CARE ASSISTANTS (LEVEL 3)
Learning outcomes
By completing this unit candidates demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the skills and qualities required by care assistants to meet the needs of service users and the range of tasks they might be required to undertake. They will describe how to meet the needs of service users and promote effective relationships. Candidates will develop practical skills that would be used by care assistants when providing support for service users in their own homes and when working in residential or day care settings. They will put these skills into practice and compare and contrast the roles.
Assessment objectives Knowledge, understanding and skills
1 Investigate the skills and qualities
required by care assistants,
matching these to a range of tasks they may be required to carry out
Skills required by care assistants: • practical • social • problem-solving • communication • interpersonal • mathematical
Qualities required by care assistants: • patience • understanding • empathy • helpfulness • sense of humour • honesty • reliability • truthfulness
How skills and qualities would be applied in the role of a care assistant:
• practical tasks
• providing active support
• meeting service users’ physical needs • meeting service users’ intellectual needs • meeting service users’ emotional needs • meeting service users’ social needs Care settings that employ care assistants: • residential homes
Assessment objectives Knowledge, understanding and skills
1 Cont.
Investigate the
skills and qualities required by care assistants,
matching these to a range of tasks they may be required to carry out
• hospitals • hospice
• day care centres
• nursery schools/classes • playgroups • resource centres • domestic homes 2 Describe the different needs of service users and how the care assistant meets these needs
Service users requiring support: • those with sensory impairment • hearing impairment
• physical impairment • learning difficulties • mental health conditions • terminal illness
Needs of service users: • physical
• intellectual • emotional • social 3 Investigate how to
carry out different types of practical support that a care assistant can provide for a service user
Practical support required by a service user: • help with bed making
• cleaning • hand laundry
Principles and practice of:
• bed making
• hand washing
• cleaning a kitchen, bathroom or bedroom
• techniques and equipment for maintaining hygiene • storage of material and equipment
4 Provide practical
support for a service user living in their own home, evaluating the success of the care provided
Effective relationships with service users through: • providing active support
• effective communication
• considering the services user’s needs and preferences
• promoting the service users rights, beliefs, dignity and privacy • applying the care values
• valuing people as individuals
• knowing how self and own prejudices influence relationships (continued overleaf)
Assessment objectives Knowledge, understanding and skills
4 Cont.
Provide practical
support for a service user living in their own home, evaluating the success of the care provided
Plan how to provide physical support for a service user: • aim
• objectives • timescales • sequence of work • targets
Provide support, as a care assistant, for the service user: • cleaning a room
• washing an article by hand Evaluate in terms of:
• aim • objectives • skills used
• own performance
• relationship with service user • benefits to the service user • timescales
• improvements 5 Provide support in
the role of a trainee care assistant in a health, social care or early years residential or day care setting, evaluating the success of the care provided
Job specification for a care assistant in the setting chosen: • role and responsibilities
• tasks to be undertaken • lines of communication • lines of responsibility
Draw up a plan with the supervisor for the role as a trainee care assistant for one session:
• aim • objectives • targets • timescales • resources • methods of reporting
Effective relationships with service users through: • providing active support
• effective communication
• considering the services user’s needs and preferences
• promoting the service users rights, beliefs, dignity and privacy • applying the care values
• valuing people as individuals
• knowing how self and own prejudices influence relationships Carry out the role of trainee care assistant in the setting chosen
Assessment objectives Knowledge, understanding and skills
5 Cont.
Provide support in the role of a trainee care assistant in a health, social care or early years residential or day care setting, evaluating the success of the care provided
Evaluate in terms of: • aim
• objectives • skills used
• own performance
• relationship with service user • benefits to the service user • time-scales
• improvements
6 Compare and
contrast the roles of care assistants working in
residential or day care settings and those working in service users’ own homes
Compare and contrast roles in terms of: • skills • tasks • job satisfaction • similarities • differences
Assessment
This unit is centre-assessed and externally moderated.
In order to achieve this unit candidates must produce a portfolio of evidence showing that they can meet all of the assessment objectives.
