BTEC Level 2 First Certificate in Health & Social Care
The Level 2 Certificate in Health and Social Care provides you with a broad vocational approach to work alongside children, young people, and adults, offering you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of supporting individuals through the life stages.
Why Choose This Course?
This course provides you with a holistic understanding of how to support children, young people, and adults in a variety of different settings. The Level 2 has an emphasis on developing your skills, giving you the knowledge, understanding and skillset required for employment within the health care sector, or further study within Further Education. This qualification aims to give you the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge that are used within the health, social care, and childcare sectors.
The course enables you to gain a broad understanding and knowledge of the health and social care sector including: the underpinning care values; the individual rights that people using health and social care services are entitled to and may need support to be upheld; the importance of promoting positive health and wellbeing for children and adults; life stage development including infancy, early childhood, adolescence, early, middle and later adulthood and challenges that individuals may go through and how that may affect their development.
Apply for this course
Start date: 08/09/2025
Top Course Highlights
Small Classes
Excellent Tutor Support
Outstanding Facilities
Industry Links
Learn from sector experts
You will be taught by staff with extensive experience who will advance your knowledge and skills to meet the expectations of the health and social care sector.
Subject Specific Specialisms
The Level 2 Certificate enables you to take the knowledge you learn in the classroom to industry placements across the health and social care sector.
Excellent Pastoral Support
Embedded in the Level 2 Certificate is an emphasis on supporting you to expand your knowledge within the subject, in addition to gaining English and/or Maths at GCSE.
What Will I Learn?
BTECs are vocationally related qualifications, where learners develop knowledge and understanding by applying their learning and skills in a work-related context.  They are effective because they engage you to take responsibility for your own learning and to develop skills that are essential for the workplace. These skills include: team working, working from a prescribed assignment brief, working to deadlines, presenting information effectively and accurately completing administrative tasks and processes.
Topics Explored:
- Human Lifespan Development (externally assessed exam)
- Healthy Living (externally assessed exam)
- Individual Rights in Health and Social Care (coursework)
- Care Values (coursework)
- Effective Communication (coursework)
- Social Influences on Health and Social Care (coursework)
- Creative and Therapeutic Activities in Health and Social Care (coursework)
- OCN – Employability Skills (practical demonstration and coursework)
Where Will It Take Me?
There are a wide range of progression opportunities available upon completion of this course. Students have progressed to a more specialised Level 3 vocational or Health and Social Care course as well as employment and Apprenticeships. Some have progressed into other sectors such as caring for older people or working with children and vulnerable people in society.
Assessment Arrangements
The BTEC First Certificate is assessed through an external examination as well as assignment work. The exam units are Human Lifespan Development and Healthy Living, and all other units are assessed through written essays, reports or presentations.
Entry Requirements
Three GCSE’s at Grade 3 including English Language or Literature and/or Maths.
Students without a Grade 4 in either English or Maths will be retaking either functional skills or GCSE, depending on the student’s GCSE results, and this will be incorporated into their programme of study.
Information & Support
The BTEC First Certificate aims to:
- Inspire and enthuse you to consider a career in the health and social care sector, or in a related sector where knowledge of health and social care will be of use, such as working with children, older people and people with specific needs.
- Give you the opportunity to gain a broad understanding and knowledge of the health and social care sector e.g. the underpinning care values and an understanding of the different life stages that individuals go through and the problems that they might face.
- Support progression to a more specialised Level 3 vocational or academic health and social or an Apprenticeship or, more broadly, progression to qualifications in other sectors, such as caring for older people, working with children and vulnerable people in society.
- Give you the potential opportunity to enter employment within a range of junior job roles across the health and social care sector.
The BTEC Level 2 First Certificate has been developed to meet the needs of learners with a range of education requirements. These include learners who are working to achieve GCSE or Functional Skills English and maths in a post -16 setting.
Awarding Body: BTEC
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What you could earn
Potential Salary
£26,166
Entry Level Salary
£7,435
Average Salary
£18,388
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7
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£68,038
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£27,302
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£46,606
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16
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£49,275
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£18,578
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£34,237
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16
Potential Salary
£32,071
Entry Level Salary
£7,969
Average Salary
£22,537
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37
Potential Salary
£78,747
Entry Level Salary
£13,453
Average Salary
£33,979
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7
Potential Salary
£30,261
Entry Level Salary
£7,031
Average Salary
£19,931
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190
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£35,402
Entry Level Salary
£11,392
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£21,973
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27
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£28,834
Entry Level Salary
£5,919
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£16,778
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