Higher Nationals Healthcare Professions’Support for England - Specification - Summary of changes in BTEC Higher Nationals Healthcare Professions’ Support for England specification Issue 2

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

Higher Nationals Healthcare Professions’ Support for England: Specification outlines the Pearson BTEC Higher National Certificate (Level 4) and Higher National Diploma (Level 5), including teaching and first certification dates and the document’s governance and copyright references. It details key programme purpose and objectives, preparing students for employment, centre support mechanisms, and planning requirements for delivery, entry, access to study, registration, assessments, and internal-assessment administration, including malpractice and appeals. It also sets programme structure and internal assessment principles, with specific guidance for portfolios, validity, and assessment decisions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages531

Reading Time22 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The student voice

Why choose Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals?

HN Global

Qualification titles

Qualification codes

Awarding institution

Key features

Collaborative development

Programme purpose and objectives

Purpose of the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals

Objectives of the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals

Aims of the Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Healthcare Professions’ Support for England

Aims of the Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Healthcare Professions’ Support for England

What could these qualifications lead to?

Developing students’ employability skills and academic study skills

Sector-specific knowledge and skills: themes for effective practice in health and social care

Higher Nationals Healthcare Professions’Support for England Specification For use with the Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma in Healthcare Professions’ Support for England First teaching from September 2023 First Certification from September 2024 Higher National Certificate Lvl 4 Higher National Diploma Lvl 5 Undergraduate Level Qualifications About Pearson We are the world’s leading learning company operating in countries all around the world. We provide content, assessment and digital services to learners, educational institutions, employers, governments and other partners globally. We are committed to helping equip learners with the skills they need to enhance their employability prospects and to succeed in the changing world of work. We believe that wherever learning flourishes so do people. References to third party materials made in this specification are made in good faith. Pearson does not endorse, approve or accept responsibility for the content of materials, which may be subject to change, or any opinions expressed therein. (Materials may include textbooks, journals, magazines and other publications and websites.) All information in this specification is correct at time of publication. BTEC Higher Nationals in Healthcare Professions' Support for England – original image by © Maksim Schmeljov / Shutterstock ISBN 978 1 292 42472 9 All the material in this publication is copyright © Pearson Education Limited 2026 Summary of changes in BTEC Higher Nationals Healthcare Professions’ Support for England specification Issue 2 | Summary of changes made between previous issue and this current issue | Page number | | --- | --- | | Reference to learning styles removed to ensure alignment with current educational guidance. | 4 | | Minor amendment made to punctuation within Section 1.7 (Key features) . | 4 | | English language requirements text updated in Section 5.3 (Access to study) . | 34 | | Amendments to title of tables in Sections 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 to include level of study | 42, 45 | | Number of placements altered from two to one in level 5 placements table in Section 6.2.2 | 45 | | Terminology corrected within Section 7.1.3 to ensure consistent use of ‘ portfolio’. | 54 | | Wording updated within Section 7.1.5 to reflect the term ‘internal assessment’. | 55 | | Qualification title corrected to ‘ Healthcare Professions’ Support for England’ within Section 8.7. | 68 | | Minor wording amendment made within Unit 3 heading for accuracy and clarity. | 97 | If you need further information on these changes or what they mean, contact us via our website at: [qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/contact-us.html](qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/contact-us.html). Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 The student voice 1 1.2 Why choose Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals? 1 1.3 HN Global 2 1.4 Qualification titles 3 1.5 Qualification codes 3 1.6 Awarding institution 3 1.7 Key features 4 1.8 Collaborative development 7 2 Programme purpose and objectives 8 2.1 Purpose of the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals 8 2.2 Objectives of the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals 8 2.3 Aims of the Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Healthcare Professions’ Support for England 10 2.4 Aims of the Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Healthcare Professions’ Support for England 11 2.5 What could these qualifications lead to? 12 2.5.1 Progression to university 12 2.5.2 Employment 13 2.6 Developing students’employability skills and academic study skills 13 2.6.1 Use of Maths and English within the curriculum 15 2.7 Sector-specific knowledge and skills: themes for effective practice in health and social care 16 3 Preparing students for employment 18 3.1 Designing with employers, for employers 18 3.1.1 Employability skills and competencies for student career success 19 3.1.2 Developing competencies for the workplace 20 3.1.3 Working with p

FAQs

When do teaching and first certification begin for these Higher Nationals qualifications?

Teaching starts from September 2023, with first certification from September 2024.

What is included in the specification’s summary of changes for Issue 2?

Issue 2 updates include removing reference to learning styles, revising punctuation and terminology, updating English language requirements, adjusting placement numbers, correcting portfolio terminology, updating internal assessment wording, and refining unit and table titles.

How does the specification structure internal assessment and ensure validity of decisions?

It sets principles of internal assessment, including assessment through assignments, use of unit-based criteria, and the Practice Learning, Assessment and Development (PLAD) portfolio. It also covers how to make valid assessment decisions using authentic student work and criteria, supported by effective organisation and preparation of students.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda