Purpose Statement:

AIM Awards Level 2 Certificate in Skills for Health Professions (QCF)

Qualification Number:601/5748/3

Overview

This qualification has been designed to support you, the learner, toprogress to the next level of vocational learning. It will provide you with a broad base of knowledge and skills required to study subjects related to the health professions at Level 3.

This qualification may be of particular interest to you if you are a learner who:

  • Is interested in studying a Level 3 Access to HE Diploma or A-Levels in a related subject but requires some preparatory study at Level 2 in order to prepare for the rigours and requirements of this course
  • Is interested in working in the health professions, but would like to build an understanding of the subject before deciding what course to study at Level 3
  • Has been out of education for some time and need to build confidence in learning before you undertake Level 3 learning in a related role

The content has been put together in consultation with a range of stakeholders including HE providers and FE Colleges.

This qualification is not included as part of any apprenticeship framework.

What does the content of the qualification cover?

This QCF qualification is structured to support you in your journey to Level 3 learning in subjects related to the health professions. The single mandatory unit allows you to think about careers and their associated progression routes in the sector:

  • Investigating a Career

All other units are optional.You will be able to relate your choice of units to the destination you have chosen in the mandatory unit, making up 15 credits from the following selection:

  • Physiology and Exercise
  • Human Health and Disease
  • Human Physiology
  • Skeleton and Muscles
  • The Cardiovascular System
  • Social Psychology
  • Psychopathology
  • Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Development of Social Policy
  • Ethical Issues in Social Policy
  • Introduction to Sociology
  • Research Methods in Sociology
  • The Sociology of Health
  • Barriers to Health
  • Health Care Practice
  • Health Promotion in Care Settings
  • Diet and Nutrition
  • Eating Disorders
  • Understanding Mental Health

83% of the learning in this qualification is vocational learning directly related to the health professions. 17% is more general employability learning, enabling you to examine and select career opportunities in the sector and plan your progression route accordingly.

You will be required to produce a portfolio of evidence to show that you have met all of the assessment criteria of each of the units.

How will this help you progress to the next level of education?

Gaining skills in any of these areas will help you progress to a vocational qualification at Level 3 as colleges and training providers that offer these will be looking for evidence of experience in your chosen vocational area and your readiness to learn. You will be able to use this qualification, the transcript of units you have completed and your portfolio of work to demonstrate this.

For example, over the course of the ‘Investigating a Career’ unit you investigate different opportunities and decide you wish to be a nurse and research the Access to HE Diploma you could do to meet this goal. You then pick units that will help you grow your knowledge in relevant areas, for example, ‘Barriers to Health’, ‘Diet and Nutrition’and ‘Understanding Mental Health’. On application to the Level 3 Access to HE Diploma course you will be able to talk about how you have developed these skills as evidence of an interest in nursingand clearly demonstrate you have the skills required to commence study.

Is any prior learning or experience needed to take this qualification?

No prior study is required in order to take the qualification, although you may have already completed qualifications at Level 1.

You must be at least 16 in order to study this qualification.

What could this qualification lead to?

  • This qualification supports progression to further learning

This is the primary purpose of this qualification. It can help you to progress to the next stage in your learning journey through enabling you to develop skills that will help you meet the entry requirements of courses at the next level, for example:

  • A Level 3 Access to HE Discrete Diploma in Health Professions with an aim of continuing to a degree in a related subject
  • A vocational qualification at Level 3, for example an Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
  • An advanced apprenticeship, for example Health

Who supports this qualification?

This qualification is supported by a number of learning providers including:

  • Derby College
  • Leicester College
  • Northampton College

Further information

The qualification specificationcontains detailed information about the qualification content and assessment approach.