Skills for Life: Healthy Relationships
Healthy Relationships is an Open Awards Skills for Life unit in which learners explore what makes relationships positive, how to communicate feelings, set boundaries and handle disagreement, and how relationships support wellbeing and the community, ending at Level 2 with researching and presenting a support service. Each level is 20 GLH and is assessed through provider-set tasks collected in a portfolio. Digital demand is low: no criterion requires digital work, and the digital links are online boundaries such as not sharing passwords, comparing online and face-to-face relationships, and optional online research.
- Awarding body
- Open Awards
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level 1 (CBM091), 2 credits, 20 GLH: Three learning outcomes: state positive things people do for each other and one way to be kind and friendly, list own relationships and identify positive ones, recognise own feelings, state how to tell someone else and one calm thing to do when upset. Suggested tasks are matching, picture selection, supported role play and simple verbal responses, set and marked by the provider.
- Entry Level 2 (CBM092), 2 credits, 20 GLH: List what makes a positive relationship, state qualities that build trust, give an example of a positive relationship, identify types of relationship, state a difference between home and school relationships, recognise why boundaries matter, give examples of people working together, state how this feels and how to respond calmly to a disagreement. Tasks include listing, scenario and role play tasks.
- Entry Level 3 (CBM093), 2 credits, 20 GLH: Explain features of positive relationships, describe ways of showing respect and give examples of trust, give examples of relationships in different settings and explain how home and school relationships differ, describe ways to communicate, explain how to express feelings respectfully and how own feelings affect others, and recognise how others' actions affect own feelings. Tasks include written or verbal, comparison, role play and reflection tasks.
- Level 1 (CBM094), 2 credits, 20 GLH: Four learning outcomes: describe a positive relationship and qualities that build trust, analyse own relationships, describe, evaluate and compare types of relationship, describe boundaries, demonstrate communicating feelings and responding respectfully to disagreement, give examples of effective communication, describe the benefits of positive relationships for wellbeing and the community, and identify local support services. Tasks include structured writing, role play, evaluation and a research task.
- Level 2 (CBM095), 2 credits, 20 GLH: Describe features of positive relationships, evaluate and reflect on own relationships, explain how environment affects relationships, evaluate the importance of different relationships and analyse how they differ across settings, evaluate boundaries and effective communication, evaluate the benefits of positive relationships for wellbeing and the community, research one support service and present the findings. Tasks include analytical, case study, research, presentation and reflective tasks.
The digital skills in this qualification
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Setting and keeping boundaries online
Learners describe boundaries in relationships at Level 1 and evaluate why boundaries matter at Level 2. Open Awards gives online examples, such as not sharing online passwords and online privacy, and the Digital cross-cutting theme says boundaries include safe online behaviours. The boundaries criteria are assessed, but the online examples are not required, so the digital part is taught, not assessed.
DCF: Online behaviour and online bullying, Identity, image and reputation, Health and well-being
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils sort cards into things they would and would not share with a friend online, such as a password, a photo or their address, and explain one choice.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a short guide to saying no online, with three polite phrases to use when a friend asks for their password or a private photo.
- Year 9
- Pupils review the privacy settings on a sample social media profile and write which settings protect personal boundaries and why.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 AC 3.1, Indicative Content, page 20; Level 2 AC 3.1, page 24; Relevant Cross-Cutting Themes, pages 22 and 26
“not sharing online passwords”
Progression step 3
I can demonstrate appropriate online behaviour and apply a range of strategies to protect myself and others from possible online dangers, bullying and inappropriate behaviour, e.g. turn off comments on digital media, reporting, block users.
I can identify the benefits and risks of giving personal information and device access to different software.
Progression step 4
I can act appropriately online, keeping myself safe and behaving in a responsible manner.
I can demonstrate healthy online behaviours and identify unacceptable behaviour.
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Comparing online and face-to-face relationships
At Level 2 learners analyse how relationships differ across settings, and Open Awards suggests online and face-to-face as one pair, considering how expectations, boundaries and behaviours change. The Level 2 Digital theme also says learners may analyse how relationships differ online. The comparison across settings is assessed, but choosing online as a setting is optional, so this is taught, not assessed.
DCF: Communication, Identity, image and reputation, Health and well-being
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils list how they talk to a friend in person and in a group chat, and spot one thing that is easier to misunderstand online.
