The act of effective interaction between individuals can be obtained by spoken words or by other means. For communication to occur there has to be at least two people involved. The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently is one of the most important skills that can be gained by a healthcare professional.

What is Communication?

In a simple definition, communication is the process of sending or receiving messages between two or more individuals.

Effective communication is more than just talking, and is essential for the well-being of the individuals you care for.  It includes body language, gestures, facial expressions, positioning and appearance.  It is important to be aware of non-verbal communication when interacting with your individuals at work.

It is impossible to do without communication in health and social care, we have many reasons to communicate and it is essential communication is done effectively without misunderstanding others or being misunderstood. We communicate with:

• Patients, residents, clients,
• Health care professionals,
• Managers and supervisors,
• Family and friends. 

• Speech difficulties due to disabilities’ or illness e.g. Dementia, stroke
• Deafness
• Poor Sight
• Noisy Environment
• Poor Cognitive Skills e.g. learning disabilities
• Difference in Language spoken

Related posts

• No related posts.

I have been working as an NVQ assessor for a few years, assessing NVQs in Health and Social Care. Recently I was getting tired of the amount of paper work I had to deal with and the time spent with candidates was increasing because of the need to reference their evidence appropriately and meet up with funding requirements and organizational procedures.

Being a Health and Social Care worker in the past and a trainer at present, I can understand the burden the paper based NVQ places on candidates who are hands on individuals rather than academicians. Some learners are finding the NVQs difficult to produce written evidence.

My targets for completing cohorts of learners were becoming incredibly impossible to meet; therefore I knew I had to adopt another strategy as quickly as possible. I attended a training session that introduced me to a number of ways to improve assessment methods and behold it was the one thing I thought was going to be difficult to adopt that was presented as a simpler method – Electronic Assessment.

The outcome of the training I attended was really advantageous; presently as an NVQ Assessor I mix both kinds together, I mean paper and electronic assessment. I capture as much evidence as possible on digital Dictaphone and my Blackberry phone. I find this method very effective for witness testimonies, observations, professional discussions, reflective accounts and Questions and Answers. I find using electronic methods brings so many different and positive advantages to the assessment process, for example:

Witness testimonials, Professional Discussion, Reflective Accounts and Questions & Answers – I am able to capture quality evidence as I interview the witnesses; this could be the manager or other key people. The learner finds it time saving to sit down with me and have a conversation recorded on my Dictaphone as a professional discussion, reflective account or oral questioning session. I can steer a conversation in the direction I need to capture the maximum amount of evidence. Within a short time I have implemented this method; I’ve noticed witnesses are much more likely to provide a testimonial if they think their involvement will be a brief interview. When you ask witnesses to write long reports you will be putting them off and this can often make them feel that this is not their NVQ award so why are they been made to write reports. As it is not a witness or learner’s role to know the assessment process, there is a risk that their evidence would not fully cover performance or knowledge criteria the testimony was aimed at. This can lead to de-motivation and reluctance of learners gathering evidence using witness testimonies or reluctance to complete the qualification because of the writing involved.

Observations – I electronically record observations when I can and where confidentiality will allow. This allows the observation to be viewed/ heard by all involved in the process and reduces issues that could arise around assessor interpretation. In health and social care we do have a lot to keep confidential however some aspects can be either voice recordings or video recordings.

Work products – I reference all work products to the portfolio rather than being printed and put in the portfolio. This reduces the amount of paper used in the process and allows evidence to remain in its natural environment of the work place. For example policies and procedures followed by learners at work, supervision records, care plans, accident reports etc

A learner could either be using an e-portfolio or the traditional paper based portfolio and would still be able to produce evidence using these kinds of electronic methods. Capturing electronic evidence reduces the amount of time I need to spend working on evidence. Assessing the learner’s written work and dealing with insufficient evidence due to the learner not being able to express themselves in writing can wastes a lot of time. Using electronic evidence means I can spend more time making assessment decisions and capturing evidence rather than spending time typing or writing it into a report. It is also very important to reduce our carbon footprint and paper portfolios can contain a vast amount of paper.

Using electronic methods reduces paper usage and promotes an environmentally friendly image. This has filtered through to the NVQ assessment process as electronic evidence reduces the need for storage space in the office or in your home if you are a freelance Assessor. As an assessor this is an advantage to me as I do not have to transport heavy and large portfolios anymore which you agree with me is not a healthy exercise over a long period of time.

Capturing evidence electronically also enhances the quality assurance processes. All those involved in the process are able to validate and authenticate evidence as they are able to see and/or hear the live evidence which reduces potential issues; for example concerns regarding assessor assumptions.

At the beginning of this process of change I was not very sure it would work but as the days rolled into weeks and weeks into months, I’m sure getting better at it and my learners are very happy at the thought of a reduction in writing because they can provide evidence verbally.

