Health promotion campaigns
This subtopic explores the design, implementation, and assessment of health promotion campaigns aimed at addressing current public health issues. Students learn to analyse societal impact and factors influencing health, then apply this understanding to plan, deliver, and critically evaluate a campaign, integrating theory with practical communication and project management skills essential for health and social care settings.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The Cambridge National in Health and Social Care (OCR Level 1/Level 2) is a vocational qualification that introduces students to the real-world knowledge and skills needed for careers in health, social care, and early years settings. It covers essential topics such as the rights of individuals, person-centred values, communication, safeguarding, and the impact of life events. This qualification is designed to be practical and applied, with a mix of examined units and centre-assessed coursework, making it ideal for students who prefer hands-on learning alongside theory.
Studying this course helps students understand how to support individuals of all ages, from children to older adults, in maintaining their health, independence, and well-being. It explores key legislation like the Care Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010, and emphasises the importance of empathy, confidentiality, and effective teamwork. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply their learning to real-life scenarios, preparing them for further study in A-Levels, apprenticeships, or direct entry into roles such as care assistant, support worker, or nursery practitioner.
This qualification fits within the wider Health and Social Care sector, which is one of the UK's largest employers. It provides a foundation for understanding how services are organised, the principles of care, and the ethical responsibilities of practitioners. Students develop transferable skills in communication, problem-solving, and reflection, which are valued in both academic and vocational pathways.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Person-centred values: Treating each individual as unique, respecting their rights, preferences, and choices, and promoting their independence and dignity.
- →Rights of individuals: The right to be respected, treated equally, be allowed privacy, be protected from danger and harm, be able to access information, and be able to communicate.
- →Effective communication: Using verbal and non-verbal techniques (e.g., active listening, open questions, body language) to build trust and understanding with service users and colleagues.
- →Safeguarding: Protecting vulnerable individuals from abuse, neglect, and harm, following policies like the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and local safeguarding procedures.
- →Life stages and life events: Understanding physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development across life stages (infancy to later adulthood) and how events like starting school, marriage, or bereavement can impact well-being.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Current public health issues and the impact on society, Factors influencing health, Plan and create a health promotion campaign, Deliver and evaluate a health promotion campaign
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for clearly identifying a current public health issue with accurate statistics on its societal impact, referencing reliable sources.
- Demonstrates understanding of at least two factors influencing health (e.g., socioeconomic, environmental, lifestyle) and links them explicitly to the chosen issue.
- Produces a feasible campaign plan with SMART objectives, a defined target audience, and appropriate health promotion approaches (e.g., educational, behavioural).
- Evidence of effective delivery showing use of engaging communication methods and materials tailored to the audience; reflection on strengths and areas for improvement is present.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡For coursework, explicitly map each campaign element back to the public health issue and theoretical models (e.g., Tones' health promotion model) to enhance analysis marks.
- 💡In the evaluation, use a structured framework like SWOT analysis and include concrete data (e.g., pre‑ and post‑campaign questionnaire results) to support judgements.
- 💡When planning, justify your choice of media and methods by linking them to the characteristics and preferences of your target audience, referencing health literacy levels.
- 💡Use specific examples from real care settings (e.g., a care home, hospital ward, or nursery) to illustrate your points. This shows the examiner you can apply theory to practice.
- 💡In exam questions, always link your answer to the rights of individuals or person-centred values. For example, if discussing communication, mention how it promotes dignity or respects privacy.
- 💡For coursework units, ensure you reflect on your own learning and identify areas for improvement. Use the 'STAR' technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your evaluations.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Selecting a public health issue without justifying its current relevance or scale, leading to a generic campaign lacking impact.
- Confusing factors influencing health with symptoms or consequences of the health issue, rather than underlying determinants.
- Setting vague campaign objectives (e.g., 'raise awareness') rather than specific, measurable outcomes, weakening evaluation.
- Delivering the campaign but failing to collect or incorporate feedback, resulting in a superficial evaluation with no evidence of reflective practice.
- Misconception: 'Health and Social Care is just about looking after old people.' Correction: The course covers all life stages, from infancy to later adulthood, and includes settings like nurseries, schools, hospitals, and hospices.
- Misconception: 'Confidentiality means never sharing information.' Correction: Confidentiality can be broken if there is a risk of harm to the individual or others, or if required by law (e.g., safeguarding concerns).
- Misconception: 'Person-centred care means doing whatever the service user wants.' Correction: It means involving the individual in decisions and respecting their preferences, but within the boundaries of safety, professional judgement, and legal requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for CAMBRIDGE OCR Health promotion campaigns
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Basic understanding of human development across life stages (e.g., from KS3 PSHE or Science).
- •Familiarity with the concept of empathy and respect for others, often developed through personal experiences or school values.
- •Ability to write in a structured way, as coursework requires reports and reflective accounts.
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Current public health issues and the impact on society, Factors influencing health, Plan and create a health promotion campaign, Deliver and evaluate a health promotion campaign
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