OTHM LEVEL 5 EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE MANAGEMENT Assignment Briefs 2026

1.1 Describe key elements of partnership working with:
•    external organisations
•    other practitioners  
•    colleagues
•    the individual 
•    families
1.2 Evaluate the importance of partnership working with:
•    external organisations
•    other practitioners 
•    colleagues
•    the individual 
•    families
1.3 Explain how to overcome barriers to partnership working.

1.4 Explain how to deal with conflict that may occur in partnership working. 

• Elements: Joint agreements, good communication, strong leadership and trust between partners. Health and Social Care Act (2012), openness, trust, shared goals and values. Consistency of approach and avoidance of duplication.
• Better outcomes: Service user is central to care plan. Mutual respect; constructive 
  approach; learn from each other, wider collaboration, additional funding, mutual advantage and resources. Meets statutory requirements; coordinated packages of care; Voluntary sector involvement.
• Barriers to partnership working: resistance to change, poor morale, different pay 
  scales, staff shortages, costs, time for meetings, priorities and cultures, pre-existing views, use of professional jargon, misunderstandings, withholding information, poor sense of mission, joint employment. Different agendas and a lack of clear structure. Imbalances within the group – of power, of access to resources, of knowledge and understanding of the issues.

Overcoming barriers: improved communication; clarity about roles, engaging families. Person Centred care. National Voices charity. Active participation, joint education, meeting regularly, challenging discrimination.

Importance: improves experiences for individuals, reduces barriers to resources; attract more funding from a diverse range of sources; Service delivery is often more effective, improved wellbeing of service user. Holistic approach. Involvement of relatives in care planning processes, person centred care.

• Agreement of common objectives, goals and targets; use of established tools,
• processes and procedures.
• Use of SMART (Specific, Achievable, Measurable, Realistic, Timebound) objectives; realistic approach; maintain standards; understanding; clarification; use of jargon/acronyms; recognition of boundaries; clear communication. 

3.1 Explain the contribution learners can make to enhance partnership working. 
3.2 Evaluate own strengths and weaknesses in relation to partnership working. 
3.3 Describe ways to improve own practice in relation to partnership working.
3.4 Explain how to review the effectiveness of partnership working in achieving the agreed outcomes of working together.

• Role and Responsibilities: keep an open mind, respect other roles; collaboration, open communication channels, liaison with partnerships, accountability, setting objectives for staff, non-judgmental; assertiveness, negotiating, confidence. Care Act 2014.Effective team work

Conflict: look at issues objectively; techniques of problem-solving, Bargaining, Cooperative conflict can contribute to effective problem solving. Challenge discrimination, reporting concerns

Evaluate: appraisal systems and outcomes, feedback from families and friends of the service user. Monitor (Independent regulator)

Development plan: establishing and maintaining partnership working, approaches to partnership working, understanding of partnership working.

• Own contributions, leadership style. Reflection on practice
• Measure: service receipt and impacts of service on recipient of care, review of care plan

4.1 Describe aspects of an organisation that are no longer effective in providing a person-centred service.

4.2 Explain how to work with others to identify opportunities for growth and development, or redesign, as a service and a business.

4.3 Describe how to maintain a culture that
supports innovation, change and growth in relation to the service provided.

4.4 Describe how to maintain a culture that recognises the resources available in the 
expertise of those using or working in the service.

4.5 Explain the importance of entrepreneurial skills in ensuring that the market is able  to meet future demand for adult care services.

• The skills and knowledge required to ensure that the service is able to recognise and proactively adapt to trends, gaps and improvements in the provision of care and support
• Involvement of key stakeholders; team meetings; shared goals; roles and responsibilities; analysing service delivery methods,  comparing outcomes to objectives/goals
• Sharing goals; identifying innovate ideas; listening to team members, shared responsibilities, delegating; roles and responsibilities, changing workload. Forward planning; currency and validity of service delivery; market leader; awareness of opportunities/threats.

1.1 Examine the concepts of:

• safeguarding
• protection.

1.2 Explain the legislative framework for safeguarding vulnerable individuals in health and social care.

1.3 Analyse how serious case reviews have influenced safeguarding and protection.

1.4 Explain the action to be taken in the event of suspected or actual abuse.

• Prepare a staff training resource; the training resource might include: Forms of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, neglect and acts of omission, financial, discriminatory and institutional.
• Abuse avoidance: culture of openness and dignity, clear complaints procedure roles of staff are clear; training in adult protection.
• Steps to be taken:  stages in responding to concerns about abuse
• Policies: safeguarding, risk assessment, induction, CPD, equal opportunities, recruitment procedures.
• Discuss practice with others: staff meetings, appraisals and supervision.