At NVQMadeSimple.com we want to encourage verifiers, assessors and learners to embrace electronic assessments as it has definite advantages for us all in the coming years. If you would like to share with us your personal experience and opinions about electronic assessments for NVQ, please leave your comments below.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our valued customers, readers and visitors, we thank you all for the contribution and support in 2009. I want to believe as you are reading article that you have dreams for 2010 and you have set goals with practical step by step plans that will help you achieve those goals.  But perhaps you haven’t done so; I will advice to do so as soon as possible, give your actions a definite direction by setting your goals and plans, and then work out your plans. It is important to ensure that your goals and plans include your professional or career development because this has a direct effect on your life especially if you desire an  increase in income for 2010 or a change in your lifestyle for the years ahead. To add value to one’s life most often requires a conscious effort and a deliberate action taken.

My word to you in this New Year is that if you have commenced any of the NVQ courses; make up your mind to complete it. If you are contemplating on enrolling on an NVQ course in 2010, stop hesitating, take action and just add it to your to do list for the year and make it work. “Wisdom is the principal thing and with whatever you get, have understanding with it”; be your best in 2010.

If you have not written out your personal or professional development plan for this year, do it today. Make sure you do so. Write out what your achievements were last year and what you hope to accomplish this year. Do researches on the internet on how to achieve these or simply discuss with your line manager as soon as possible so you can set your professional development plan for 2010.

I will encourage you to visit NVQMadeSimple.com as often as you can or simply bookmark this website and subscribe to our post update.  You will be kept abreast of quality and valuable information, a lot of exciting Career and income opportunities will soon be posted on this website.

NVQ Assessments becoming Simpler in 2010!

• Are you an NVQ Assessor and you are feeling like giving up your profession?
• Are you feeling stressed about the whole NVQ Assessment process?
• Are you getting fed up of dealing with loads of paper work?
• Are you struggling to meet your set targets and completions for your learners?

NVQMadeSimple.com has a goal to support both learners and NVQ Assessors in 2010 to ensure you are successful in achieving your own goals. 

Look forward to exciting articles and products that will make NVQ Assessment simpler and achievable for you. We wish you all the best in 2010 and your career pursuit will be accomplished.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The word reflective or reflection is derived from the word reflect. The Oxford dictionary meaning of reflect is “to think carefully and deeply about something”. The word “reflective” is an adjective used to describe the kind of report or writing you are required to submit for your NVQ. Therefore a reflective account can be understood as a real or true story of how you have carried out an activity at work or an action you took in the past and why you took the action.

If you were at a celebration on the new year’s eve for 2009 and you were asked you to write a reflective account on what it was like, you will try to remember the night and may start by saying it happened that I was at a party on this occasion, it was a glorious night with all sorts of lovely lightings and so on, the style of writing is in the past and it is specific to the question. That’s the same way your NVQ reflections should be.

It can be difficult to know what to write if you are not given a question or a topic; for example some candidates say I need to write a reflective account for HSC22, but this unit has 3 elements and in most cases what their assessor might have told them to do is to reflect on how they have handled an accident or emergency situation which is HSC22c. This suggests that a reflective account can be written for any unit within the NVQ or any element within a unit to prove that you understand what to do in a particular situation and why you are doing it in a certain way which should be in line with your organisational policies and procedures.

If you are asked to write a reflective account and you are not given a question or a topic you should boldly ask your assessor this question politely – “Please could you tell me what my reflective account should be about?” with this question your assessor will be able to give you areas of concentration on the specific topic you are to write about. Also when you are seeking for help or support this approach is better as you would rather say can I get support on “how you promote, monitor and maintain health and safety at work” than asking how can I write a reflective account on HSC32 when you actually meant to say how can I write a reflective account on ‘how I have handled an emergency situation’.

In one of our previous article titled “How to write a good reflective account for your NVQ” I described what your pattern of writing should look like but today I would like to be more specific on what will be expected of you in relation to some specific topics which you will commonly come across in your NVQ depending on the level you are undertaking.

The mandatory units at level 2, level 3 and level 4 are very much similar with regards to the topic only that the scope is wider as the level increases i.e. HSC21, HSC31 & HSC41 are Communication units, HSC22, HSC32 & HSC42 are Health and Safety units, HSC23, HSC33 & HSC43 are Personal and Professional Development units and HSC24, HSC35 & HSC45 are units on choice, wellbeing and protection of individuals at different levels.  

At level 2, you may be asked to write a reflective account on “how you have taken action to deal with an emergency at work”, at level 3 your question could be to write a reflective account on “how you have minimised risks arising from emergencies”. Your assessor might be more specific and ask you to write on a particular kind of emergency such as falls, serious burns, fire, serious cuts, severe bleeding, cardiac arrest, shock, loss of consciousness, epileptic seizures, choking or difficulty with breathing, poisoning, electrocution and more. There is a smart way to get around writing these accounts you need to locate which units or elements you are working on to provide evidence in this case it will be HSC22 and HSC32 respectively.

The performance criteria 22a, 22b, 22c or 32a, 32b, 32c as the case might be should be read through first. Remember according to the first article you need a guideline or step by step guide to how you should write this account. At level 2 use the performance criteria HSC22a.4, HSC22b.4,5,6 & HSC22c.1,2,3,4,5,6 as a guide and at level 3 use the element HSC32abc as a guide. Often your assessor may not be able to observe you at work on how you would handle an emergency case that’s why a simulation would be required but by using a reflective account you can provide additional evidence that you are competent at handling accidents or emergency incidents.

