Unit 4: Enquiries into Current Research in Health and Social Care

Level: 3

Unit type: External

Guided learning hours: 120

Unit in brief

Learners explore the methodologies of contemporary research and investigate the implications for health and social care practice and services.

Unit introduction

There are many reasons why research is carried out into contemporary health and social care  issues, for example to explore the effect of diet on health and wellbeing or the provision and impact of addiction centres in the local community. As a health and social care professional you will need  to understand the purpose of research, how it is carried out and the importance of research for improving the wellbeing of those using health and social care services.

In this unit, you will find out about the different research methods that can be used to gather information and the ethical issues that need to be considered. You will review research carried out into a contemporary issue in the sector, and will develop skills that will enable you to carry out your own secondary research into the issue. You will then consider how the research findings

may benefit service users or improve practice, and make recommendations for further research. To complete the assessment task within this unit, you will need to draw on your learning from across your programme.

Effective research skills will help you to progress to employment in the health and social care sector and to a variety of higher education programmes, where research often forms part of the programme. To complete the assessment task for within this unit, you will need to draw

on your learning from across your programme.

Summary of assessment

This unit is assessed under supervised conditions. Part A is released four weeks before Part B is scheduled for learners to carry out research. Learners should compile notes on their secondary research in monitored sessions of six hours scheduled by the centre. Part B is a supervised assessment of three hours taken in a single morning session at a time specified by Pearson.

The assessment is set and marked by Pearson.