Society, health and development

Principal Learning in Society, Health and Development covers all four sectors: health, adult social care, the children’s workforce and community justice. It develops skills that are important to work successfully in these areas: problem solving, team-working, communication and creative thinking. For example, whilst learning about infection prevention control, the role of play in learning, or how to handle ethical dilemmas.

It includes:

  • The sectors in context: Focuses on the political, social and economic factors that affect the four sectors today
  • Principles and values in practice: The values and principles that underpin and inform the practice of everyone across the sectors. It puts the person using the service at the centre of provision
  • Partnership working: New work practices mean that services work much more closely together to ensure the quality, greater flexibility and more efficient use of resources for service provision and support . For example, in family centres, there will be people from social services, health and the children’s services all working to ensure quality and integrated services for children and families
  • Communication and information sharing: Good communication is crucial to people working across the sectors. What are the barriers to good communication, how can they be overcome and are there tensions between good communication and sharing information with other professionals and respecting the privacy of individuals?
  • Personal and professional development in the work environment: Being able to reflect on own practice is a critical aspect of professional development - what did you do well, what can be improved, how can you improve your practice?
  • Safeguarding and protecting individuals and society: People are often working with the most vulnerable people in society. It is important to understand what needs to be done to ensure that people are kept safe.