Understand and implement a person centred approach to the care and support of individuals with dementia — Qualifications Scotland Occupational Qualification Health & Social Care Revision

    This subtopic focuses on embedding person-centred values into dementia care, ensuring that the individual's unique identity, preferences, and life history

    Topic Synopsis

    This subtopic focuses on embedding person-centred values into dementia care, ensuring that the individual's unique identity, preferences, and life history drive all aspects of support. Practical application centres on actively involving the person with dementia—and their informal carers—in care planning, decision-making, and daily routines, thereby promoting dignity, autonomy, and well-being.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Understand and implement a person centred approach to the care and support of individuals with dementia

    QUALIFICATIONS SCOTLAND
    vocational

    This subtopic focuses on embedding person-centred values into dementia care, ensuring that the individual's unique identity, preferences, and life history drive all aspects of support. Practical application centres on actively involving the person with dementia—and their informal carers—in care planning, decision-making, and daily routines, thereby promoting dignity, autonomy, and well-being.

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    Learning Outcomes
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    Assessment Guidance
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    Key Skills
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    Key Terms
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    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    SQA Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for Wales and Northern Ireland (QCF)

    Topic Overview

    The SQA Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for Wales and Northern Ireland (QCF) is a vocational qualification designed to equip learners with the essential knowledge and skills required to work in adult health and social care settings. This diploma covers a broad range of topics, including communication, equality and inclusion, duty of care, safeguarding, person-centred approaches, and health and safety. It is particularly relevant for those aspiring to roles such as care assistants, support workers, or healthcare assistants in residential homes, domiciliary care, or day services.

    This qualification is structured around mandatory units that provide a solid foundation in core principles, such as understanding the role of the care worker, promoting person-centred approaches, and implementing duty of care. Optional units allow learners to specialise in areas like dementia care, end-of-life care, or supporting individuals with specific needs. The diploma emphasises practical application, requiring learners to demonstrate competence in real or simulated work environments, making it a highly respected entry-level qualification for the health and social care sector in Wales and Northern Ireland.

    Studying this diploma is crucial because it ensures that care workers are equipped to provide safe, compassionate, and effective support to adults, aligning with regulatory standards such as the Care Council for Wales (CCW) and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC). It also prepares learners for progression to higher-level qualifications, such as the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care, and fosters a deep understanding of the ethical and legal frameworks that underpin quality care provision.

    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 own care.
    • →Duty of care: The legal and professional obligation to act in the best interest of individuals, avoiding harm and ensuring their safety.
    • →Safeguarding: Protecting adults at risk from abuse, neglect, or exploitation, following local policies and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
    • →Equality and inclusion: Ensuring everyone has equal access to care and is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of background or ability.
    • →Communication: Using verbal and non-verbal techniques effectively to build trust, understand needs, and provide clear information.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Explain the core principles of a person-centred approach in dementia care
    • Analyse how a person-centred approach can enhance well-being for individuals living with dementia
    • Demonstrate methods to actively involve an individual with dementia in assessing their own needs and preferences
    • Design a care plan that reflects the individual's life story, routines, and cognitive strengths
    • Evaluate strategies for involving family carers and significant others in consistent, person-centred support
    • Assess the impact of environmental and social factors on the individual's ability to exercise choice

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for specific examples where the learner adapted communication to the individual’s cognitive level, e.g. using short sentences, visual cues, or familiar objects
    • Evidence must show the learner has sought and recorded the views of the individual with dementia, not just carers’ proxy opinions
    • Look for documentation that demonstrates how the individual's preferences were prioritised when there was a conflict with standard routines or risk assessments
    • Credit is given for involving carers in a way that respects the individual's privacy and consent, including clear rationale for when and how carers were engaged
    • Observations should capture the learner offering choices (e.g. in meals, activities, personal care) and waiting for the individual's response, however communicated

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡Structure your written reflections using frameworks like Kitwood’s ‘VIPS’ (Valuing, Individualised, Perspective, Social environment) to demonstrate depth of understanding
    • 💡When submitting evidence, pair your written accounts with annotated care plans or journal entries that capture the individual’s changing needs and your responses
    • 💡In role-play or observed assessments, consciously pause and wait for the individual’s verbal or non-verbal response after offering a choice—this simple act is a key indicator for assessors
    • 💡Always link any involvement of carers to the principles of consent and confidentiality, and explain how you balanced differing views between the individual and their carer
    • 💡Use specific examples from your placement or case studies to illustrate how you apply person-centred approaches in practice. This shows deeper understanding and application.
    • 💡When answering questions on duty of care, always reference relevant legislation (e.g., Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Care Act 2014) and explain how it guides your actions.
    • 💡For safeguarding questions, demonstrate knowledge of the local safeguarding adults board (SAB) procedures and the importance of reporting concerns promptly.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Assuming the individual with dementia is unable to make any decisions, leading to a paternalistic approach
    • Failing to adapt the physical or social environment to reduce anxiety and maximise independence before planning care
    • Treating dementia as a single condition with the same presentation, rather than recognising individual symptoms and histories
    • Overlooking the expertise and emotional needs of family carers, either by excluding them or relying on them without consent
    • Confusing 'person-centred' with simply being kind, without embedding the individual's life story and preferences into written care plans
    • Misconception: 'Person-centred care means always doing what the individual wants.' Correction: It involves balancing the individual's choices with their safety and well-being, considering capacity and risk assessments.
    • Misconception: 'Safeguarding only applies to physical abuse.' Correction: It includes financial, emotional, sexual, and neglectful abuse, as well as self-neglect and modern slavery.
    • Misconception: 'Confidentiality means never sharing information.' Correction: Information can be shared with consent or when required by law or to protect the individual or others from harm.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •Basic understanding of health and social care values, such as dignity and respect.
    • •Familiarity with communication skills, including active listening and non-verbal cues.
    • •Awareness of the importance of confidentiality and data protection (e.g., GDPR).

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • Person-centred values
    • Empowerment and choice
    • Individualised care planning
    • Communication adaptations
    • Carer collaboration
    • Dignity and respect

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