• Partnership working, safeguarding boards, local authorities, the police and the NHS, and local community members. Safeguarding adults – A National Framework
• Evaluate efficiency: shared objectives and goals, servicer user involvement in planning; satisfaction surveys etc

• Challenge practice: unsafe practice, whistle blowing, Public Interest and Disclosure Act (1998) reporting poor practice, record
• Recommend to staff and management any proposals for improvement.

• Purpose – promotion of healthy ideas and concepts to motivate people to change behaviour and adopt healthy lifestyle choices, designed to be proactive in tackling health-related challenges and issues
• Aims of health-promotion activities, e.g. raise health awareness, encourage safety and reduce accidents, reduce number of people smoking, encourage healthy eating habits, reduce alcohol intake, identification of target audience; liaison with partnerships/others where necessary, planning schedule, action plan, design of material; involvement of others,
• Different types of health promotion and health

promotion activities : health- promotion campaigns – local or national initiatives targeted at large audiences with the aim of raising awareness of health-related issues, use of different forms of media 

• Gain access: permissions etc, pre-set criteria including feedback mechanisms, cost, resources, and timescales.
• Research using different sources, e.g. websites, books, newspapers/magazines, leaflets, journals, TV programmes, Department of Health and Social Care, health professionals and service users, gathering data to understand the health topic, e.g. statistics (national, local), case studies 
• Health-promotion materials, e.g. posters, leaflets, games, presentations, wall displays
• Target groups, e.g. children, adolescents, employees, sports or social clubs, type of service user
• Health-promotion materials appropriate to target group, e.g. language, images, activity, position of display, timing, ethics, form of media, how materials could be adapted for different target groups
• Evaluation and reflection of personal practice, skills used, quality measures, benefits to the individual, aims and objectives, outcome measures/pre-set criteria, strengths and weaknesses, aspects to improve
• Ethical issues: to consider, eg rights of individuals, rights of others, confidentiality.

• Challenges for a team: Tuckman’s theory of group development, respect
• differences; role recognition, Belbin’s Team roles.
• Features of a team: goals, roles, procedures, communication, relationships and leadership.
• Solutions to challenges: communication, negotiation, joint working with 
  professionals, task sharing, assertiveness, strong leadership and direction.
•  Theories of management styles: Trait Theory, Authoritarian/Autocratic, Democratic/Participative, Laissez- faire.
• Accountability: be consistent, honest.
• Conflict: disagreements, personal values and beliefs.

• Shared ways of working; communication; values/beliefs; valuing contribution  from others; inclusiveness and openness
• Shared records; team meetings; supervisions/appraisals; induction and staff 

• Beliefs and values, personality, information systems, appraisal, training, creativity, transformational leadership, culture of interest, developmental opportunities. Shared methods of working; communication; values and beliefs; working methods between team members; valuing contribution from others; inclusiveness and openness
• Supervision; appraisal; sharing information; communicating; listening to others; team working to common goal/objectives
• Transformational leadership; shared values;
• empowerment; co-production; developing other people; openness; honesty; strategic planning; ongoing monitoring and review. 

• Communicate strategy and vision, identify aims and objectives, sharing of skills, roles and responsibilities, and celebrate achievement.
• Progress towards objectives, quality of provision, service user feedback.
• Underperformance: areas to improve on, Set clear expectations and match staff to the skills required, performance reviews, training, mentorship. Disciplinary action/ stages.

5.1 Explain the impact of legislative and regulatory requirements on recruitment and 
selection processes in health and social care settings. 
5.2 Analyse  how serious case reviews and inquiries have contributed to the establishment of policies and procedures within recruitment which are necessary to safeguard vulnerable people. 
5.3 Explain how to establish the criteria that will be used in the  recruitment and selection process.
5.4 Describe how to involve others in the recruitment process.

• Equality Act 2010; General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018, Health and  Safety etc Act 1974; Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2016, The National  Minimum Wage Regulations 2016, Working Time Directive 1998, Working  Together to Safeguard Children 2013, working hours, visas, advertising
• standards; qualification requirements;  safeguarding-DBS;  national initiatives; apprenticeships, traineeships, internships and returnships
  Use of  social media networks; internal to the organisation; newspapers and journals; local radio; television; networks; agencies; head hunters; recommendation/referrals, recruitment fairs, people leaving the services, job centres.
  Involvement through effective communication methods; person centred ways
• working; identification of needs, preferences and abilities; advocacy.