Examining board and name of qualification:
Pearson Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualification
BTEC National in Health and Social Care (Extended Certificate)
The Pearson Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualification BTEC National in Health and Social Care
(Extended Certificate) is an Alternative Academic Qualification (AAQ) designed for post-16 students
with an interest in health and social care and aiming to progress to higher education as a route to
graduate level employment. Equivalent to one A Level in size, it is suitable for students looking to
develop their applied knowledge and skills in health and social care alongside two A Levels.
Extended Certificate
The focus of the Cambridge Technical extended certificate course in health and social care is varied and, although designed to skill you up for a career in health and social care, will also provide you with transferable employment skills, enabling you to follow a variety of career paths in the future. You will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with others presenting seminars and producing work in a range of styles. You will develop your problem solving and critical thinking skills through the analysis of a range of health and social care case studies.
Why choose this?
There are many roles available in the health and social care sector where you can make a difference to people’s lives. The demand is growing for skilled nurses, midwives, healthcare workers, social workers, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals. You can go directly into employment, study for a degree or follow an apprenticeship pathway. It complements a wide range of other subjects studied at level 3, for example, psychology, sociology and science.
In the future I aspire to be a nurse, I chose health and social care as it is a subject that includes all the elements and characteristics to support my goal. At first I was nervous and scared about the workload, however the support from the teachers has kept me going.
Health and social care is a good subject to pick as it will open a lot of doors in your life. However you will need to be open to hard work and good organisation. Also it is a really good subject that I enjoy learning about as I know it will help with my dream job.
Health & Social Care students
Areas of study & assessment
The qualification has been developed in consultation with higher education representatives to
ensure students have the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to progress to, and thrive,
in higher education.
The qualification has three mandatory units covering the following topics:
Human Lifespan and Development – PIES and factors affecting growth and development,
interventions and the different professionals providing care and treatment (External)
Human Biology and Health – Human body structure and systems, normal physiological
functioning and the impact of common disorders (External)
Health and Social Care Practice – Core principles, values and legislation that underpin and
influence health and social care, and the effect of social determinants on an individual health
status (Internal)
Students have a choice from four optional units covering the following topics:
Health, Social Policy and Wellbeing – Public health policy and its influences, including health-
related organisations/groups and a range of strategic factors (Internal)
Promoting Health Education – Health education, its purpose and use of different approaches and
models to achieve positive health outcomes (Internal)
Safe Environments in Health and Social Care – Appropriate provisions in services relevant to
different needs; governance relating to safe environments (Internal)
Health Science – Types of infections and their potential impact on a local, national and
international scale. (Internal)
Enrichment
- University workshops
