Keeping safe — City & Guilds Limited Other Vocational Qualification Employability & Work Skills Revision

    This element focuses on enabling learners to understand the various risks to personal safety they may encounter in everyday and workplace settings. It cove

    Topic Synopsis

    This element focuses on enabling learners to understand the various risks to personal safety they may encounter in everyday and workplace settings. It covers identification of hazards, methods to reduce these risks, and awareness of appropriate sources of support. Practical application includes applying these principles to ensure personal well-being and safety in work-related environments.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Keeping safe

    CITY & GUILDS LIMITED
    vocational

    This element focuses on identifying and managing risks to personal safety within hospitality environments, from kitchen hazards to customer-facing threats. It equips learners with practical strategies to minimise risks such as slips, burns, or aggressive behaviour, and ensures they know how to access support through workplace procedures and emergency services. Mastery of this content is essential for maintaining a safe, professional stance in fast-paced hospitality settings.

    9
    Learning Outcomes
    16
    Assessment Guidance
    16
    Key Skills
    10
    Key Terms
    17
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    City & Guilds Level 1 Award for Skills for Employment in the Hospitality Industry
    City & Guilds Level 1 Certificate for Skills for Working in the Health Care, Adult Care and Child Care Sectors
    City & Guilds Level 1 Certificate for Skills for Working in the Retail Industry
    City & Guilds Level 1 Introductory Award in Employability Skills
    City & Guilds Level 1 Award in Employability Skills

    Topic Overview

    The City & Guilds Level 1 Award in Employability Skills is designed to help you develop the essential skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace. This qualification covers key areas such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and self-management, which are highly valued by employers across all industries. By completing this award, you will build a strong foundation for your future career, whether you are entering the workforce for the first time or looking to improve your employability.

    This qualification is part of the wider Employability & Work Skills suite offered by City & Guilds, which aims to prepare learners for the demands of the modern workplace. The Level 1 Award focuses on practical, real-world skills that you can apply immediately, such as how to work effectively in a team, how to communicate clearly with colleagues and customers, and how to manage your time and workload. These skills are not only crucial for getting a job but also for progressing in your career and adapting to changing work environments.

    Throughout the course, you will explore topics like understanding your own strengths and areas for development, setting personal goals, and demonstrating positive attitudes and behaviours at work. You will also learn about the importance of health and safety, equality and diversity, and how to handle common workplace challenges. By the end of the award, you will have a clear understanding of what employers expect and how to meet those expectations, giving you a competitive edge in the job market.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Communication skills: The ability to listen, speak, and write clearly and appropriately in different workplace situations, including with colleagues, customers, and managers.
    • →Teamwork: Working collaboratively with others to achieve shared goals, understanding your role within a team, and respecting diverse perspectives.
    • →Problem-solving: Identifying issues, thinking critically, and finding practical solutions using a step-by-step approach.
    • →Self-management: Taking responsibility for your own work, managing time effectively, and demonstrating reliability and a positive attitude.
    • →Health and safety: Understanding basic workplace safety procedures, including risk assessment, emergency procedures, and personal responsibility for safety.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • Identify different types of risk to personal safety in various contexts
    • Evaluate the effectiveness of ways to minimise risks to personal safety
    • Locate and describe sources of support for personal safety concerns
    • Apply risk assessment techniques to everyday situations
    • Demonstrate understanding of the importance of reporting risks

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for accurately identifying at least three distinct types of personal safety risks relevant to the hospitality industry, such as manual handling injuries, burns, and violent incidents.
    • Award credit for clearly explaining practical steps to minimise each identified risk, including use of PPE, safe lifting techniques, and adherence to security protocols.
    • Award credit for naming multiple appropriate sources of support, both internal (e.g., line manager, first aider, security) and external (e.g., emergency services, helplines), and describing how to access them.
    • Award credit for correctly identifying at least three distinct types of risk to personal safety relevant to care settings (e.g., physical, environmental, infection-related, emotional).
    • Credit should be given for clearly explaining a practical way of minimising each identified risk, such as using manual handling techniques, infection control measures, reporting hazards, or de-escalation strategies.
    • Assessors must look for evidence that the learner can name specific sources of support (e.g., line manager, health and safety officer, union representative, occupational health) and describe in which situation each would be appropriate.
    • Award credit for demonstrating an understanding of at least three different types of risks relevant to a retail environment (e.g., physical hazards, security threats, ergonomic risks).
    • Evidence should include clear examples of ways to minimise risks, such as following correct manual handling procedures, reporting spills immediately, or adhering to security protocols.
    • Credit learners for accurately identifying at least two appropriate sources of support, including internal (e.g., supervisor, first aider) and external (e.g., emergency services, workplace safety regulator) options.
    • Award credit for clearly defining and providing examples of different types of risk, such as physical hazards, online safety threats, environmental dangers, and social or psychological risks.
    • Award credit for demonstrating an understanding of risk minimisation techniques, including following workplace policies, using personal protective equipment, practising situational awareness, and implementing safe travel routines.
    • Award credit for identifying and explaining the roles of various sources of support, both internal (e.g., line managers, HR, trade unions) and external (e.g., emergency services, helplines, advisory bodies).
    • Award credit for correctly identifying at least three types of personal safety risks (e.g., physical, psychological, environmental)
    • Credit given for explaining practical methods to minimise risks, such as following safety procedures or using personal protective equipment
    • Assessors should look for evidence of knowledge of support sources like line managers, health and safety representatives, or helplines
    • Acknowledge responses that differentiate between risks at work and in public spaces
    • Credit demonstration of understanding that risk cannot always be eliminated but can be reduced