You will find a guide on how to write a reflective account on how to handle emergency situations and an example of a fully referenced reflective account at your required level in our new packages – Reflective Accounts for your NVQ Level 2 & Level 3.

Coming soon in the month of October, there will be new packages on different kinds of reflective accounts. These will be guides and detailed samples that are fully referenced. Look out for reflective accounts on both the mandatory units and optional units within Level 2 and Level 3. These are some of the topics that will be made available and more:   

• Reflective account on how you have communicated effectively with service users and others. HSC21 & HSC31)

• Reflective account on how you have maintained health and safety at work; and how you have taken action to deal with an emergency situation at work. (HSC22,HSC32)

• Reflective account on how you develop your practice as a healthcare worker. (HSC23, HSC33)

• Reflective account on how you have handled incidents of abuse or protected an individual from abuse (HSC24, HSC35).

• Reflective account on how you help individuals eat and drink.(HSC214)

• Reflective account on administration of medication.(HSC221 & HSC375)

• Reflective account on care planning and review (HSC328).

• Reflective account on personal care needs and hygiene.(HSC218)

And many more…

If you are interested in other topics please put your requests in the comment section and we will respond to let you know if there will be provision for your requests.

Related posts

• No related posts.

I will like to introduce to you some specific NVQ 3 Health and Social Care Optional Units resource packages we have available on this website.

In the previous article you had access to a list of optional units to make your choice of 4 units as you are required to complete 8 units at Level 3. We have resources for the very common ones and this article is to introduce you to these units and what you will find in our resource packages. The units below are mainly for NVQ learners within Health and Social Care (Adults). Resource packages for Health and Social Care (Children and Young people) are under review and would be available soon.

HSC328 - Contribute to care planning and review.

This unit will be ideal for you if you are involved in planning and implementing care for individuals at work. Your role should include finding out from individuals about their needs and preferences and how to meet these needs. It will then be your responsibility to work with the individual, their family, care workers and the wider care team to ensure the best care is provided and it meets their needs. You should also be involved in reviewing care plans this may be the whole care plan or just a part of the care plan.

There are 16 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work.

HSC328a – Contribute to assessing the needs and preferences of individuals.

HSC328b – Support the development and implementation of care plans.

HSC328c – Contribute to reviewing care plans.

Our resource package for this unit contains the full explanation to all the knowledge requirements and a fully referenced sample of a reflective account. You will find solutions to current legislation, code of practice, service standards, government reports and theories related to care planning and review. This resource is packaged along with HSC329 which is easy to cross reference if you are involved in planning, monitoring and reviewing the delivery of service for individuals, get yours here now.

HSC 329 - Contribute to planning, monitoring and reviewing the delivery of service for individuals.

Usually NVQ candidates do not seem to figure out the difference between HSC328 and HSC329 and this reflects in the way they write their reflective account. HSC329 involves the arrangement for the delivery of quality services; these services could include domiciliary care, day centres, transportation, meals on wheels etc. These services need to be needs led rather than service led (This is explained more in our resource package) whereas HSC328 is about how you plan care for an individual and review the care plan to ensure it is still meeting the individual’s needs. The aspects of care planning should be meeting their holistic needs which may include personal care needs, mobility needs, dietary needs, social and emotional needs, medical needs etc.

There are 22 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work. The 3 elements of performance criteria are listed below:

HSC329a – Contribute to planning the delivery of service for individuals

HSC329b – Contribute to monitoring the delivery of service for individuals

HSC329c – Contribute to reviewing the delivery of service for individuals.

So if you have chosen HSC329 you will find it easy to cross reference with HSC328. Get your copy of our resource and you will understand how to answer your questions, get it here now.

HSC330 – Support individuals to access and use services and facilities.

Unit HSC330 is such an interesting unit, you might be thinking is this not similar to the 2 units above, well yes but with a difference. The services and facilities may be preferred services of the individuals that are provided by organisations entirely different to yours, I mean outside your organisation. You should be involved in working in partnership with individuals, key people and others to enable them to access these services and facilities.

There are 18 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work. The 3 elements of performance criteria are listed below:

HSC330a – Support individuals to identify services and facilities they need.

HSC330b – Enable individuals to select, access and use services and facilities.

HSC330c – Enable individuals to evaluate services and facilities used.

Within this unit you will need to provide evidence to the knowledge criteria and the performance criteria. This will include:

• How you deal with and challenge discrimination for individuals accessing and using services and facilities?
• Current local and national legislation, relevant theories, Government reports
• How you keep services and facilities informed about the needs of the individuals and any changes that might be necessary and a lot more you will need to write about.

HSC336 - Contribute to the prevention and management of abusive and aggressive behaviour.

There are 13 knowledge requirements and 3 elements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise.

HSC336a – Contribute to preventing abusive and aggressive behaviour.

HSC336b – Deal with incidents of abusive and aggressive behaviour.

HSC336c – Contribute to reviewing incidents of abusive and aggressive behaviour.

