuable in a wide range of career sectors, including health care, social care and childcare.
Career Pathways
To see what career areas this subject could lead to and the routes to get there, download and view these career pathways:
Health and Medicine
Social, Caring and Advisory
What do I need to get in?
Entry is at the discretion of the school or college but you would normally be expected to have:
What will I study?
The course consists of three areas of study.
Values and principles
You will:
- investigate the health and social care provision that is available to meet the needs of people requiring care
- analyse needs and explore the role of the care planning process in identifying needs
- gain an understanding of the key features of a positive care environment, and explain the role of legislation
- explore the importance of values and principles in promoting positive care practice.
Human development and behaviour
You will:
- apply your knowledge and understanding of development and behaviour to individuals using care services
- use psychological theories to explain development at different stages of the life span and use models of loss or transition to explain the effects of life experiences on people
- evaluate a range of psychological theories and explain how these can help a care worker to understand behaviour.
Social influences
You will:
- analyse the ways in which social influences can impact on people, and the relevance this has for care practice
- use sociological theories to explain social influences and the impact these might have on people’s life chances
- analyse actions taken in society to improve the life chances of individuals using care services.
How will I be assessed?
The course assessment has two components totalling 130 marks:
- Component 1: question paper – worth 40 marks (consisting of three sections: section 1 - Values and principles, worth 16 marks, section 2 - Human development and behaviour, worth 12 marks, and section 3 - Social influences, worth 12 marks)
- Component 2: project – worth 90 marks.
For the project component, you will choose from a selection of briefs, and investigate the needs of an individual(s) requiring care and the services that meet these needs, and produce a report on your findings.
Both the question paper and the assignment are set and externally marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
The grade awarded is based on the total marks achieved across course assessment.
The course assessment is graded A-D.
Study Materials
What can I go on to next?
If you complete this course successfully it may lead to:
Further study, training or employment in:
Which jobs are related to this subject?