Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Health and Social Care

UNIT 3: HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CAREInternet research could be a useful means of gaining evidence for P2, though learnersneed to understand that printouts from the internet are not acceptable forms ofevidence in their own right. Learners need to summarise the main points of keylegislation in relation to how it influences service delivery. They could refer toinformation on internet printouts as a means of demonstrating understanding of thelegislation and providing supportive evidence.To achieve merit or distinction grades, learners are required to apply theirknowledge of relevant legislation to the health and social care workplace. In order toachieve M1, learners are required to explain how legislation, policies and proceduresare used to promote the health, safety and security of individuals in the health andsocial care workplace. Experiences from either work placements or other visits mayprovide useful evidence for this.For D1, learners are required to use examples from work experience and evaluate theeffectiveness of policies and procedures for promoting health, safety and security.Again, experiences from either work placements or other visits may provide usefulevidence.For P5, the health and safety survey of a local environment used by a specificpatient/service user group could be carried out, for example, in a local park, touristattraction or children’s play area. This should encourage learners to reflect onhealth, safety and security issues in an environment used by patients/service users,but not the work experience placement of the learners. To achieve M2, learners arerequired to carry out a risk assessment and, to achieve D2, justify anyrecommendations they make for improvement.Appropriate and relevant first aid training and certification is to be encouragedalongside this unit, and the assessed simulated observed activities that this shouldentail should provide the necessary evidence for P6 and M3. This could besupplemented by simulation in the classroom. Centres need to apply their ownprofessional judgement to the definition of a ‘critically injured individual’. As arough guide, this could be considered to be an individual with more than one seriousinjury, or an individual with life threatening injuries.For successful achievement of the units within this programme, and the programmeas a whole, it is essential that learners understand the terminology of assessment. Itis suggested therefore that delivery time is allocated to this early on. For example,learners need to understand the precise nature and meaning of terms such asdescribe, explain, analyse and evaluate. In relation to the higher criteria, whengrading learner evidence, consideration should be given to the depth and breadth ofunderstanding that is evident alongside the learners’ abilities to evaluate, analyseand synthesise.BN018467 – Specification – Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Health and Social Care– Issue 1 – February 2007 © Edexcel Limited 200763