Other methods of gathering evidence is by writing a reflective account of how you have worked with an individual, preventing and managing aggressive behaviour. You will be required to provide evidence of your understanding of the knowledge criteria this may be by answering a set of Written Questions. Our resource package is an ideal solution to any naughty questions that you are struggling to answer and you will get a sample of a reflective account in your package to give you a guide to write yours, get your copy now

HSC337 - Provide frameworks to help individuals to manage challenging behaviour.

There are 22 knowledge requirements and 3 elements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise.

HSC337a – Support individuals to identify the reasons and causes for, and the consequences of, their behaviour

HSC337b – Work with individuals to agree ways to manage their behaviour.

HSC337c – Support individuals to evaluate actions to manage behaviour.

NVQ learners working with young people and adults with learning disabilities or adults with challenging behaviour, dementia or mental disorders may find this unit suitable to choose as an optional unit. Our resource package will point you to what to write on all the knowledge specifications for example:

• Causes of challenging behaviour.
• Theories on why people behave in a challenging way and how to manage the behaviour.
• Dealing with challenging behaviours.
• Reviewing and evaluating challenging behaviours and other aspects of this unit.

Once you have purchased your product we are sure you will find the knowledge evidence simple, buy with confidence here.

HSC351 - Plan, agree and implement development activities to meet individual needs.

There are 16 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirement within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise.

HSC351a – Identify and agree development activities to meet individual needs.

HSC351b – Plan and implement development activities with individuals and others.

HSC351c – Evaluate and review the effectiveness of the development activities.

To ensure you are able to complete this unit your job role should include supporting individuals to find out the appropriate activities that can enhance their development, these activities are planned with the individual with your support and you need to be part of the care team that evaluate the effectiveness of the activities after an agreed space of time.

You will find our resource very useful to understand the knowledge questions and get a guide to the way you should write your reflective account. Don’t hesitate, get your copy here.

Related posts

• No related posts.

This is a task that you will be required to do at the beginning of your NVQ, shortly after registration forms have been completed. Your assessor should complete a skill scan with you which is a short discussion about your job role and activities you carry out regularly at work. This discussion should be recorded in a form called a skill scan; the format of the form differs from centre to centre.

Sometimes candidates think they can choose a unit that they would like to explore new skills and knowledge on but unfortunately this is not the main objective of going through an NVQ rather it is to assist you package your experience and competence on your job into a certificate for which you need sufficient, valid, reliable and authentic evidence. Therefore your choice of optional units should be based on what you do regularly and you can present evidence using different methods including direct observation at work by your NVQ Assessor.

See below a list of units option codes for both NVQ 2 and NVQ 3 (Adults) and their respective titles:

To gain the full NVQ Level 2 all four mandatory units and two optional units must be achieved, this makes a total of 6 units.

Level 2 Mandatory Units

HSC21: Communicate with, and complete records for individuals   

HSC22: Support the health and safety of yourself and individuals

HSC23: Develop your knowledge and practice

HSC24: Ensure your own actions support the care, protection and well-being of individuals

Level 2 Optional Units

HSC25: Carry out and provide feedback on specific plan of care activities

HSC26: Support individuals to access and use information

HSC27: Support individuals in their daily living

HSC28: Support individuals to make journeys

HSC29: Support individuals to meet their domestic and personal needs

HSC210: Support individuals to access and participate in recreational activities

HSC211: Support individuals to take part in development activities

HSC212: Support individuals during therapy sessions

HSC213: Provide food and drink for individuals

HSC214: Help individuals to eat and drink

HSC215: Help individuals to keep mobile

HSC216: Help address the physical comfort needs of individuals

HSC217: Undertake agreed pressure area care

HSC218: Support individuals with their personal care needs 

HSC219: Support individuals to manage continence

HSC220: Maintain the feet of individuals who have been assessed as requiring help with general foot care

HSC221: Assist in the administration of medication

HSC222: Support individuals prior to, during and after clinical procedures 

HSC223: Contribute to moving and handling individuals

HSC224: Observe, monitor and record the conditions of individuals

HSC225: Support individuals to undertake and monitor their own health care

HSC226: Support individuals who are distressed

HSC227: Contribute to working in collaboration with carers in the caring role

HSC228: Contribute to effective group care

HSC229: Gain access to, and ensure individuals’ homes are secure

HSC230: Manage environments and resources during clinical activities

HSC232: Protect yourself from the risk of violence at work

Level 3 Mandatory Units

HSC31: Promote effective communication for and about individuals

HSC32: Promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the working environment

HSC33: Reflect on and develop your practice

HSC35: Promote choice, well being and the protection of all individuals

Level 3 Optional Units

HSC328: Contribute to care planning and review

HSC329: Contribute to planning, monitoring and reviewing the delivery of service for individuals

HSC330: Support individuals to access and use services and facilities

HSC331: Support individuals to develop and maintain social networks and relationships

HSC332: Support the social, emotional and identity needs of individuals

HSC333: Prepare your family and networks to support individuals requiring care

HSC334: Provide a home and family environment for individuals

HSC335: Contribute to the protection of individuals from harm and abuse

HSC336: Contribute to the prevention and management of abusive and aggressive behaviour

HSC337:  Provide frameworks to help individuals to manage challenging behaviour

HSC338: Carry out screening and referral assessment

HSC339: Carry out assessment to identify and prioritise needs

HSC340: Carry out comprehensive substance misuse assessment

HSC341: Help individuals address their substance use through an action plan

HSC342: Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users

HSC343: Support individuals to live at home

HSC344: Support individuals to retain, regain and develop the skills to manage their lives and environment.