Portfolios of work must be produced independently. They will need to be made available, together with witness statements and any other supporting documentation, to the OCR Visiting Moderator when required.
Centres must confirm to OCR that the evidence produced by candidate is authentic. An OCR Centre Authentication Form is provided in the Centre Handbook and includes a declaration for assessors to sign. It is a requirement of the QCA Common Criteria for all Qualifications that proof of authentication is received.
Guidance on assessment and evidence requirements
Centres should generate their own assignments to cover the assessment objectives. OCR suggests that the following tasks would create sufficient evidence to meet the assessment objectives for this unit.
Produce a resource pack that could be used by people who are interested in becoming a care assistant.
In a residential or day care setting or simulated care setting, provide support as a trainee care assistant, drawing up a plan with a supervisor for the session.
• Investigate the skills and qualities required by care assistants, matching these to a range of tasks they may be required to carry out. Include information on the different settings that employ care assistants.
• Investigate the types of service users who may need support and their needs, describing how a care assistant can meet these needs.
• Investigate the different types of practical support required by a service user who is living in their own home and the underpinning theory required to be effective in the tasks of making a bed, cleaning a room and hand washing some clothes.
• Plan and provide practical support for a service user who is living in their own home: • clean a room
• wash by hand
• Establish a good relationship with the service user. • Evaluate the success of the support provided.
• Undertake the role of a trainee care assistant in a residential setting and carry out practical tasks. Establish good relationships with service users. Evaluate the success of the support provided.
• Compare and contrast the roles of a care assistant when working in the service user’s own home and when working within a residential or day care setting.
Candidates may provide their responses in writing and/or through the use of video and assessor written records. Witness statements completed by the task supervisor will include the requirement for supervisors to comment on the candidates’ skills and their ability to apply their knowledge in a practical context.
Candidates should carry out activities and behave in a way that would be acceptable in the workplace. Ideally, tasks should be carried out in a real work situation. However, simulated work environments will be acceptable.
Issues around health and safety for candidates participating outside and within the centre environment should be acknowledged.
Examples of settings are hospitals, day centres, residential homes, nursing homes, hospices and the service user’s own home.
Talking with different care assistants about the needs that service users have and investigating through the interview how the care assistants meet these needs would be an approach that could be used. This evidence could be supported through secondary research.
Service users do not have to be people who have major health and social care needs. They could include for example, be an older person who may have slight difficulty with mobility. Another example would be a child or service user with a disability.
Signposting to Key Skills
9 The unit contains opportunities for developing the Key Skill, and possibly for generating portfolio evidence, if teaching and learning is focused on that aim.
Key Skill reference Key Skill reference Key Skill reference C3.1a 9 N3.1 ICT3.1 9 C3.1b 9 N3.2a ICT3.2 9 C3.2 9 N3.2b ICT3.3 9 C3.3 9 N3.2c N3.2d N3.3
Mapping to National Occupational Standards
NOS/ NWC
Unit Knowledge specification
HSC33 Reflect on and develop your practice 7-9, 11
HSC343 HSC344
Support individuals to live at home
Support individuals to retain, regain and develop the skills to manage their lives and environment
HSC369 Support individuals with specific communication needs OP1
OP2 SS18
Communicate with older people and their carers Assess the health and well-being of older people Monitor and maintain the cleanliness of environments
Resources
The following are suggestions of resources that could be useful when delivering the unit. They are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive, and candidates should be encouraged to gather information from a variety of sources.
Books
Hawkins, R. & Ashurst, A. (2006) Donohue, S. (2003) Dustagheer, H., Harding, J. and Mcmahon, C. (Editors) (2005) Meggitt, C. (1997)
How to be a Great Care Assistant: Your Guide to Completing the Skills For Common Induction Standards and Much More
Hawkins Publications
Core Themes For Care Assistants Radcliffe Publishing Ltd
Knowledge to Care: A Handbook for Care Assistants
Blackwell Publishing
A Special Needs Handbook for Health and Social Care
Moore, S. (2002)
Skelt, A. (1993)
Nolan, Y. (2005)
Nazarko, L. (2005)
Nazarko, L. (2007)
Social Welfare Alive!
