Lead practice in promoting the well being and resilience of children and young people
This subtopic focuses on leading practice to promote the well-being and resilience of children and young people in health and social care settings. It examines evidence-based approaches, such as strengths-based models and trauma-informed care, and their impact on frontline practice. Learners will develop leadership skills to support children, engage carers, address health needs, and drive service improvement, ensuring holistic outcomes aligned with statutory guidance like Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Assessment criteria
Quick Revision Summary (Key Takeaway)
The iCQ Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services (England) is a vocational qualification for managers and leaders in care settings. It covers leadership, management, and specialist practice, enabling learners to lead teams, improve services, and meet regulatory standards in health and social care.
Topic Overview
The iCQ Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services (England) is designed for individuals in leadership or management roles within the health and social care sector. It equips learners with the knowledge and skills to lead and manage services effectively, ensuring high-quality care and compliance with regulatory standards. The qualification covers a range of topics including leadership theories, management of resources, safeguarding, and partnership working.
This diploma is essential for career progression in the sector, as it demonstrates a high level of competence and commitment to professional development. It is recognised by employers and regulatory bodies, such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and is often a requirement for senior roles. The qualification also supports the development of reflective practice, enabling leaders to continuously improve their services.
The curriculum is structured to address both strategic and operational aspects of leadership. Learners explore how to lead teams, manage change, and promote a positive culture. They also develop skills in areas such as risk management, quality assurance, and multi-agency collaboration. By completing this diploma, learners are prepared to tackle the complex challenges of modern health and social care, ensuring that services are safe, effective, and person-centred.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Leadership vs management: understanding the difference and how both are essential in care settings.
- →Person-centred care: placing the individual at the heart of care planning and delivery.
- →Safeguarding: protecting vulnerable individuals from abuse and harm, following legal and organisational policies.
- →Regulatory compliance: meeting CQC standards and other legal requirements.
- →Multi-disciplinary working: collaborating with other professionals to provide holistic care.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Understand how different approaches to promoting positive well being and resilience in children and young people impact on practice, Be able to lead practice in supporting children and young people’s well being and resilience, Be able to lead practice in work with carers who are supporting children and young people, Be able to lead practice in responding to the health needs of children and young people, Be able to lead the development of practice with children or young people to promote their well being and resilience
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating critical evaluation of at least two theoretical approaches (e.g., resilience framework, ecological model) and their practical application in own leadership context.
- Award credit for providing evidence of leading a team to implement strengths-based interventions, such as using the Resilience Doughnut or similar tools, with measurable outcomes for children.
- Award credit for showing effective partnership working with carers, including jointly developing support plans that enhance protective factors and reduce risk.
- Award credit for leading a multi-agency response to a health need, evidencing use of Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and outcome-focused care planning.
- Award credit for reflective evaluation of own leadership in developing practice, including feedback from stakeholders and changes made to service delivery to improve well-being and resilience.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡In your portfolio, clearly map each piece of evidence to the specific learning outcome, using reflective accounts to demonstrate how your leadership directly influenced practice.
- 💡When addressing health needs, ensure you include examples of inter-professional collaboration and show how you navigated barriers to access services.
- 💡For the carer support element, use case studies that illustrate a partnership approach, highlighting how you empowered carers to build resilience skills.
- 💡Reference current frameworks like the NHS England Well-being and Resilience Framework or the Tackling Health Inequalities agenda to show sector awareness.
- 💡Use a reflective cycle (e.g., Gibbs) to critically analyse your leadership development tasks, identifying what you did, why, what worked, and what you would improve.
- 💡Use the command words to structure your answers. For 'evaluate', give both sides and a justified conclusion.
- 💡Always refer to current legislation and CQC regulations to show up-to-date knowledge.
- 💡Include examples from your own practice to demonstrate application of theory.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Focusing solely on individual child interventions without leading systemic changes across the team or service.
- Confusing resilience with compliance; assuming a child is resilient simply because they do not exhibit overt distress.
- Neglecting the role of carers' own well-being and support needs when planning involvement in promoting child resilience.
- Providing anecdotal evidence rather than using recognised assessment tools and outcome measures to evaluate impact.
- Failing to link leadership actions to relevant legislation and policies, such as the Children Act 1989/2004 or local safeguarding procedures.
- Misconception: Leadership is only for senior managers. Correction: Leadership can be demonstrated at all levels, and the diploma encourages leadership skills in any role.