HSC345: Support individuals to manage their financial affairs

HSC346: Support individuals to manage direct payments

HSC347: Help individuals to access employment

HSC348: Help individuals to access learning, training and development opportunities

HSC349: Enable individuals to access housing and accommodation

HSC350: Recognise, respect and support the spiritual well-being of individuals

HSC351: Plan, agree and implement development activities to meet individual needs

HSC352: Support individuals to continue therapies

HSC353: Interact with individuals using telecommunications

HSC354: Counsel Individuals about their substance use using recognised theoretical models

HSC355: Counsel groups of individuals about their substance use using recognised theoretical models

HSC356: Support individuals to deal with relationship problems

HSC357: Carry out extended feeding techniques to ensure individuals’ nutritional and fluid intake

HSC358: Identify the individual at risk of skin breakdown and undertake the appropriate risk assessment.

HSC360: Move and position individuals

HSC361: Prepare for and undertake physiological measurements

HSC362: Recognise indications of substance misuse and refer individual to specialists

HSC363: Test for substance use

HSC364: Identify the physical health needs of individuals with mental health needs

HSC365: Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects

HSC366: Support individuals to represent their own needs and wishes at decision-making forums.

HSC367: Help individuals identify and access independent representation and advocacy

HSC368: Present individuals’ needs and preferences

HSC369: Support individuals with specific communication needs

HSC370: Support individuals to communicate using technology

HSC371: Support individuals to communicate using interpreting and translation services

HSC372: Plan and implement programmes to enable individuals to find their way around familiar environments

HSC373: Plan and implement programmes to enable individuals to find their way around unfamiliar environments

HSC374: Provide first aid to an individual needing emergency assistance

HSC375: Administer medication to individuals

HSC376: Obtain venous blood samples

HSC377: Encourage and support individuals undergoing dialysis therapy at home

HSC378: Insert and secure urethral catheters and monitor and respond to the effects of urethral catheterisation

HSC379: Support individuals who are substance users

HSC380: Supply and exchange injecting equipment for individuals

HSC381: Support individuals through detoxification programmes

HSC382: Support individuals to prepare for, adapt to and manage change

HSC383: Prepare and support individuals to move and settle into new living environments

HSC384: Support individuals through bereavement

HSC385: Support individuals through the process of dying

HSC386: Assist in the transfer of individuals between agencies and services

HSC387: Work in collaboration with carers in the caring role

HSC388: Relate to families, parents and carers

HSC389: Work with carers, families and key people to maintain contact with individuals

HSC390: Support families in maintaining relationships in their wider social structures and environments

HSC391: Provide services to those affected by someone else’s substance use

HSC392: Work with families, carers and individuals during times of crisis

HSC393: Prepare, implement and evaluate agreed therapeutic group activities

HSC394: Contribute to the development and running of support groups

HSC395: Contribute to assessing and act upon risk of danger, harm and abuse

HSC396: Enable people with mental health needs to develop coping strategies

HSC397: Reinforce positive behavioural goals during relationships with individuals

HSC398: Contribute to assessing the needs of individuals for therapeutic programmes to enable them to manage their behaviour.

HSC399: Develop and sustain effective working relationships with staff in other agencies

HSC3100: Participate in inter-disciplinary team working to support individuals

HSC3101: Help develop community networks and partnerships

HSC3102: Work with community networks and partnerships

HSC3103: Contribute to raising awareness of health issues

HSC3104: Support the development of networks to meet assessed needs and planned outcomes.

HSC3105: Contribute to the recruitment and placement of volunteers

HSC3106: Plan, organise and monitor the work of volunteers

HSC3107: Lead and motivate volunteers

HSC3108: Facilitate learning through presentations and activities

HSC3109: Facilitate group learning

HSC3110: Support colleagues to relate to individuals

The following are Additional units which provide opportunities for professional development, and to meet employer needs for specific job roles. Candidates can’t use Additional Units instead of Optional Units, but they are available to candidates and their centres through their registration period. 

HSC3111:  Promote the equality, diversity, rights and responsibilities of individuals

HSC3112:  Support individuals to identify and promote their own health and social well being

HSC3119:  Promote the values and principles underpinning best practice

NB: Please note there are forbidden unit combinations; please check with your assessor before undertaking any combination.

Related posts

• No related posts.

What is APL/APEL?

APL means Assessment or Accreditation of Prior Learning. This should be proved by either a certificate of attendance or by records signed by the tutor or an authorised person at work but not necessarily from an awarding institution.  It could be a work based learning course or in house training session at work, whereby you were given a certificate of attendance which might state the content of the training or learning outcome.

It does not necessarily require that you have undertaken a formal assessment like a test at the end of the training; this is what is referred to as informal learning.

