This qualification has been approved by Qualifications Wales and will be available for teaching from September 2019. It is part of a suite of 21 Health & Social Care and Childcare qualifications, some of which will be available from September 2019 and the remainder by September 2020. The qualifications in this suite have been developed jointly by a consortium of City & Guilds and WJEC and are awarded by either WJEC or City & Guilds.
- Wales
Vocational qualifications are either work-related qualifications designed to enable students to gain the skills required to perform a particular job, or qualifications that may be taken as part of a wider study programme or an apprenticeship.
This qualification is intended for learners working in health and social care settings which provide services for children and young people requiring care and/or support. It is designed to support progression in employment and/or further and higher level study.
This qualification is practice-based and develops the ability of learners to practically support health and care needs of children and young people in a range of settings. Achievement of the qualification confers occupational competence.
It provides the opportunity to enrich knowledge and skills using both mandatory content and optional units in children and young people-focused settings such as individual’s homes, residential care and learning disability provision.
Please note that it is a requirement of Social Care Wales that an individual working within the health and social care sector will need both:
- the Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core (Children and Young People) qualification and
- the Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) qualification
to work within specific job roles. Further details will be available on the Social Care Wales website. https://socialcare.wales/registration
This qualification has been designed to be delivered by a range of learning providers for learners who are 16 or over.
In July 2016, Qualifications Wales published the Sector Review of Qualifications and the Qualification System in Health and Social Care including childcare and play work. Following the Review, Qualifications Wales commissioned the development of a new suite of Health and Social Care and Childcare qualifications for Wales which from September 2019 will replace more than 200 qualifications which were previously eligible for funding on programmes of learning funded by Welsh Government or local authorities. These qualifications have been developed by the consortium of awarding bodies City & Guilds and WJEC in partnership with Social Care Wales and Health Education and Improvement Wales to ensure that they meet the needs of the Health and Social Care sector.
From September 2019, qualifications in this suite will be the only qualifications in health and social care, and childcare that are eligible for funding by Welsh Government on programmes of learning for learners under the age of 19. In addition, the practice qualifications such as City & Guilds Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Children and Young People) will feature in apprenticeship frameworks for learners of all ages undertaking related apprenticeships. Some of these qualifications will also be on Social Care Wales’ Qualification Framework for Social Care and Childcare from September 2019 and will be requirements to work within specific job roles in the health and social care sector. https://socialcare.wales/resources/qualification-framework-for-the-social-care-sector-in-wales
Regulation of vocational qualifications
The regulation of vocational qualifications is the responsibility of the respective regulators in each UK country – Ofqual (England), CCEA Regulation (Northern Ireland), SQA (Scotland), and Qualifications Wales (Wales). The regulatory approach undertaken for vocational qualifications is different from A levels. This is because there are no specific qualification criteria for vocational qualifications, as there currently are for GCSEs, AS and A levels. Vocational qualifications must comply with the regulator’s general rules, as is the case with all regulated qualifications.
- City & Guilds
The Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) qualification is a competence-based qualification consisting of a range of externally set and internally marked practice-based tasks, and a portfolio of evidence. To achieve Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People), learners must achieve a minimum of 50 credits comprising:
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- Health and social care
Mandatory group:
Optional group A:
Optional group B:
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- Level 3
This qualification is at level 3 on the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW), which aligns with level 3 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).
Level 3 is broadly aligned to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6 / 7.
Pass/fail
100% internal assessment
All units are assessed through a range of externally set and internally marked practice-based tasks, and a portfolio of evidence.
All of the assessments must be achieved.
Learners must achieve a minimum of 50 credits and meet the agreed rules of combination in order to achieve the qualification.
All units must be undertaken and related requirements must be completed and assessed within the learner’s period of registration.
There are no formal resit arrangements as this qualification is internally assessed. Students have the opportunity to resubmit work for assessment following feedback from their tutor/assessor.
TQT for this qualification is 500 hours
Not yet available.
There are a number of key considerations for HEPs when reviewing vocational qualifications:
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Learners may start and complete their programme of learning throughout the year.
Results are confirmed, and certificates issued, upon completion and following any external quality assurance activities required.
This qualification is current.
Non-ABL quals
Due to the “roll-on, roll-off” nature of the qualification, the results of Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) are not reported to UCAS through Awarding Body Linkage (ABL). This does not reflect the validity of the qualification. HEPs will need to ask applicants to provide their own evidence of achievement. City & Guilds will issue a certificate once the qualification is achieved.
Learners achieving Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) may continue in employment, including in roles for which this qualification is a requirement on the Social Care Wales Qualification Framework for Social Care and Childcare.
Learners achieving this qualification may also progress to higher-level qualifications within Health and Social Care.
This qualification belongs to the suite of Health and Social Care and Childcare qualifications from levels 2 to 5 commissioned by Qualifications Wales. On achievement of the Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People), learners may progress to level 4 specialism or leadership and management qualifications in this suite.
Visit the healthandcarelearning.wales website to find out more about the suite of Health and Social Care and Childcare qualifications for Wales and view the qualification specifications:
Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People)