What qualifications do I need to start the Agored Cymru Level 2 Extended Award in Supporting Wellbeing in Nature?

There are no formal entry requirements, but a keen interest in health, social care, or the environment is beneficial. You should be comfortable with basic written assignments and practical activities. Some centres may ask for GCSEs in English and Maths at grade D or equivalent, but this varies.

Can I use this qualification to get a job in social prescribing?

Yes, this award provides a strong foundation for roles such as wellbeing coordinator, community link worker, or green care assistant. It demonstrates your understanding of nature-based interventions and person-centred support, which are key in social prescribing. However, some roles may require additional training or a higher-level qualification.

What types of nature activities are covered in this course?

Activities include guided nature walks, gardening, forest school sessions, wildlife observation, and sensory experiences like listening to birdsong or touching different textures. You'll learn to adapt these for different groups, such as older adults, people with disabilities, or those experiencing mental health challenges.

How does this qualification differ from a general health and social care course?

While general courses cover broad care principles, this award specialises in using natural environments as a therapeutic tool. It focuses on practical skills like leading outdoor sessions, risk assessment for green spaces, and evaluating wellbeing outcomes linked to nature. It's ideal if you want to combine a passion for the outdoors with care work.

Is this qualification recognised outside Wales?

Agored Cymru qualifications are primarily designed for Wales but are often accepted by employers and further education providers across the UK, especially in roles related to outdoor learning, ecotherapy, or social prescribing. Always check with your target institution or employer for specific recognition.

Environmental Awareness

Q: How is the Agored Cymru Level 2 Extended Award in Supporting Wellbeing in Nature assessed?

Assessment is typically through a portfolio of evidence, including written assignments, reflective logs, and observation of practical sessions. You may need to plan and lead a nature-based activity, then evaluate its impact. There are no formal exams, making it ideal for hands-on learners.

AGORED CYMRU

vocational

This element develops learners' understanding of how individual lifestyle choices, organisational practices and broader societal activities impact the natural environment. It emphasises practical ways to minimise negative effects and actively enhance local green spaces, directly linking environmental stewardship to personal and community wellbeing. Learners will also explore key organisations that champion environmental protection, enabling them to connect with existing support networks.

Learning Outcomes

Assessment Guidance

Key Skills

Key Terms

Assessment Criteria

Assessment criteria

Agored Cymru Level 2 Extended Award in Supporting Wellbeing in Nature

Agored Cymru Level 2 Award in Supporting Wellbeing in Nature

Agored Cymru Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Wellbeing in Nature

Topic Overview

The Agored Cymru Level 2 Extended Award in Supporting Wellbeing in Nature explores how natural environments can enhance mental, emotional, and physical health. This qualification is designed for learners in Health & Social Care or community roles who wish to integrate nature-based activities into their practice. It covers the theoretical foundations of ecotherapy, practical skills for leading safe outdoor sessions, and the evaluation of wellbeing outcomes. By understanding the biophilia hypothesis and evidence-based benefits of green spaces, students learn to support individuals with diverse needs, including those with anxiety, depression, or social isolation.

This award is part of the wider Agored Cymru Other Life Skills Qualifications suite, which emphasises applied learning and personal development. It directly aligns with UK health policies promoting social prescribing and green care, making it highly relevant for careers in mental health support, youth work, or adult social care. Students will develop competencies in risk assessment, session planning, and reflective practice, ensuring they can confidently facilitate nature-based interventions in settings such as community gardens, woodland projects, or coastal walks.

Mastering this topic enables students to bridge the gap between traditional care models and holistic, person-centred approaches. It empowers learners to recognise nature as a cost-effective, accessible tool for improving wellbeing, while also fostering their own resilience and connection to the environment. The qualification prepares students for further study in health and social care or direct employment in roles that prioritise preventative wellbeing strategies.

Key Concepts

Core ideas you must understand for this topic

→Biophilia Hypothesis: The innate human tendency to seek connections with nature, which underpins the therapeutic use of natural environments.
→Ecotherapy: A formal therapeutic approach that uses nature-based activities (e.g., gardening, forest bathing) to improve mental health.
→Risk-Benefit Assessment: Evaluating potential hazards of outdoor sessions against the wellbeing benefits, ensuring safety without over-restricting participation.
→Social Prescribing: A UK healthcare model where link workers refer patients to non-clinical services, including nature-based wellbeing activities.
→Reflective Practice: The process of critically analysing one's own facilitation of nature sessions to improve future practice and outcomes.

Learning Objectives

What you need to know and understand

1: Understand the environmental impact of individuals, organisations and society.2: Be able to affect the environment positively.3: Know of organisations that support the environment.
1: Understand the environmental impact of individuals, organisations and society.2: Be able to affect the environment positively.3: Know of organisations that support the environment.
Evaluate the environmental consequences of personal daily habits and lifestyle choices on local green spaces
Analyse how organisational policies and practices can either mitigate or exacerbate environmental degradation
Identify key national and local organisations that support environmental protection and explain their roles in promoting sustainability
Propose and justify practical actions individuals can take to enhance the environment while simultaneously supporting mental and physical wellbeing
Assess the collective impact of societal trends on ecosystems and the implications for nature-based health interventions

