Contribute to raising awareness of health issues
This subtopic covers how health and social care workers can identify health issues needing attention, plan and deliver awareness-raising activities, and evaluate their impact. It explores the factors that influence awareness initiatives, including cultural, environmental, and individual differences, and emphasises the practical skills needed to engage communities and individuals in improving health literacy.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The SFEDI Awards Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for Wales and Northern Ireland (QCF) is a comprehensive qualification designed for those working or aspiring to work in adult health and social care settings. It covers essential knowledge and skills for roles such as senior care worker, care supervisor, or support worker, focusing on person-centred care, safeguarding, communication, and promoting independence. This diploma is regulated by Ofqual and meets the requirements of the Care Council for Wales and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, ensuring it aligns with national standards and legislation.
The qualification comprises mandatory units including 'Promote communication in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings', 'Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings', and 'Promote equality and inclusion in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings'. Optional units allow specialisation in areas such as dementia care, end-of-life care, or supporting individuals with sensory loss. This flexibility enables learners to tailor their studies to their specific job roles or career aspirations, making the diploma highly relevant to real-world practice.
Understanding this diploma is crucial for anyone seeking to advance their career in health and social care in Wales or Northern Ireland. It not only provides the theoretical underpinning for effective practice but also emphasises the application of values such as dignity, respect, and empowerment. By completing this qualification, students demonstrate their competence to employers and regulatory bodies, opening doors to higher-level roles and further study, such as the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Person-centred care: Tailoring support to the individual's needs, preferences, and goals, ensuring they are active partners in their care planning and delivery.
- →Safeguarding adults: Protecting individuals from abuse, neglect, and harm, following local policies and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
- →Effective communication: Using verbal and non-verbal techniques to build trust, understand needs, and provide clear information, including adapting methods for those with sensory impairments or cognitive difficulties.
- →Promoting independence: Encouraging individuals to make their own decisions and perform tasks for themselves, using enablement approaches and assistive technology where appropriate.
- →Equality and inclusion: Ensuring everyone has equal access to services and opportunities, respecting diversity, and challenging discrimination in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Understand factors affecting awareness-raising activities about health issues, Be able to recognise the need for raising awareness of health issues, Be able to assist in planning activities to raise awareness of health issues, Be able to contribute to implementing activities for raising awareness of health issues, Be able to review the effectiveness of activities to raise awareness of health issues
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating a clear understanding of how social, cultural, and economic factors can affect the success of health awareness campaigns.
- Credit must be given for evidence of actively identifying a specific health need within a service or community setting, supported by relevant data or observation.
- Look for detailed planning documentation that includes clear aims, target audience, resources, and methods tailored to the identified health issue.
- Assessors should expect to see practical evidence of participation in implementing the activity, such as distributing materials or facilitating a session.
- Marking must include evaluation that reflects on outcomes, gathers feedback, and suggests improvements for future awareness activities.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Always link your planning to specific models of health promotion, such as the health belief model, to demonstrate underpinning knowledge.
- 💡In evidence, explicitly show how you collaborated with others, including multi-disciplinary teams or community organisations, to strengthen the activity.
- 💡For the evaluation component, use a simple framework like SWOT analysis or gather both qualitative and quantitative feedback and present it clearly.
- 💡When explaining factors affecting awareness, use real examples from your practice to show contextual understanding, not just theoretical lists.
- 💡Use specific examples from your practice to illustrate how you apply principles like person-centred care or safeguarding. Examiners want to see that you can link theory to real-life situations.
- 💡When answering questions about legislation, mention the relevant Act (e.g., Mental Capacity Act 2005) and explain how it impacts your day-to-day work, not just list its provisions.
- 💡For units on communication, demonstrate your understanding of barriers (e.g., hearing loss, dementia) and how you overcome them, such as using visual aids or allowing extra time.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Students often assume that raising awareness alone will automatically change behaviour without considering ongoing support needs.
- A common error is failing to involve service users or community members in the planning process, leading to activities that are not culturally appropriate.
- Learners sometimes overlook the importance of confidentiality and consent when sharing case studies or data in awareness materials.
- Many fail to set measurable objectives, making it difficult to review the effectiveness of their activities.
- Misconception: Person-centred care means always doing what the individual wants. Correction: It involves balancing the individual's wishes with their safety and well-being, using risk assessments and best interest decisions when necessary.
- Misconception: Safeguarding is only about reporting abuse. Correction: It also includes prevention through awareness, training, and creating a culture where concerns are raised early, as well as supporting individuals to protect themselves.
- Misconception: Communication is just talking to people. Correction: It includes active listening, observing body language, using appropriate language, and ensuring the environment supports effective exchange, especially for those with communication difficulties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for SFEDI ENTERPRISES LTD. T/A SFEDI AWARDS Contribute to raising awareness of health issues
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
- •A good understanding of the principles of care, such as those covered in the Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care or equivalent experience.
- •Familiarity with basic health and safety practices, including infection control and moving and handling, as these are built upon in the Level 3 diploma.
- •An awareness of the regulatory framework in Wales or Northern Ireland, including the codes of practice for social care workers.
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Understand factors affecting awareness-raising activities about health issues, Be able to recognise the need for raising awareness of health issues, Be able to assist in planning activities to raise awareness of health issues, Be able to contribute to implementing activities for raising awareness of health issues, Be able to review the effectiveness of activities to raise awareness of health issues
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