Nelson Thornes
Caring for People with Disability
Pearson Education
NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care: Candidate Handbook
Heinemann
Nursing in Care Homes
Blackwell Science (UK)
NVQs in Nursing and Residential Homes
Blackwell Science (UK)
Websites
Skills for Health. URL:http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
Skills for Health (SfH) is the UK Sector Skills Council (SSC) for health.
Care Council for Wales. URL:http://www.ccwales.org.uk
The Care Council for Wales promotes high standards of conduct and practice among social care workers and high standards in their training.
Northern Ireland Social Care Council. URL:http://www.niscc.info
NISCC is responsible for raising standards in the Northern Ireland social care workforce.
Commission for Social Care Inspection. URL:http://www.csci.org.uk
Registers, inspects and reports on social care services in England.
Help the Aged. URL:http://www.helptheaged.org.uk
Help the Aged is committed to addressing the issues that matter to older people.
Age Concern. URL:http://www.ageconcern.org.uk
Age Concern is the UK’s largest organisation working with and for older people.
NHS. URL:http://www.nhs.uk
This site connects you to local NHS services in England and provides national information about the NHS.
Department of Health. URL:http://www.dh.gov.uk
Provides health and social care policy, guidance and publications.
Carers UK. URL:http://www.carersuk.org
Carers UK is the voice of carers and is the only carer-led organisation working for all carers. Other Websites:
Community Care Journal: www.community-care.co.uk
Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council: www.skillsforjustice.com BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/health/confidence/learn/impact_2ashtml Social Care Institute for Excellence: www.scie.co.uk
Community Care: www.community-care.co.uk Criminal Justice: www.criminaljustice.uk.org
Codes of Practice: www.gscc.org.uk/Good+practice+and+conduct/ What are the codes of practice.
Care and Health: www.careandhealth.com
Social Care Sector Skills Council: www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Skills For Health Sector Skills Council: www.skillsforhealth.org.uk Connect: www.connections-direct.com
Grading
AO Pass Merit Distinction
1 Candidates show a basic understanding of the range of skills and qualities required to carry out the role of a care assistant, matching these to the tasks that are undertaken in domestic, day care centres and residential care settings. They outline the settings that employ care assistants.
Candidates show a sound understanding of the range of skills and qualities required to carry out the role of a care assistant, accurately matching these to the tasks that are undertaken in domestic, day care centres and residential care settings. They describe the settings that employ care assistants.
Candidates show a high level of understanding of the range of skills and qualities required to carry out the role of a care assistant, accurately matching these to the tasks that are undertaken in domestic, day care centres and residential care settings. They give a comprehensive account of the settings that employ care assistants.
2 Candidates briefly describe the different types of service users who may require support and give examples of how care assistants meet the service users’ needs.
Candidates describe, in detail, the different types of service users who may require support and give examples of how care assistants meet the service users’ needs.
Candidates give a comprehensive account of the different types of service users who may require support and give a wide range of examples of how care assistants meet the service users’ needs.
3 Candidates provide evidence to show the principles and practice of good bed making, cleaning a room and washing garments by hand. The principles applied when carrying out of these tasks are accurately stated. They show a basic
understanding of the steps involved in each task, highlighting the key features involved and giving brief reasons.
Candidates provide evidence to show the principles and practice of good bed making, cleaning a room and washing garments by hand. The principles applied to the carrying out of these tasks are clearly and accurately stated. They show a sound level of understanding of the steps involved in each task, discussing the key features involved and giving detailed reasons. Different sources of evidence are used.
Candidates provide detailed evidence to show the principles and practice of good bed making, cleaning a room and washing garments by hand. The principles applied to the carrying out of these tasks are clearly and accurately stated in detail. They show a high level of understanding of the steps involved in each task discussing, in full, the key features involved and giving detailed reasons. A range of different sources of evidence are used.