- Year 8
- Pupils compare a message sent by text with the same message said face-to-face and explain how tone and emojis change the meaning.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a short comparison of an online friendship and a face-to-face one, covering trust, boundaries and how each can go wrong.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 2 AC 2.3, Indicative Content, page 24; Relevant Cross-Cutting Themes, page 26
“or online and face-to-face”
Progression step 3
I can show an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of communication and when it is appropriate to use each, e.g. explain when video conferencing may be more appropriate than e-mail, and vice versa; explain the pros and cons of using instant messaging in social contexts; talk about purpose and audience.
I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.
Progression step 4
I can discuss the benefits and risks of presenting myself in different ways online.
I can reflect on the role of digital media in my life and habits.
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Researching and presenting a support service
Learners identify support services in their area at Level 1, and at Level 2 research one support service, such as a youth club, counselling service or school pastoral team, and present their findings in a discussion, presentation, or oral or written format. The research and presentation are assessed, but online research and a digital presentation are not required, so the digital part is taught, not assessed.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Creating digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils search a list of approved websites to find one service young people can contact for help with friendships and note its name and how to contact it.
- Year 8
- Pupils change their search words to find a local youth service, check that the website is official, and record the address of the page they used.
- Year 9
- Pupils research a support service online and make a short slide presentation on who it helps, how to contact it and why it is reliable.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 AC 4.3, page 21; Level 2 AC 4.3 and AC 4.4, Indicative Content, page 25; Physical Resources, page 6
“and present their findings (either in group discussion, presentation, oral/written format)”
Progression step 3
I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.
I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.
Progression step 4
I can search a variety of sources using relevant search techniques with increased complexity.
I can select and use a variety of appropriate software, tools and techniques to create, modify and combine multimedia components for a range of audiences and purposes, such as:
- text and images, e.g. explore and use effectively image manipulation techniques; explore and use appropriately the many aspects of document layout; use animation, video and audio effects such as echo, tempo, envelope, layering, frame rate, key frames
- presentation, e.g. use design tools; adapt themes and colours to suit the purpose; create master templates.
Good to know
- Every level is 2 credits and 20 GLH, with unit codes CBM091 (Entry 1) to CBM095 (Level 2) (Unit Content, pages 10, 13, 16, 19 and 23), matching the Level 1 Qualification Guide (Qualification Units, page 17).
- Only one level counts towards a qualification: "with the exception of British Sign Language (BSL), units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification" (Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 16).
- Assessment is set by the school and every criterion must be met: the suite is "assessed through assessment tasks and activities designed by the provider" and "No partial award can be made if any assessment criteria is not met" (Assessment Approach, page 7).
- Evidence goes in a portfolio that "can be presented digitally (e.g., through an e-portfolio system) or as paper-based", and "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged" (Assessment Approach, page 7). Tasks need pre-course verification and are checked by internal and then Open Awards external quality assurance.
- Neither the unit specification nor the Level 1 Qualification Guide says anything about AI tools, so the school's own malpractice and authentication rules apply.
- Delivery staff must "be able to facilitate discussion of sensitive topics (e.g., relationships, feelings, conflict) in a safe and supportive manner" and understand safeguarding requirements (Staffing Resources, page 5).
- Resources include "access to a computer or laptop for digital resources" and role play materials such as prompt cards and feeling cards (Physical Resources, page 6). No criterion requires a device.
- The Digital cross-cutting theme says "Boundaries include safe online behaviours" at Level 1 (page 22), and at Level 2 "Boundaries explicitly include digital safety (e.g., not sharing passwords, online privacy)" (page 26). These are themes and examples, not separate criteria.
- The Entry Level 3 indicative content labels two criteria "AC 2.1" (page 17), and the second one is the criterion on home and school relationships, AC 2.2.
Links with other qualifications
The Pearson Healthy relationships unit is 10 GLH and adds consent explicitly at Level 1 and Level 2, while the Open Awards unit is 20 GLH at every level and adds the wellbeing and community benefits of relationships and a researched support service. Both have low digital demand. The unit supports the Health and Well-being Area, which Open Awards maps it to, and the Relationships and Sexuality Education code, and the online boundaries and privacy work links to the Digital Competence Framework strand on online behaviour and to Open Awards units such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and any online safety unit a school offers.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Life Unit Specification, Healthy Relationships, Entry Level 1 to Level 2.