VRQ - Vocationally-Related Qualification
For information on the approval of qualifications for funding in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, see the links to DCSF, DIUS, DCELLS, DELNI and DENI below.
When undertaking a qualification that does not appear on the governments' lists as eligible for funding for specific age ranges, users must be aware of legal requirements. Not all qualifications are suitable for all age ranges.
A candidate achieving an OCR Level 3 National in Health, Social Care and Early Years has the following progression routes available:
• enter employment at trainee level, eg care assistant, playgroup assistant, healthcare assistant
• enter employment and undertake a related NVQ at a level appropriate to the job role, eg NVQ Health and Social Care, NVQ Children’s Care, Learning and Development
• enter employment and undertake other related occupational qualifications
• undertake additional Level 3 qualifications part-time or full-time in further education, eg OCR Level 3 National Certificate/Diploma/Extended Diploma, Applied GCE, A Level
• undertake higher level qualifications part-time or full-time in further or higher education, eg HNC, HND, degree.
These qualifications have been designed to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding required to enable progression to qualifications along the vertical and horizontal planes in the National Qualifications Framework.
Candidates who achieve these qualifications will be prepared to enter a variety of HND or degree level courses in health, social care and early years care-related subjects.
These qualifications are designed to offer candidates the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding that will prepare them for entry into employment at trainee level within a wide range of health, social care and early years care and education environments. Many such candidates would undertake further part-time study with the support of their employer.
The qualification will be entirely centre-assessed and OCR moderated. The OCR Level 3 Nationals in Health, Social Care and Early Years allow for holistic assessment, although it is not a requirement. The assessment methodology for the OCR Nationals was approved by the regulatory authorities as a suitable alternative to independent assessment, with external moderation offering the required quality control.
Candidates must complete four mandatory units (Group A) and eight optional units (Group B) to achieve a full qualification.
The following endorsed titles are achievable under this qualification accreditation number: OCR Level 3 National Diploma in Health, Social Care and Early Years (Care); OCR Level 3 National Diploma in Health, Social Care and Early Years (Education); OCR Level 3 National Diploma in Health, Social Care and Early Years (Health)