Vocational Training Services offers the new Health and Social Care Diploma's that have replaced the NVQ at level 2 or 3. These can be standalone qualifications or part of an Apprenticeship framework, dependent on the learners circumstances.
What are the qualifications about?
This wide-ranging Diploma covers the skills and knowledge needed to care for others in a wide range of health or social care settings.
It is flexible to suit all fields of health and social care. You can choose a pathway that suits your role - for example, working with people with a learning disability, people with dementia or children and young people.
This is the main qualification required by the Quality Care Commission in England and the Care Councils in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Who are the qualifications for?
These are the recognised qualifications for care workers and senior care workers in health and social care.
To take the Level 3 qualification you must be working in a care setting already. For the Level 2 qualification, you might have no previous experience, or you might be working in care and want recognition for your current skills.
What do the qualifications cover?
You'll cover things like:
- the role of a health and social care worker
- health and safety
- equality and inclusion
- personal development.
You'll also cover specific skills and knowledge for the options you choose. These might be things like:
- administering medication
- supporting people with disabilities
- working with babies and young children
- helping people to eat and drink.
How will I learn and be assessed?
To gain these qualifications, you need to show you've got a particular set of skills. You usually work with VTS to review your current skills and find the best way to gain new ones - perhaps by trying new things at work, or by studying.
These qualifications are assessed at work by a VTS assessor. For each unit your assessor watches and asks questions as you perform a task, or looks at a portfolio of work that you've built as formal evidence of your learning. Then they confirm you've got the skills to do the job well.
Which level is right for me?
You are a care worker or want to get your first care job. If you're already working in care, you probably work mainly under supervision. You want to increase your skills and take on more responsibility.
Level 3
You're a care worker, and you have some responsibility in your workplace. You sometimes work without supervision. You want to develop or demonstrate your skills, perhaps to become a senior care worker.
What jobs could they lead to?
This qualification can help you succeed in a wide range of healthcare settings, such as:
The Level 2 Diploma is suitable for:
The Level 3 Diploma is suitable for:
senior healthcare assistants / support workers
senior care workers / assistants / key workers / support workers
personal assistants.
Both qualifications might also suit emerging new types of workers and multi-disciplinary health roles crossing traditional service barriers and delivery models. Contact VTS for more details or click here for details of the level 2 Apprenticeship, or here for the level 3 Apprenticeship.