APEL means Assessment or Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning. This does not necessarily refer to courses you have attended but could be learning and experience that has taken place over a period of time within the sphere of your work life, social life or domestic life that is relevant to your NVQ.

Generally mature students have acquired a range of expertise, skills and knowledge gathered from their job role, the community and their personal life experience. Using APEL as a method of assessment provides you with the opportunity to have your previous experience assessed and included in your NVQ.

Benefits of using APL/APEL

• It may mean that you do not have to repeat aspects of your NVQ units which you are already familiar with and have evidence to show for it.
• It may help to speed up your rate of study and complete your NVQ earlier than you may have thought, although this can be as time consuming as completing a workbook if you are unable to freely express yourself and complete the requirements for your APEL/ APL assessment.
• It’s a good reflection exercise to help you develop the ability to think about all you have done in the past that adds up to your competence and a free expression of how you have developed yourself professionally and personally.

 How do I know if I have “relevant” learning?

• You will need to ensure that any informal training or experience you wish to claim evidence of competence for is relevant to the units within your NVQ. This means it should address the unit, elements and the knowledge specification to a broad extent.
• You need to be able to judge and reference the evidence as similar to the standards within the units of the NVQ and also ensure the level is similar to the NVQ level you are working towards.
• You need to be able to demonstrate your experience or acquired learning.This could be through work products that you can show your assessor.

How do I provide Evidence using APL/APEL?

• Start by getting your curriculum vitae (CV), your job description, all your training certificates (of attendance or formal tests you completed during the training), supervision or appraisal reports or statements from employers and any work products.
• Write a personal statement outlining the relevance of your learning experience to the NVQ units (APEL). There is no set format for this personal statement. See how you can write one in the article “Why health and social care as a career?” although you need to work in agreement with your NVQ assessor on what to be covered.
• Reflect on your training in the past 2-5 years, select the relevant certificate you wish to include in your portfolio to use towards your NVQ, on each of these trainings write about:

1. How you did the training?
2. Why it was necessary?
3. What you learnt?
4. How it has been of benefit in your job?

Note:  APL is not complete if you do not write a reflective account on each of your training certificates to ensure it meets the standards within your NVQ. This means if you just insert copies of training certificates into your portfolio without any reflections it would not be used as a method of assessment. Read article on “How to write a good reflective Account for your NVQ”

Below is a list of common areas of training and their respective NVQ Units that have similar standards which you can use to reference your reflection.

• Basic communication skills training– HSC21
• Advanced communication skills training – HSC31 and HSC369
• Report writing skills training – HSC21 and HSC31
• Basic Life Support & Emergency First Aid training – HSC22 and HSC32
• Health and Safety and Fire training -HSC22 and HSC32
• Moving and handling training – HSC223 and HSC360
• Medication Awareness training – HSC221 and HSC375
• Safeguarding Adults (formerly known as POVA) training – HSC24 and HSC35
• Understanding Mental Health Difficulties training – HSC336
• Handling challenging behavior training – HSC336 and  HSC337
• Food hygiene training – HSC213 and HSC214
• Pressure Area Care training – HSC217 and HSC358
• Care Planning and Review training – HSC328

As an Assessor I tend to encourage my candidates to start with the unit – HSC23, HSC33 and HSC43 – “Reflecting on your development and Practice”, this will give candidates the opportunity to use APL/APEL as a method of assessment for a range of units before they get cumbersome with workbooks and other assignments. So dear reader, if you are an NVQ candidate, find out from your assessor how you can use your previous experience or training certificates to provide evidence for your units, you will be surprised to know that you can get credits for your NVQ and this will reduce the workbooks or assignments you need to complete.

Related posts

• No related posts.

NVQ 3 Health and Social Care

The benefits of the NVQ 3 Care has been covered in previous articles, however today I would like to present to you the different units within this course particularly the mandatory units, these are HSC31,HSC32, HSC33 and HSC35 and how you can complete them using our products and services, SEE WHAT’LL YOU GET

HSC31-Promote effective communication for and about individuals

As a health and Social Care worker you would know that a lot of your work thrives on effective communication. This unit is about how you support individuals to communicate with you and with others by using their preferred method of communication. Some of the individuals you work with may have difficulties communicating their needs; you need to show how you find out about these difficulties and your role in resolving or reporting it. This unit also covers the importance of reporting and record keeping. You will need to look into the policies, procedures within your organisation and legislation that determines how you carry out your work in relation to communicating sensitive and complex issues to individuals.

Note that the difference between HSC21 and HSC31 is that the scope you are considering at level 3 is not only simple day to day communication but difficult, complex and sensitive communications this could be distressing, traumatic, frightening, threatening issues the individual needs to discuss with you or you with them. Your reflective account needs show to this.

There are 19 knowledge requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise. There are 4 elements within HSC31 which are also known as the performance criteria which you generally would use as a guide when reflecting on practice. This is the only unit that has 4 elements.

