CareQ&A by dot point

The factors that affect human development - inherited (genetic), environmental, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors - and how each can support or limit development.

The main life stages from infancy to later adulthood and the developmental changes typical of each stage across the lifespan.

The principles of human development - that age groups are only general indicators of developmental change, that change does not always happen in discrete stages, and that development results from an interaction between the individual and the environment.

The physical, intellectual, emotional and social (PIES) aspects of human development, what each covers, and how the aspects are linked.

Explanations of human behaviour relevant to care, including the nature-nurture debate and how needs and experiences influence behaviour, and why behaviour should be understood rather than judged.

The agencies of socialisation - family, school, peer group, media, religion and the workplace - and how each influences a person's norms, values and behaviour.

Prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination, the forms discrimination can take, and the effects of discrimination on individuals and groups.

How social influences such as family, poverty, unemployment, housing and discrimination can create or affect care needs and the wellbeing of individuals and groups.

Types of social group - primary and secondary, formal and informal - and how group membership and pressures such as peer pressure and conformity influence an individual.

Socialisation as the process by which people learn the norms, values and behaviour of their society, including primary and secondary socialisation.

What is meant by a care need, why people need care, the main types of need (physical, intellectual, emotional and social), and how methods of assessment are used to identify a person's needs.

The care values and principles that underpin positive care practice - including dignity and respect, the right to choose, confidentiality, equality and anti-discriminatory practice, the right to be safe, independence and realising potential - and what person-centred care means.

The health and social care provision available to meet people's needs - the statutory, voluntary, private and informal sectors - what each provides, and how they work together to support individuals.

The key features of a positive care environment and the role of legislation in care - how laws such as anti-discrimination, health and safety, data protection and care standards protect people who use and work in care services.