Develop activities and materials to enable individuals to reach specific communication goals
This element focuses on the practical application of knowledge about communication development and disorders to create bespoke therapy activities and materials. Learners must integrate understanding of normal communication milestones, the impact of speech and language disorders, and the design of therapy programmes to support individuals in achieving specific, measurable communication goals. The emphasis is on person-centred, evidence-based resource development that facilitates progress across a range of healthcare and social care settings.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The ProQual Level 2 Certificate in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills provides foundational knowledge and practical skills for those starting a career in health and social care. This qualification covers essential topics such as communication, safeguarding, person-centred care, and the principles of equality and diversity. It is designed to prepare learners for roles like healthcare assistant, support worker, or care assistant in settings such as hospitals, residential homes, or community care.
Understanding this qualification is crucial because it ensures that care workers can provide safe, compassionate, and effective support to individuals with diverse needs. The content aligns with the Care Certificate standards and the fundamental requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. By mastering these skills, students not only meet regulatory standards but also build confidence in delivering high-quality care that respects the dignity and autonomy of service users.
This certificate fits into the wider subject by serving as a stepping stone to further qualifications, such as the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care. It equips learners with transferable skills applicable across various care environments, including working with older adults, people with disabilities, or those with mental health conditions. The emphasis on reflective practice and continuous improvement prepares students for lifelong learning in the care sector.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Person-centred care: Tailoring support to the individual's preferences, needs, and values, ensuring they are active partners in their care planning.
- →Safeguarding: Protecting vulnerable adults and children from abuse, neglect, and harm, following local policies and the Care Act 2014.
- →Effective communication: Using verbal and non-verbal techniques to build trust, actively listen, and adapt communication to meet the needs of individuals with sensory impairments or cognitive challenges.
- →Equality and diversity: Promoting inclusive practice by respecting differences in culture, religion, age, gender, disability, and sexual orientation, and challenging discrimination.
- →Duty of care: The legal and ethical obligation to act in the best interest of service users, ensuring their safety and well-being at all times.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Analyse how typical communication development informs the selection of appropriate therapy activities for individuals.
- Differentiate the effects of various speech and language disorders on an individual’s learning and daily participation.
- Design a sequence of therapy activities that address specific, prioritised communication goals.
- Create adapted materials that remove barriers to communication for individuals with complex needs.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of chosen activities against the individual’s progress towards agreed communication goals.
- Know the normal patterns of learning and communication development of individuals, Understand how speech and language disorders can affect an individual’s learning, communication development and lifestyle, Understand how therapy programmes can enable individuals to achieve communication goals, Be able to develop activities and materials for therapy programmes based on the identified communication goals of individuals
- Analyse the communication goals of an individual to determine appropriate activity objectives.
- Design a range of activities and materials that align with identified therapy goals and individual preferences.
- Adapt communication activities to accommodate different types of speech and language disorders.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of developed materials in facilitating progress towards communication goals.
- Apply principles of normal communication development to create age-appropriate resources.
- Demonstrate safe and ethical use of materials, including assistive technology, in communication support.
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for explicitly linking each activity or material to the individual's identified communication goal and developmental level.
- Look for evidence of understanding the specific disorder's impact when justifying choices, e.g., using visual supports for expressive language delay.
- Assess the candidate's ability to propose measurable outcomes and review strategies as part of the activity plan.
- Credit differentiation: materials must show adaptation for sensory, physical, or cognitive barriers alongside communication needs.
- Award credit for demonstrating a clear rationale linking the chosen activity to the individual's specific communication goal as identified in their care or therapy plan.
- Credit must be given when the learner provides evidence of adapting materials to the individual's sensory, cognitive, and physical abilities, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.
- Assessors should look for explicit reference to collaborative working with the speech and language therapist or wider multidisciplinary team in the planning and review stages.
- Award marks for including a concise evaluation of the activity’s effectiveness, noting any adjustments made in response to the individual’s engagement and progress.
- Award credit for clear justification of how each activity directly targets a specific communication goal from the individual's therapy plan.
- Evidence of thorough assessment of the individual's communication needs, strengths, and preferences prior to activity development.
- Demonstration of how materials can be modified for varying levels of ability, including sensory, cognitive, and physical factors.
- Inclusion of observable and measurable criteria to monitor and evaluate the individual's progress.