- Misconception: Management and leadership are the same. Correction: Management focuses on tasks and processes, while leadership focuses on people and vision.
- Misconception: The diploma is only about theory. Correction: It requires application to practice, with assessments based on real work scenarios.
Revision Plan
How to revise this topic in 1–2 weeks
- 1Week 1: Review the qualification specification and identify your knowledge gaps. Focus on leadership theories and management models.
- 2Week 2: Study legislation and regulatory frameworks, including CQC standards and the Care Act 2014. Make notes on how they apply to your setting.
- 3Week 3: Explore safeguarding and risk management. Use case studies to practice applying procedures.
- 4Week 4: Revise partnership working and communication. Practice writing answers to exam questions, focusing on command words.
- 5Week 5: Complete practice assessments and seek feedback from your tutor or mentor. Review your weak areas and refine your answers.
Exam Question Types
How this topic typically appears in the exam
- 📋Case study questions: You will be given a scenario and asked to analyse or evaluate. Use a structured approach: identify issues, apply theory, and propose solutions.
- 📋Short answer questions: These test knowledge of key concepts and legislation. Be precise and use correct terminology.
- 📋Reflective practice questions: You may be asked to reflect on your own leadership experiences. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your response.
- 📋Essay questions: These require a well-organised argument. Plan your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, and ensure you address all parts of the question.
Command Word Expectations (ICAN QUALIFICATIONS LIMITED)
What examiners look for when using specific command words in this specification
In iCan qualifications, 'evaluate' requires you to consider strengths and weaknesses, weigh evidence, and come to a reasoned judgement. You must provide a balanced argument and conclude with a clear opinion supported by evidence.
Break down a topic into its components, examine relationships, and explain how they interact. You should identify causes and effects, and use examples to illustrate your points.
Provide a clear and detailed account of a concept, process, or theory. You should include reasons and mechanisms, and use examples to clarify your explanation.
How Students Lose Marks (Examiner Pitfalls)
Common mark loss traps and how to write 100% full-mark answers
Step-by-Step Worked Solutions
Detailed solution breakdown for typical exam problems
Question: A care home has a high staff turnover rate. As a leader, you are asked to analyse the possible causes and propose a strategy to improve staff retention. (6 marks)
- 1.Step 1: Identify possible causes of high turnover, such as low pay, lack of training, poor management, high workload, or lack of career progression.
- 2.Step 2: Link causes to leadership and management theories, e.g., Herzberg's two-factor theory (hygiene factors vs motivators) or transformational leadership.
- 3.Step 3: Propose a strategy: conduct exit interviews, improve induction and training, offer flexible working, recognise achievements, and create a positive culture.
- 4.Step 4: Explain how you would implement the strategy, including involving staff in decision-making and monitoring progress.
- 5.Step 5: Conclude with expected benefits, such as improved morale, better care quality, and reduced recruitment costs.
Question: Evaluate the importance of effective communication in multi-disciplinary teams within health and social care. (8 marks)
- 1.Step 1: Define multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) and their purpose in providing holistic care.
- 2.Step 2: Identify key communication methods: verbal, written, electronic, and non-verbal.
- 3.Step 3: Discuss benefits: improved coordination, reduced errors, better patient outcomes, and efficient use of resources.
- 4.Step 4: Consider barriers: jargon, confidentiality, power imbalances, and time constraints.
- 5.Step 5: Evaluate by weighing benefits against challenges, and suggest improvements like shared records and regular meetings.
- 6.Step 6: Conclude with a justified judgement on the overall importance.
Active Recall Memory Test
Test your memory before revealing the key facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for ICAN QUALIFICATIONS LIMITED Lead practice in promoting the well being and resilience of children and young people
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
- •Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care or equivalent experience.
- •Basic understanding of the Care Act 2014 and Health and Social Care Act 2008.
- •Experience working in a health or social care setting, ideally in a supervisory role.
Coursework AI Review
Paste your assignment brief and check your draft against its P/M/D criteria
Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Understand how different approaches to promoting positive well being and resilience in children and young people impact on practice, Be able to lead practice in supporting children and young people’s well being and resilience, Be able to lead practice in work with carers who are supporting children and young people, Be able to lead practice in responding to the health needs of children and young people, Be able to lead the development of practice with children or young people to promote their well being and resilience
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