Assessment Criteria

Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

Award credit for demonstrating clear differentiation between individual, organisational and societal environmental impacts, supported by relevant examples such as personal waste, corporate pollution, and national policies.
Evidence for LO2 must include a personal action plan or reflective log detailing at least two specific actions taken to positively affect the environment, with before-and-after observations where possible.
For LO3, candidates should accurately name and describe the purpose of a minimum of two environmental organisations, explaining how they support the environment at local or national level.
Assessors should look for evidence of understanding the connection between environmental health and human wellbeing, particularly how nature-based activities can be sustained through responsible behaviour.
Award credit for clearly explaining at least two ways an individual can reduce their environmental impact, with specific examples relevant to health and social care contexts.
Award credit for producing a viable action plan that demonstrates positive environmental change, including measurable steps and expected outcomes.
Award credit for accurately naming and describing the roles of two organisations that support the environment, linking their work to wellbeing in nature.
Award credit for demonstrating understanding of how specific individual actions, such as littering or recycling, directly affect local wildlife and green spaces
Look for evidence that the learner can differentiate between the environmental impacts of large organisations, small businesses, and public sector bodies
Reward practical, realistic suggestions for positive environmental actions that are relevant to a health and social care context, such as organising a community litter pick or using eco-friendly equipment
Expect the learner to name and describe the function of at least two organisations (e.g., Keep Wales Tidy, Wildlife Trusts) and link them to personal or professional practice
Credit responses that connect environmental awareness to improved wellbeing, for example by explaining how clean, accessible nature spaces reduce stress and encourage physical activity

Assessment Guidance

Guidance for achieving higher grades

💡For portfolio evidence, structure your responses using the learning outcome numbers as headings, ensuring each section clearly addresses the command verbs: ‘understand’, ‘be able to’ and ‘know’.
💡When demonstrating LO2, include photographic or witness testimony evidence of your actions, and annotate with a brief explanation of the environmental benefit achieved.
💡Research a local environmental charity or group alongside a national one for LO3, as assessors value contextualised knowledge that shows real-world engagement.
💡Link your answers back to the unit’s theme of wellbeing in nature; e.g., explain how reducing environmental harm preserves natural spaces that benefit mental and physical health.
💡Use real-life scenarios from work placements or personal life to ground your answers in practice, which assessors value highly.
💡When discussing organisations, research local or national bodies relevant to your area, and cite specific projects that support wellbeing.
💡Explicitly connect environmental actions to health and social care principles, e.g., how reducing pollution improves client outcomes.
💡Always contextualise environmental discussion within the ‘Supporting Wellbeing in Nature’ unit, explicitly linking environmental health to human health.
💡Use concrete, local examples of organisations and actions to demonstrate applied knowledge rather than abstract theory.
💡When discussing organisational impact, consider the full spectrum from energy use and procurement policies to direct land management, and relate it to care settings.
💡Prepare to articulate not just what actions can be taken, but also why they are beneficial for both the environment and the people you support.
💡Use specific examples from your own practice or case studies to illustrate how nature activities address particular wellbeing needs (e.g., reducing cortisol levels through woodland walks).
💡Link your answers to UK policy frameworks like the Five Ways to Wellbeing (Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Give) to show applied understanding.
💡In evaluation questions, critically discuss both benefits and limitations of nature-based interventions, such as access barriers for urban populations or seasonal weather constraints.

Common Mistakes

Common errors to avoid in your coursework

Learners often focus solely on recycling at individual level without addressing broader organisational or societal impacts, missing the systemic perspective required for LO1.
Confusing positive environmental actions with general wellbeing activities; for LO2, actions must explicitly benefit the environment (e.g., litter-picking, tree planting) rather than just being outdoors.
Providing only the names of environmental organisations without sufficient detail on their role or how they contribute to environmental support, which limits achievement against LO3.
Assuming environmental impact is only negative; some fail to recognise that individuals and groups can also create positive environmental change through conservation and advocacy.
Confusing environmental impact with only climate change, missing aspects like waste management, biodiversity loss, or pollution.
Assuming only large organisations or governments can make a difference, overlooking the cumulative effect of individual and community actions.
Failing to provide specific, named organisations, instead using vague terms like 'charities' or 'green groups' without detail.
Confusing individual impact with solely global-scale issues, thereby overlooking significant local and immediate effects
Assuming that positive environmental actions are always large-scale or expensive, missing opportunities for simple daily behavioural changes
Failing to recognise that nature-based wellbeing activities themselves can negatively impact the environment if not managed responsibly (e.g., trampling, disturbance of wildlife)
Providing vague references to organisations without explaining their specific roles or how they can be utilised by individuals or care workers
Misconception: Nature-based wellbeing is only for people who already enjoy the outdoors. Correction: Activities can be adapted for all abilities and preferences, including indoor nature crafts or window-box gardening for those with limited mobility.
Misconception: Any outdoor activity automatically improves wellbeing. Correction: Sessions must be intentionally designed with therapeutic goals, such as mindfulness or sensory engagement, to be effective.
Misconception: Risk assessment is unnecessary for simple nature walks. Correction: Even low-risk activities require planning for weather, terrain, allergies, and group dynamics to ensure safety and inclusivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about this topic

Before You Start

Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

•Basic understanding of mental health and wellbeing concepts, such as stress, anxiety, and resilience.
•Familiarity with person-centred care principles and the importance of individual preferences in health and social care settings.
•Prior experience or knowledge of health and safety basics, including risk assessment processes.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

1: Understand the environmental impact of individuals, organisations and society.2: Be able to affect the environment positively.3: Know of organisations that support the environment.
1: Understand the environmental impact of individuals, organisations and society.2: Be able to affect the environment positively.3: Know of organisations that support the environment.
Human environmental footprint
Sustainable wellbeing practices
Positive local action
Environmental advocacy networks
Ecological responsibility

Ready to learn?

AI-powered learning tailored to this unit

Environmental Awareness

Assessment criteria

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

Learning Objectives

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Guidance

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

Key Terminology

Ready to learn?

Related Topics in AGORED CYMRU vocational Health & Social Care

Coppice Products

Coppice Products

Coppice Products