Understand the principles and values in health and social care _adults and children and young people_, early years and childcare
This subtopic introduces the core principles and values essential for working in health, social care, and children’s settings, including dignity, respect, confidentiality, person-centred care, and safeguarding. Learners explore how these values guide everyday practice, ensuring that adults, children, and young people are supported in ways that uphold their rights and individuality. The focus is on developing an awareness of how to apply these principles to promote wellbeing and to respect and value every service user, regardless of age or ability, across diverse care environments.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The Highfield Level 1 Award in Introduction to Health and Social Care and Children’s and Young People’s Settings (RQF) provides a foundational understanding of the principles and practices within health, social care, and early years settings. This qualification is designed for individuals who are new to the sector or considering a career in caring for others. It covers essential topics such as communication, equality and inclusion, safeguarding, and the importance of a person-centred approach. By completing this award, learners gain the knowledge needed to support individuals in a safe, respectful, and effective manner, preparing them for further study or entry-level roles.
This qualification is particularly important because it introduces learners to the core values and legal frameworks that underpin high-quality care. Understanding concepts like confidentiality, diversity, and the rights of individuals is crucial for anyone working with vulnerable groups, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities. The award also emphasises the importance of teamwork and reflective practice, which are key to continuous improvement in care settings. By mastering these basics, students build a solid foundation for progression to higher-level qualifications, such as the Level 2 Certificate in Health and Social Care.
Within the broader Health & Social Care curriculum, this award serves as a stepping stone that bridges general awareness with vocational skills. It aligns with the Care Certificate standards and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, ensuring that learners understand the regulatory environment and their responsibilities. The qualification is recognised by employers and further education providers, making it a valuable addition to any CV. Ultimately, it empowers students to make a positive difference in people's lives by promoting dignity, independence, and well-being.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Person-centred approach: Tailoring care and support to meet the individual's unique needs, preferences, and values, ensuring they are at the centre of decision-making.
- →Safeguarding: Protecting individuals from harm, abuse, and neglect, including recognising signs of abuse and knowing how to report concerns appropriately.
- →Equality and inclusion: Ensuring everyone has equal access to opportunities and services, and respecting diversity by valuing differences in culture, ability, age, gender, and beliefs.
- →Effective communication: Using verbal and non-verbal methods to build trust, share information accurately, and support individuals who may have communication difficulties.
- →Confidentiality: Keeping personal information private and only sharing it with authorised people, in line with legal requirements and organisational policies.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Know the principles and values that underpin work in health and social care (adults and children and young people), early years and childcare, Know ways to respect and value those who access services in health and social care (adults and children and young people), early years and childcare
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating an understanding of at least three key principles, such as dignity, respect, and confidentiality, with clear links to real care contexts.
- Credit should be given when the learner provides practical examples of how to respect service users, including active listening, using preferred names, and supporting cultural needs.
- Assessors must look for evidence that the learner recognises the importance of person-centred care and can describe how to include the individual in decisions about their own care or support.
- Award credit for identifying the role of safeguarding as a core value and describing basic actions to protect individuals from harm, appropriate to the setting (adults, children, or young people).
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡For written assessments, always link principles to specific, realistic scenarios from health, social care, or early years environments; use the correct terminology consistently.
- 💡When asked to describe ways to respect individuals, structure your answer around practical actions (e.g., communication, privacy, choice) rather than just stating the value.
- 💡Prepare examples that cover both adult and children’s settings, as the qualification expects awareness across all age groups; an answer that addresses both will demonstrate broader understanding.
- 💡Use real-life examples to illustrate how you would apply person-centred care or handle a confidentiality dilemma. This shows deeper understanding and application of knowledge.
- 💡Memorise key legislation and frameworks, such as the Care Act 2014, the Children Act 2004, and the EYFS, and be ready to explain how they influence practice.
- 💡When answering questions about safeguarding, always mention the correct reporting procedure: speak to your manager or designated safeguarding lead, and follow organisational policies.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Learners often list values without explaining how they are applied in practice, offering vague statements instead of concrete examples from health or childcare settings.
- A common misconception is that confidentiality is absolute; learners may not understand when it is necessary to share information for safeguarding or with consent.
- Some learners focus solely on adult care settings and overlook how principles apply to children and young people, missing the dual focus of the qualification.
- There is frequent confusion between respect as a general attitude and the active steps needed to show respect, such as ensuring privacy or promoting independence.
- Misconception: 'Person-centred care means doing whatever the individual wants.' Correction: It means involving the individual in decisions about their care, but within the boundaries of safety, legal requirements, and professional judgement.
- Misconception: 'Confidentiality means never sharing any information.' Correction: Information can be shared with consent, or without consent if there is a safeguarding concern or legal obligation, but only on a need-to-know basis.
- Misconception: 'Equality means treating everyone the same.' Correction: Equality is about ensuring fair access and opportunities, which may require treating people differently to meet their specific needs (e.g., providing a sign language interpreter).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for HIGHFIELD QUALIFICATIONS Understand the principles and values in health and social care _adults and children and young people_, early years and childcare
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
- •No formal prerequisites are required for this Level 1 award, but a basic understanding of English and maths is helpful for reading and interpreting policies.
- •An interest in working with people and a willingness to learn about care values will support success in this qualification.
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Know the principles and values that underpin work in health and social care (adults and children and young people), early years and childcare, Know ways to respect and value those who access services in health and social care (adults and children and young people), early years and childcare
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