- Appropriate selection and use of resources that are culturally sensitive and age-appropriate.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Structure your portfolio evidence around a clear cycle: assess needs, set SMART goals, design resources, implement, and evaluate.
- 💡When describing the impact of a disorder, go beyond definitions and illustrate with practical examples of how it affects daily communication and learning.
- 💡For higher marks, explicitly reference professional guidelines or evidence-based practice models that underpin your material development.
- 💡Always anchor your portfolio evidence in a real individual’s case; use anonymised, specific examples of how you developed and used an activity to meet a documented communication goal.
- 💡Include photographs or samples of the adapted materials you created, with annotations explaining how they support the therapy aim and how you evaluated their success.
- 💡Demonstrate your underpinning knowledge by referencing the type of speech and language disorder the individual has and how it impacts their learning and daily communication.
- 💡When presenting evidence, explicitly reference the therapy programme and explain how your activity supports its aims.
- 💡Provide concrete examples of materials you have created or adapted, and discuss the rationale behind design choices.
- 💡Use case studies to illustrate how you would tailor activities for individuals with different communication disorders.
- 💡In written assignments, structure your response around the cycle of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
- 💡Use specific examples from real care settings to illustrate your answers, such as how you would communicate with a service user who has dementia or how you would report a safeguarding concern.
- 💡Always link your responses to relevant legislation and policies, such as the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the Care Act 2014, or the Equality Act 2010, to demonstrate depth of understanding.
- 💡In questions about duty of care, clearly explain the balance between promoting independence and ensuring safety, showing awareness of risk assessment and the individual's rights.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Selecting off-the-shelf activities without tailoring them to the individual's specific communication profile and goals.
- Confusing speech production difficulties with language comprehension difficulties, leading to inappropriate material choice.
- Failing to include a clear method for tracking progress or measuring achievement within the developed activities.
- Many learners create generic activities (e.g., a standard picture card set) without tailoring them to the individual’s unique interests, cultural background, or specific communication goal.
- A common error is neglecting to consider the individual’s current stage of communication development, leading to materials that are either too advanced or too simplistic to be effective.
- Some learners fail to recognise the boundaries of their role, attempting to design therapeutic interventions independently rather than supporting a programme devised by a qualified therapist.
- Overlooking environmental and safety factors when preparing materials, such as using small parts with individuals who have pica or dysphagia, is a frequent and critical mistake.
- Designing activities without a clear link to assessed communication goals, resulting in generic or misaligned resources.
- Overlooking the individual's personal interests and environmental context, leading to disengagement.
- Failing to consider the impact of co-existing conditions (e.g., hearing loss, learning disability) on communication support.
- Neglecting to include a method for recording and reviewing progress, making it difficult to measure effectiveness.
- Misconception: Person-centred care means always doing what the service user wants. Correction: It involves balancing the individual's preferences with professional judgment, risk assessments, and legal responsibilities, such as safeguarding duties.
- Misconception: Confidentiality is absolute and cannot be broken. Correction: Confidentiality must be maintained unless there is a risk of harm to the individual or others, or when required by law (e.g., disclosure of abuse).
- Misconception: Equality means treating everyone the same. Correction: Equality involves recognising and accommodating differences to ensure fair access to care, which may require treating people differently to meet their specific needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for PROQUAL AWARDING BODY Develop activities and materials to enable individuals to reach specific communication goals
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 the roles and responsibilities in health and social care settings.
- •Familiarity with the concept of confidentiality and data protection (e.g., GDPR principles).
- •Awareness of the importance of teamwork and professional boundaries in care work.
Coursework AI Review
Self-check your coursework evidence against P/M/D criteria
Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Communication development milestones
- Impact of speech and language disorders
- Therapy programme structure
- Person-centred activity design
- Material adaptation and differentiation
- Goal setting and evaluation
- Know the normal patterns of learning and communication development of individuals, Understand how speech and language disorders can affect an individual’s learning, communication development and lifestyle, Understand how therapy programmes can enable individuals to achieve communication goals, Be able to develop activities and materials for therapy programmes based on the identified communication goals of individuals
- Communication goal analysis
- Activity and material design
- Therapy programme integration
- Person-centred adaptation
- Resource evaluation and modification
- Multisensory communication support
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