Skills for Life: Looking After Others
Looking After Others is an Open Awards Skills for Life unit offered at 5 levels from Entry Level 1 to Level 2, each 20 guided learning hours, covering people’s needs, caring behaviours, hygiene routines, keeping self and others safe, self-care and how caring links to respect and community. The provider designs the tasks and learners build a portfolio assessed Pass or Fail. Digital demand is low: no criterion needs a computer. Digital work sits in the digital safety strategies at Level 1 and Level 2, optional research and presentation, and the e-portfolio.
- 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 (Entry Level 1 CBM101, Entry Level 2 CBM102, Entry Level 3 CBM103): Each Entry level has 6 learning outcomes: needs, caring behaviour, hygiene, keeping safe, self-care and respect. Entry Level 1 has 11 criteria, such as identify a need and how it is met, demonstrate a caring behaviour and a hygiene routine, identify ways to keep self and others safe and a self-care activity. Entry Level 2 has 12 criteria, adding examples of how caring shows respect and fairness and how people in the community care for each other. Entry Level 3 has 12 criteria at a higher demand: explain types of needs, demonstrate caring behaviours and explain how they help, explain how people feel if care is not shown, explain why hygiene matters, explain ways to keep safe, identify who to go to for support and explain how self-care supports wellbeing. Tasks are designed by the provider and evidence goes in a portfolio, assessed Pass or Fail. Each level is 2 credits and 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2 (Level 1 CBM104, Level 2 CBM105): Level 1 has 6 learning outcomes and 15 criteria: identify and describe needs across settings, identify practical skills and explain interpersonal skills, explain hygiene routines, demonstrate caring behaviours, reflect on their impact, describe safety strategies and explain when to seek help, explain self-care, and describe how caring links to respect, community and wellbeing. Level 2 has 6 outcomes and 13 criteria: explain and evaluate needs, explain practical and describe interpersonal skills, demonstrate caring and hygiene routines in context and evaluate their impact, evaluate safety strategies, evaluate how self-care supports resilience, and describe how caring promotes respect, equality and inclusion. Tasks are designed by the provider and evidence goes in a portfolio, assessed Pass or Fail. Each level is 2 credits and 20 guided learning hours.
The digital skills in this qualification
-
Keeping personal information safe online
Level 1 learners must describe at least 3 strategies to keep self and others safe, and the content includes digital safety: keeping personal details private, strong passwords, safe websites and asking before downloading. Level 2 learners must evaluate at least 2 strategies, and the content lists digital safety strategies for computers, tablets and phones. Digital safety is one of several strategy groups, so it is taught but not required.
DCF: Identity, image and reputation, Online behaviour and online bullying
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils sort examples of personal information into safe and unsafe to share online.
- Year 8
- Pupils create a strong password using a passphrase method and explain why it is hard to guess.
- Year 9
- Pupils evaluate 3 strategies for protecting personal information on a phone, such as privacy settings and app permissions, and say which works best and why.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 criterion 4.1, page 23, and indicative content, page 27; Level 2 criterion 4.1, page 29, and indicative content, page 32
“Online safety means keeping personal details private and using strong passwords.”
Progression step 3
I can understand how to protect myself from online identity theft, e.g. identifying secure sites, phishing, scam websites.
I can identify the benefits and risks of giving personal information and device access to different software.
Progression step 4
I can use strategies for guarding myself against identity theft and online scams that try to access my personal information.
I can act appropriately online, keeping myself safe and behaving in a responsible manner.
-
Helping others stay safe online
Level 2 content asks learners to understand that digital actions can affect others: not sharing unkind messages or images, telling a trusted adult when something online feels unsafe and supporting friends who feel unsafe online to get help. This sits within the safety strategies learners evaluate, and is taught rather than required.
DCF: Online behaviour and online bullying, Health and well-being
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils discuss what to do if a friend receives an unkind message, and who they could tell.
- Year 8
- Pupils find the block and report tools on a school-approved platform and explain when to use them.
- Year 9
- Pupils write advice for a younger pupil on how to support a friend who feels unsafe online, including how to report the problem.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 2 criterion 4.1 and indicative content, pages 32 to 33
“Learners should understand that digital actions can affect others, and safe online behaviour helps protect everyone.”
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 recognise language that could be deemed to be offensive (including racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic language) in online activities.
Progression step 4
I can understand the implications of online actions, including my digital footprint and the legal implications of sharing inappropriate material.
I can identify ways of reporting unacceptable online behaviour.
