National Unit Specification: general information NUMBER D062 12 COURSE Care (Higher) SUMMARY This unit enables candidates to gain an awareness of the personal and interpersonal qualities and skills required for caring, in relation to the needs of different client groups. An understanding of the relationship between the carer and the client will be reinforced by studying the basis, process and characteristics of this relationship. This unit is relevant to candidates who wish to pursue a career in care or who may have an interest in this area. This unit is within the mandatory section of the following Scottish Group Awards at Higher: Care: Health Care; Care: Social Care. OUTCOMES 1 Explain the caring relationship between service provider and service user in a given care context. 2 Explain the relevance of legislation and policy in care work. 3 Evaluate the needs of service users in care situations and how these may be met. Administrative Information Superclass: HB Publication date: July 2002 Source: Scottish Qualifications Authority Version: 04 Scottish Qualifications Authority 2002 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes provided that no profit is derived from reproduction and that, if reproduced in part, the source is acknowledged. Additional copies of this unit specification can be purchased from the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The cost for each unit specification is 2.50 (minimum order 5). 1
National Unit Specification: general information (cont) RECOMMENDED ENTRY While entry is at the discretion of the centre, candidates would normally benefit from having attained one of the following: Standard Grade at Credit level in any relevant subject a course or units in Care at Intermediate 2 courses or units in any relevant subject at Intermediate 2 Scottish Group Award at Intermediate 2 It is acknowledged that there are a variety of prior learning experiences which are relevant to candidates wishing to undertake a course in care at the various levels. These learning experiences include the opportunity to: develop useful background knowledge and understanding consider the needs of self and others develop skills in analysis and evaluation Such learning experiences can be provided by a number of subjects and activities. CREDIT VALUE 1 credit at Higher. CORE SKILLS There is no automatic certification of core skills or core skills components in this unit. Additional information about core skills is published in the Catalogue of Core Skills in National Qualifications (SQA, 2001). Care: Unit Specification 2
National Unit Specification: statement of standards Acceptable performance in this unit will be the satisfactory achievement of the standards set out in this part of the unit specification. All sections of the statement of standards are mandatory and cannot be altered without reference to the Scottish Qualifications Authority. OUTCOME 1 Explain the caring relationship between service provider and service user in a given care context. Performance criteria (a) Explain the value base for care. (b) Describe attributes requires by care workers. (c) Describe interpersonal skills required by care workers. (d) Explain how attributes and skills are applied in a given care context. Evidence requirements See Evidence Requirements for the Unit at the end of Statement of Standards. OUTCOME 2 Explain the relevance of legislation and policy in care work. Performance criteria (a) (b) (c) Describe the main features of current, relevant legislation and policy that applies to care work. Identify legislation and policy documents that are relevant to a given care situation. Explain the relevance of the main features of identified legislation and policy in a given care context. Evidence requirements See Evidence Requirements for the Unit at the end of Statement of Standards. Care: Unit Specification 3
National Unit Specification: statement of standards (cont) OUTCOME 3 Evaluate the needs of service users in care situations and how these may be met. Performance criteria (a) Describe the care planning process. (b) Explain ways in which the needs of service users are assessed in a given situation. (c) Propose a valid strategy, supported by a convincing argument, to meet, or assist in meeting, the needs of identified service users in a given situation. Evidence requirements See Evidence Requirements for the Unit at the end of Statement of Standards. EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE Written and/or oral evidence to ensure adequate coverage of the Performance Criteria. Assessment should be carried out under supervision. Stimulus material/case studies may be provided. Care: Unit Specification 4
National Unit Specification: support notes This part of the unit specification is offered as guidance. The support notes are not mandatory. While the time allocated to this unit is at the discretion of the centre, the notional design length is 40 hours. GUIDANCE ON CONTENT AND CONTEXT FOR THIS Candidates will gain an understanding of the following: Care work is underpinned by values that acknowledge rights and choices appropriate to the age and needs of the user, acknowledge individuals personal beliefs and identity, maintain confidentiality and demonstrate anti-discriminatory practice Attributes of effective helpers are empathy, acceptance, reliability, flexibility, respect for others, patience Concept of confidentiality Interpersonal skills used in communicating with others, verbal and non verbal communication, developing empathy, group working skills, motivating skills Effective care involves the application of attributes and skills. Effective care involves working from a value base, empowering service users through positive (professional) working relationships A (professional) caring relationship includes purpose and process, objectivity, focus