Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Health and Social Care

UNIT 23: COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CAREA group visit could also potentially be organised to a local hospital or hospice, tolearn about the range of uses of different complementary therapies alongsideorthodox medical practices and treatments. Learners need to consider the role ofcomplementary therapies, in terms of either supporting conventional medicine, or asa stand-alone treatment.When considering the role of complementary therapies in maintaining health andwellbeing, learners could firstly consider one or two pieces of evidence provided forthem in class, and then be encouraged to carry out their own literature search,bringing evidence back into class for further discussion and examination. They shouldbe encouraged to investigate a variety of resources, including media such as the BBC,Telegraph and Guardian, in order to gain a balanced view.Systems for the regulation of different complementary therapies can be discussedduring progression through the unit. Guest speakers, for example, will give an insightinto the systems in relation to their own specialism.Learners could also benefit from activities such as the use of videos or case studies.Towards the end of the programme it could be interesting to repeat some of theactivities that were used to introduce the unit. For example, if some learners are inthe run up to examinations, or preparing portfolios for final assessment, relaxationtechniques or massage could be re-introduced.AssessmentOne holistic assignment could be used for the assessment of this unit, though it couldalso be divided into constituent parts.Having carried out small group research into the services available locally, in termsof complementary therapies available privately, and those that may be utilised bylocal health and social care services, learners need to provide their own evidence forP1. An annotated map of the area would be sufficient for this, with supportingdescriptive work as appropriate to provide evidence for P2 and M1.Having been introduced to a wide variety of different complementary therapies, forassessment purposes learners need to choose four of interest to them and describethe treatment processes for them. In terms of ease of gaining evidence, learnerscould be encouraged to choose from those therapies available locally. For P3, theyshould demonstrate a good understanding of the complementary therapies chosen,and extend this for M2, including an explanation of the advantages and disadvantagesof them.For P4, learners need to consider the role of four different complementary therapiesin relation to orthodox treatments. A piece of written work is required here, withlearners drawing on experiences gained during delivery of the unit, such as workplacement experiences, guest speakers, visits, tutor input and internet research. Thetherapies could be the same as those chosen for P3, but not necessarily.More detail is required for M3, with reasons being provided for the use of thetherapies and their value in supporting orthodox treatments. Learners should explainthe role of the complementary therapies in relation to orthodox treatments, and howthe different methods can complement each other. They could draw on examples oftherapies that have been incorporated into mainstream health care, whilst others arestill considered to be ‘alternative’.314BN018467 – Specification – Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Health and Social Care– Issue 1 – February 2007 © Edexcel Limited 2007