-
Researching and presenting care topics
The equipment list includes digital devices where appropriate for research or presentation, and the Level 1 task table suggests a presentation task on how caring links to respect and community wellbeing. Learners may research care, hygiene or community support and present it digitally, but this is optional.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Creating digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils find 3 facts about handwashing on an NHS page and add them to a slide with a picture.
- Year 8
- Pupils search for local community groups that support families and make a short slide show about 2 of them.
- Year 9
- Pupils research how volunteers support wellbeing in their area and create a presentation for a Year 7 audience, choosing images and layout to suit them.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Equipment, page 7; Level 1 assessment tasks, page 10
“access to digital devices where appropriate for research or presentation”
Progression step 3
I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.
I can use a range of software to select, produce and edit a range of multimedia components for a purpose, such as:
- text and images, e.g. format text (bold, underline, italics, highlight); insert and edit text boxes; columns; use refine tools (spellchecker, find and replace); word wrap; crop; alter size and shape; alter images; add effects; trim and split sound and video clips; transitions; onion skin
- presentation, e.g. page orientation; animations; transitions; remove and alter images; use background; use action buttons to create hyperlink; embed objects.
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.
-
Keeping evidence in an e-portfolio
Learners must collect evidence in a portfolio, and Open Awards encourages e-portfolios wherever possible. Much of the evidence for this unit is demonstration of caring and hygiene routines, which may be recorded with photos or video and uploaded. The portfolio is required, but the digital format is optional.
DCF: Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils save a photo of a hygiene poster they made into a named folder.
- Year 8
- Pupils upload a short video of a demonstration to an online folder and give it a clear file name.
- Year 9
- Pupils organise their evidence into an online portfolio with a folder for each learning outcome and share it with their teacher.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Assessment Approach, page 8
“Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged.”
Progression step 3
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
I can upload files from a local drive to online storage.
Progression step 4
I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.
I can manage links to files, taking permissions and file locations into account, e.g. some file storage systems will utilise dynamic hyperlinks so that if a file location is changed the links remain intact, whereas changing file location could result in a broken hyperlink.
Good to know
- Each level has its own unit code and the same size: CBM101 to CBM105, "Credit Value: Two (2)" and "Guided Learning Hours: 20" (Unit Content, pages 12, 15, 19, 23 and 29). The Pearson unit of the same name is also 20 hours.
- Units at different levels cannot be combined: "with the exception of British Sign Language (BSL), units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification" (Open Awards Level 1 Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 17).
- Every criterion must be met: "All assessment criteria must be met in full for the learner to be awarded a ‘pass’" (Assessment Approach, page 8). There is no grade above Pass.
- The provider writes the tasks: the unit is "assessed through assessment tasks and activities designed by the provider" (Assessment Approach, page 8). Unlike the other Open Awards units in this batch, this specification has no sentence on pre-course verification.
- Evidence goes in a portfolio, paper or digital: "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged." (Assessment Approach, page 8). Assessments are subject to internal quality assurance and external quality assurance by Open Awards.
- The unit specification says nothing about AI or referencing. The qualification guide requires assessment evidence to "Be the learner’s own work" (Open Awards Level 1 Qualification Guide, Assessment Conditions, page 31).
- Staff must handle disclosures: delivery staff must “understand safeguarding requirements and know how to respond appropriately to learner disclosures or concerns” (Staffing Resources, page 6).
- Digital devices are optional: the equipment list includes "access to digital devices where appropriate for research or presentation" (Equipment, page 7).
- The Unit Aim describes the unit as part of the "Skills for Life and Work suite" to be studied in "Skills for Life" or "Skills for Life and Work" qualifications (Unit Aim, page 3), which is different wording from the other Open Awards units.
- Parts of the document look unfinished. The Entry Level 3 task table on page 9 repeats the Entry Level 1 table word for word, including "Supported" tasks and "simple scenarios". At Level 2 the content for criterion 5.1 is labelled "LO5 5.2" and content is given for a criterion 4.2 that is not in the criteria list (pages 29 and 33).
Links with other qualifications
Looking After Others leads most directly into GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare and the Foundation in Health and Social Care, and Childcare, which build on needs, hygiene, safety and respectful communication; food hygiene and safe cooking temperatures link with GCSE Food and Nutrition and the VCSE in Hospitality and Catering. The unit is mapped to the Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience and the Relationships and Sexuality Education cross-cutting theme. The Pearson unit of the same name is also 20 hours. Within the Open Awards suites, Basic First Aid, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Healthy Relationships are the closest units, and the digital safety content overlaps with Online Safety.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Life Unit Specification, Looking After Others, Entry Level 1 to Level 2.