The Elements are:

HSC31a - Identify ways to communicate effectively

HSC31b - Communicate effectively on difficult, complex and sensitive issues

HSC31c - Support individuals to communicate

HSC31d - Update and maintain records and reports

Unit HSC31 happens to be the only unit with 4 elements a, b, c & d. You will observe that most units would have 3 elements a, b, & c or rather just 2 elements a & b. A useful point to take note of, for the purpose of the NVQ is that the first element of most units is always a preparation stage of an activity (a). The second element is the actual carrying out of the activity (b) and the last element is the review stage of the activity (c). The fourth element in HSC31 is (d) and is purely about how you update and maintain records and reports at work.

To provide evidence of competence for unit HSC31 you need to follow the assessment plan you have agreed with your Assessor. You might be asked to complete a set of written Questions, obtain a witness testimony or write a reflective account, there are other ways of gathering evidence for your NVQ but it’s been widely noticed that NVQ candidates tend to require support in these 3 areas.

Our resource for mandatory units HSC31, HSC32, HSC33 & HSC35 is a fully loaded package with specimen answers/explanations to the 19 knowledge requirement and a guide for your reflective accounts. Complete your Unit HSC31 and the remaining 3 mandatory units with ease, Grab Your Copy Now.

HSC32- Promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the working environment.

There is a slight difference between how you provide evidence for this unit at NVQ Level 2 compared to NVQ Level 3. The words “promote, monitor and maintain”, as a senior social care worker you need to show that you keep the environment and individuals’ safe and encourage others to keep the environment safe and secured and you monitor the activities done that they are in line with the organisations policies and procedures for health and safety. Your Assessor will expect you to show competence that you are able to minimise risks arising from emergencies.

There are 18 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work. They are:

HSC32a - Monitor and maintain the safety and security in the working environment.

HSC32b - Promote health and safety in the working environment.

HSC32c - Minimise risks arising from emergencies

Our resource package on the mandatory units could be of great help to you in answering your questions without delay. You will be on time with submission of your assignments and you would have added a lot of knowledge and understanding on this unit. If you are still in doubt of how to answer a particular question your package comes with free access to an exclusive online support. Having troubles with Legislation or you don’t seem to know the connection with your organisation’s policies and procedures and this unit. Ask your questions and an assessor will supports you within 24hrs. Ready to buy go here now

HSC33- Reflect on and develop your practice

To develop your career in health and social care, you’ll need to continually improve your knowledge and skills. The art of reflection is a good tool to assess your competence and skills and thereby discover the areas you need development. This unit will help you to identify where to access information and support, relating to knowledge and best practice and enhance your continuing personal and professional development needs.

There are 11 knowledge requirements and 2 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise. They are:

HSC33a - Reflect on your own practice

HSC33b - Take action to enhance your practice

Your assessor may want you to write about your supervision/appraisal session with your manager or reflect on some training sessions and write about how and why you had to attend, what you learnt and how you are applying it at work. Your competence will also be judged based on your understanding of all the knowledge specification.

HSC35 - Promote choice, well-being and protection of all individuals.

There are 23 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirement within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise. They are:

HSC35a - Develop supportive relationships that promote the choice and independence.

HSC35b - Respect the diversity and difference of individuals and key people.

HSC35c - Contribute to the protection of all individuals.

You will need to show your understanding of legislation and organisational policies and procedures, Theories and practice. Your assessor will agree a plan with you on how to show your competence and this would involve you covering all the 23 knowledge specification and the performance criteria.

When you purchase a copy of our NVQ 3 Mandatory Units resource package, you can ask for additional guidance through our online support centre for free, so buy now with confidence.

Related posts

• No related posts.

The benefits of the NVQ 2 Care has been covered in previous articles, however today I would like to present to you the different units within this course particularly the mandatory units, these are HSC21, HSC22, HSC23 and HSC24 and how you can complete them using our products and services, SEE WHAT YOU WILL GET

HSC21 – Communicate with and complete records for individuals

There are 14 knowledge requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand the applications likewise.

HSC21a – Work with individuals and others to identify the best forms of communication

HSC21b – Listen and respond to individuals’ questions and concerns

HSC21c – Communicate with individuals

HSC21d – Access and update records and reports

This unit helps you understand how to find out about individuals communication and language needs, where to get support to assist service users to use their preferred communication method and how to pass on information and records about changes in the needs of individuals.

There are legislations you need to be aware of with regards to accessing records and using them and you will need to be familiar with your organisations policies and procedures with regards to communicating with individuals and completing records.  All support required can be obtained from our unique resource.

There are 18 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work.

HSC22a – Carry out health and safety checks before you begin work activities

HSC22b – Ensure your actions support health and safety in the place you work

HSC22c – Take actions to deal with emergencies.

At work you are responsible for your health and safety and the safety of the individuals you work with. Your employer must have informed you about what you need to do to maintain health and safety. For example wearing protective clothing, using equipment provided by employers at work. You are expected to be a role model at work and have knowledge of how to deal with emergencies if they arise. This unit will refresh your understanding of the health and safety principles and help you to cover any gaps in your knowledge.  You will be able to answer your questions and your reflective accounts when you get yourself a coy of the Mandatory Level 2 units.

HSC23 – Develop your knowledge and practice

There are 12 knowledge requirements and 2 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work.