AO Pass Merit Distinction
When establishing a good relationship with service users, candidates demonstrate that they can, at a basic level, apply some of the care values, communicate effectively and know how to treat people as individuals. Some connections are made between theory and practice but limited
understanding of key concepts is demonstrated. For the practical tasks to be carried out in the service user’s own home, candidates draw up an outline plan showing aim, objectives, timescales, sequence and targets . The practical tasks of cleaning a room and washing a garment for a service user are carried out at a basic level with some prompting. The correct sequence for tasks is followed. The evaluation includes all the
requirements of Assessment Objective 4 and shows, at a basic level, candidates’ ability to reflect and to analyse.
For the practical tasks associated with a care assistant in a residential/day care setting,
candidates draw up a plan with a supervisor for one morning or afternoon or evening session. They perform the tasks at a basic level, with some prompting and with supervision. The evaluation includes coverage of all the requirements of
Assessment Objective 5 and shows, at a basic level, candidates’ ability to reflect and analyse.
When establishing a good relationship with service users, candidates demonstrate that they can competently apply some of the care values, communicate effectively and know how to treat people as individuals. Significant connections are made between theory and practice and a sound understanding of key concepts is demonstrated. For the practical tasks to be carried out in the service user’s own home, candidates draw up a detailed plan showing aim, objectives, timescales, sequence and targets. The practical tasks of cleaning a room and washing a garment by hand for a service user are carried out competently and confidently. The correct sequence for tasks is followed. The evaluation includes all the
requirements of Assessment Objective 4 and shows candidates’ ability to reflect, to analyse in depth and to make informed judgements that reflect a sound level of understanding.
For the practical tasks associated with a care assistant in a residential/day care setting,
candidates draw up a detailed plan with a supervisor for one morning or afternoon or evening session. They perform the tasks showing a sound level of understanding, without prompting but with
supervision. The evaluation includes coverage of all the requirements of Assessment Objective 5 and shows candidates’ ability to reflect, to analyse in depth and to make informed judgements that reflect a sound level of understanding.
When establishing a good relationship with service users, candidates demonstrate that they can, confidently and competently apply the care values, communicate effectively and know how to treat people as individuals. Significant connections are made between theory and practice and a high level of understanding of key concepts is demonstrated. For the practical tasks to be carried out in the service user’s own home, candidates draw up a detailed plan showing aim, objectives, timescales, sequence and targets. Reasons are given for the actions taken. The practical tasks of cleaning a room and washing a garment by hand for a service user are carried out independently, competently and confidently. The correct sequence for tasks is followed. The evaluation is detailed and includes all the requirements of Assessment Objective 4 and shows candidates’ ability to reflect, to analyse and to make judgements that show a high level of understanding. There is reference to the theoretical principles relating to the tasks.
For the practical tasks associated with a care assistant in a residential/day care setting,
candidates draw up a detailed plan with a supervisor for one morning or afternoon or evening session. They perform the tasks independently, showing a high level of understanding. The evaluation includes coverage of all the requirements of Assessment Objective 5 and shows candidates’ ability to reflect, to analyse and to make reasoned judgements that show a high level of understanding. There is evidence of synthesis of information and originality within the work.
4 5
AO Pass Merit Distinction 6 Candidates compare and contrast, at a superficial
level, the difference between roles of care assistants in service users’ own homes and residential/day care settings. Within the comparison they include information at a basic level about skills, tasks, job satisfaction, similarities and differences for each setting. Conclusions are drawn from the comparisons made.
Candidates compare and contrast, in detail, the difference between roles of care assistants in service users’ own homes and residential/day care settings. Within the comparison, they include information about skills, tasks, job satisfaction, similarities and differences for each setting.
Significant connections are made between the roles in each care setting.
Candidates compare and contrast in detail, fully discussing the differences between roles of care assistants in service users’ own homes and residential/day care settings. Within the
comparison, they include information about skills, tasks, job satisfaction, similarities and differences for each setting. This is detailed and reflects candidates’ ability to synthesise information from different sources. There is some originality within the work. Examples are given that make significant connections between theory and practice within the conclusions.