on meeting the needs of the service user, empowering as well as helping, accountability, balance of power Relevant legislation can include: Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Acts 1970, 1972, 1976 and 1986 Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 and Access to Health Records Act 1990 NHS and Community Care Act (1990) The Patient s Charter 1991 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Children (Scotland) Act 1995 The Carers (Recognition of Service) Act 1996 Data Protection Act (1998) Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 Care planning as a process of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation Involvement of the service user and significant others in the process Needs as normative, felt, expressed and comparative Needs as physical, cognitive, emotional, social, cultural, spiritual, sexual Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs can be used to understand needs Tools of assessment, checklists, observation, asking questions, discussion, meetings, diaries, scrapbooks Models used in care planning, the exchange model, person-centred planning Valid strategies empower the service user to meet needs Stated short and long term aims should be specific, measurable, achievable, written, time-based Implementation of the plan using the helping process, respecting worth and dignity and empowering and promoting the rights and welfare of the individual Reference can be made to Nelson Jones Practical Counselling and Helping Skills second edition 1992 Care: Unit Specification 5
National Unit Specification: support notes Reference can be made to theoretical models of helping, eg Gerard Egan, Carl Rogers Working as an effective team member in implementing the plan Monitoring the response of the service user to the intervention Keeping records and reports to assist in evaluation Evaluation of effectiveness of the plan in meeting the stated aims GUIDANCE ON LEARNING AND TEACHING APPROACHES FOR THIS In delivering the unit there should be a balance between teacher/lecturer exposition and experiential learning. The unit can be delivered using a variety of methods, which would allow the candidates to apply theory to given situations. Use can be made of role play, simulation exercises, small-group exercises, group discussion, case studies and candidate presentations. The following illustrates how some of the methods could be used. Outcome 1 Candidates should be encouraged to explore their own values and to discuss reasons for having a value base for care. In conjunction with teacher/lecturer exposition, role-play could be used to help candidates gain an understanding of the attributes and skills used in effective care work. Candidates could be given situations and work in small groups service provider, service user, observer. Following the role-play, the groups could discuss the interaction which took place, and issues which are highlighted could be discussed in the large group. Outcome 2 Although legislation and policy is introduced here as a separate outcome it can be introduced when related issues are discussed in other outcomes. For example the relevance of the Data Protection Act in relation to confidentiality and the NHS and Community Care Act in relation to needs assessment in Outcome 3. Candidates could work in groups and propose five rights they would include in a charter for service users. They should give a rationale for including these rights in their charter. Legislation and policy should be seen as an important facet of effective care provision. Outcome 3 As part of the learning process, groups of candidates could undertake research into the needs of particular groups of service users or individuals, and present their findings to the large group. Candidates could also be given case studies and, working in groups, identify strategies to meet the needs of the service users in the given situations. Use should also be made of relevant texts, journals, videos, newspaper articles, current issues in the media, and guest speakers. It may also be possible to arrange appropriate visits. However, in doing so, it is important to recognise and respect the rights of clients, with particular reference to privacy, dignity and choice. Where appropriate, candidates can be helped to make use of their own experience. Care: Unit Specification 6
National Unit Specification: support notes (cont) GUIDANCE ON APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT FOR THIS A variety of holistic assessment approaches could be used. These would include: case-studies with associated questions stimulus material with related questions extended and/or restricted response questions Assessment should carried out under supervision at all times. Where appropriate, arrangements should be made to ensure that there will be no artificial barriers to assessment. The nature of a candidate s special needs should be taken into account when selecting assessment instruments. Alternative arrangements can be made as necessary. The assessment of all Care units will be open to alternative assessment methods, to facilitate inclusion of all candidates and support them in the achievement of units at the level of Higher. Examples of this include extensions to the time of the assessments, or the use of technology such as laptop computers and cassette recorders to support assessment situations. SPECIAL NEEDS This unit specification is intended to ensure that there are no artificial barriers to learning or assessment. Special needs of individual candidates should be taken into account when planning learning experiences, selecting assessment instruments or considering alternative outcomes for units. For information on these, please refer to the SQA document Guidance on Special Assessment Arrangements (SQA, 2001). Care: Unit Specification 7