HSC23a – Evaluate your work

HSC23b – Use new improved skills and knowledge in your work  

It is a legal requirement that you improve on your knowledge and practice as a care worker. You have a responsibility to keep your skills and knowledge up to date by:  

• Attending training courses
• In-house training
• Taking qualifications e.g. NVQ

Learning is an ongoing process therefore you don’t need to wait for your manager to send you on training you can keep your skills and knowledge up to date by:

• Talking to work colleagues
• Searching the internet
• Listening to the radio
• Reading newspapers, magazines and professional journals
• Watching the news
• Talking to your manager

This unit will enable you to see ways of creating new skills and improving on existing ones. Get the resource to answer any questions you may need support with.

HSC24 – Ensure your own actions support the care, protection  and well-being of individuals

There are 21 knowledge requirements and 3 elements of performance requirements within this unit and you will need to show that you are informed about them all and you understand how to apply them at work.

HSC24a – Relate to and support individuals in a way they choose

HSC24b – Treat individuals with respect and dignity

HSC24c – Assist in the protection of individuals

Almost everything you will have to do to support individuals at work should involve their rights, preferences and choice. The individuals you work with ought to be treated with respects and dignity. Remember they are not your children. Every individual has a right to be protected from harm, danger and abuse. If you have attended previous training on Protection of Vulnerable Adults now known as Safeguarding Adults you will have understanding of why abuse happens, different types of abuse and what actions to take if you do suspect abuse.

You will need to provide evidence that you are able to safeguard individuals at work. Give answers or explanations to the knowledge criteria of this unit.

Our package NVQ 2 mandatory units resource package will support you to answer any questions set by your assessor around the knowledge criteria on HSC21, HSC22, HSC23, HSC24 and you will get a guide to how to write your reflective accounts. A detailed example is included in the package and best of all you get free online support from an NVQ Assessor if you need to ask further questions, grab your copy now

Related posts

• No related posts.

In Part 1 of this article I analysed the NVQ Health and Social Care courses available to move you to the next level in your career as a Health or Care Worker and what you need to do to get a job within the Health and social Care sector if you are currently working elsewhere.

This post is a continuation but in a further upward and forward direction which is at management level or within the teaching sector.

If you have been working within the Health and Social Care sector for some years it might be time to take another step further in the right direction. What do you enjoy doing at work? Within the period of working as a care worker have you had to mentor other staff members and show them what to do? Are you currently carrying out the responsibilities of a manager at work but do not have qualifications to show for it? You should go ahead gathering evidence to prove yourself competent of working as a manager by acquiring NVQ Level 4 Health and Social Care and the Leadership and management course.

This course also comprises of 4 mandatory units and some optional units which you will make your choice in reference to your skill scan. Our products are coming out soon for NVQ Level 4, watch out for it.

You can complete this course within 6 – 12months and the rewards are great. You can do a Google search on Health and Social Care jobs as managers and see if the pay package is worth your while.

On the other hand if you would be interested in the assessing role or the teaching role, this is a rewarding role to pursue as well. I am an NVQ Assessor and I believe we are changing lives and supporting others to get a hold of their career and future.  Reflect on the role of your assessor if you are already taking an NVQ course. Would you like to take up such a role? Don’t be discouraged if you think you did not get enough support from your assessor or your assessor looked disorganised. There are standards of good assessment practice to follow. You would be made aware of these when you go through the A1 Award course.  If you have started we have a resource package that you can purchase for support, go here for more information

You might be curious to know how much your job will be worth when you step up to the challenge of becoming an NVQ Assessor , I will leave that to you to browse the internet and get a hold of this information and reset your goals for 2009. This course can also be completed within 6 – 12months. You will be required to assess NVQ 2 candidates as the major part of this course is practical rather than theoretical. Our unique online support is available to you when you purchase our resource on the A1 Award.

There you can ask any question to help you carry through your course, click here to purchase now.

If you are already an NVQ Assessor and you are undertaking teaching roles like delivering of underpinning knowledge sessions you will be required to have the PTTLS Award by 2010 in order to keep teaching. However you do not need this course if you are purely undertaking assessing roles only.

My advice is that things change all the time in our career, no knowledge gained is useless when you take additional courses, so go for City & Guilds PTTLS 7303 course titled- Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector.

This course is available in most colleges or training centres and you can complete this course within 3 months or less. This course will allow you start a teaching career as you can apply for lecturing jobs within the adult education once you have completed it. However, this course does not qualify you to work with individuals within the nursery, primary or secondary school level. It qualifies you to teach within the Further Education Sector.

We have PTTLS 7303 package tailor-made to support you through the 7 Assignments you will need to submit and also a guide to your journals and reflective writing. This package has examples of written assignments, journals, reflective accounts, scheme of work, micro teaching aids. Although written from a Health and Social Care background  but I find the principles to be the same across other fields therefore it is a good resource to use even if  you desire to teach within other fields as the questions and answers are teaching related and not particularly health and social care related, grab your copy here now.

Are you wondering if this will make a difference to how much you can earn now? Do your research and you will be amazed.

“Nothing really changes until you do something to change your situation. Apply for courses to take you to the next level in your career now. All things are possible if you believe you can do it!”

Related posts

• No related posts.