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡When completing coursework or answering questions, always contextualise your responses to hospitality scenarios—mention specific settings like a restaurant kitchen or hotel reception.
    • 💡Use the 'identify, minimise, support' structure: first name the risk, then give a practical minimisation method, then indicate who to contact if the risk materialises.
    • 💡Review real-world case studies or incident reports from hospitality to ground your answers in authentic examples; this demonstrates applied understanding to assessors.
    • 💡Always anchor your answers in realistic care scenarios – use examples like administering medication, moving and handling, or lone working to demonstrate applied understanding.
    • 💡Structure responses to cover all three learning objectives systematically: first name the risk, then explain how to minimise it, and finally reference a relevant source of support.
    • 💡Be specific when naming sources of support – state official titles (e.g., Health and Safety Executive, designated safeguarding lead) and briefly note their role in maintaining safety.
    • 💡When describing risks, always link each one directly to a practical retail scenario to show applied understanding.
    • 💡Use the correct terminology, such as 'risk assessment', 'control measure', and 'near miss', to access higher marking bands.
    • 💡For sources of support, mention specific job roles and how they can help, rather than vague terms like 'management', and be prepared to explain when to contact them.
    • 💡For each risk identified, always pair it with a corresponding minimisation strategy to demonstrate applied understanding rather than isolated knowledge.
    • 💡Whenever possible, reference relevant legislation, workplace policies, or official guidance to strengthen the authority of your response and show wider contextual awareness.
    • 💡In scenario-based questions, imagine a realistic workplace situation and detail the exact steps you would take, from identifying the risk to seeking appropriate support.
    • 💡When answering questions, always link risks directly to practical examples from work or daily life
    • 💡Use the PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain) structure to demonstrate understanding of risk minimisation
    • 💡Memorise key helpline numbers and organisations (e.g., HSE, Citizen's Advice) for quick recall
    • 💡Read scenarios carefully to identify both obvious and subtle risks to personal safety
    • 💡Use real-life examples from your own experience (e.g., school projects, part-time jobs) to demonstrate your understanding of employability skills. This shows you can apply theory to practice.
    • 💡When answering questions about teamwork, clearly explain your specific role and how you contributed to the team's success, rather than just describing what the team did.
    • 💡For problem-solving questions, use a structured approach like 'identify the problem, consider options, choose a solution, evaluate the outcome' to show clear thinking.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Confusing general health and safety risks with personal safety risks, such as focusing solely on environmental hazards like slippery floors without considering interpersonal threats from customers or intruders.
    • Overlooking the importance of dynamic risk assessment—students often memorise static rules but fail to apply them to changing situations.
    • Failing to name specific internal support roles, instead giving vague answers like 'tell someone' without referencing formal reporting structures.
    • Confusing hazards with risks – learners often describe a hazard (e.g., wet floor) but fail to explain the risk it poses (e.g., slipping, potential injury).
    • Over-generalising sources of support, such as simply saying 'my boss' without specifying the actual job role or how to access them.
    • Neglecting to link minimisation strategies to specific care contexts – for instance, suggesting generic precautions without considering the unique challenges of home care or child care settings.
    • Confusing a hazard with a risk—a hazard is a potential source of harm (e.g., a wet floor), while risk is the likelihood and severity of harm occurring.
    • Overlooking psychological risks, such as stress from dealing with difficult customers, focusing only on physical injuries.
    • Assuming that personal safety is solely the employer's responsibility without recognizing their own duty to follow safety procedures and report concerns.
    • Confusing a hazard with a risk, overlooking that a hazard is the potential source of harm while risk is the likelihood and severity of harm occurring.
    • Focusing exclusively on physical risks while ignoring psychological, social, or online risks, which are equally important in personal safety.
    • Providing vague or generic support sources without naming specific organisations or roles, reducing the practical applicability of their answers.
    • Confusing risk with hazard; risk is the likelihood and severity of harm, not the hazard itself
    • Overlooking psychological or emotional risks to personal safety
    • Assuming that all risks can be eliminated rather than minimised
    • Failing to name specific sources of support, using vague terms like 'someone in charge'
    • Misconception: Employability skills are only about getting a job, not about keeping one. Correction: These skills are equally important for career progression and job retention, as they help you adapt, collaborate, and perform effectively over time.
    • Misconception: Communication only means speaking well. Correction: Communication also involves active listening, non-verbal cues, and written communication like emails and reports. All are vital in the workplace.
    • Misconception: Teamwork means always agreeing with others. Correction: Effective teamwork involves constructive disagreement and compromise, focusing on the best outcome for the team rather than personal agreement.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •No formal prerequisites are required for this Level 1 Award, but a basic understanding of English and maths is helpful for completing written tasks and calculations.
    • •It is beneficial to have some awareness of the world of work, such as through work experience, volunteering, or part-time jobs, but this is not essential.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • understand different types of risk to personal safety, understand ways of minimising risks to personal safety, know sources of support
    • Types of personal safety risks
    • Risk minimisation strategies
    • Sources of support and reporting
    • Hazard identification
    • Legislation and rights
    • Personal responsibility

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