DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

← All qualifications

Skills for Life: Looking After Others

Looking after others is a 20 hour Skills for Life unit, running from Entry 1 to Level 2, on caring for other people: understanding their physical, emotional and social needs, hygiene and safety, building positive relationships and looking after yourself while caring. It is one unit that learners combine with others into a Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma. Digital demand is low. No assessment criterion needs a computer. Digital work sits in optional research using online care and safety resources, making posters or presentations as group evidence, and capturing practical care tasks on photo or video for the portfolio.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Entry Level 1 to Level 2
Guided learning hours
20
First taught
September 2027
Amount of digital work
Low
Unit pack
Open the unit delivery and assessment pack
How this unit is assessed
  • Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Four learning outcomes with assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3 (needs of others, safety and hygiene, positive relationships, self-care). Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S617E1, S617E2 and S617E3.
  • Level 1 and Level 2: Four learning outcomes with assessment criteria at Level 1 and Level 2 (needs of others and ways to support them, hygiene and safety, positive and appropriate relationships, managing own self-care and wellbeing). Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S617L1 and S617L2.

The digital skills in this qualification

  1. Researching care, hygiene and safety information online

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Learners can use online resources, such as the Social Care Wales, RoSPA and Age UK pages listed in the pack, to find out about people's needs, hygiene routines and home safety before describing them for learning outcomes 1 and 2. The pack says digital competence is only fostered if learners choose to research online, so this is suggested, not required by the assessment criteria.

    DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils search a teacher-chosen list of websites, such as the NHS handwashing page, and copy three hygiene tips into a document with the web address under each one.
    Year 8
    Pupils change their search words to find home safety advice for older people, compare what two sites say about trips and falls, and note which site they trust more and why.
    Year 9
    Pupils research the needs of a young child, an older adult and a person recovering from illness, judge the reliability of each source they use and list the sources in a simple reference list.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit overview, Curriculum for Wales, page 4; Resources available to support delivery, page 11

    “fosters Digital competence if learners use online resources for research or reflection”
    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 evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.

  2. Making posters or presentations about care and hygiene

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Learners can show what they know about hygiene routines, safety hazards or positive communication through group outputs such as posters, presentations and mind maps, which can be made on screen. At Entry Level this might be a picture poster of a hygiene routine and at Level 1 and Level 2 a short presentation on hazards in a care setting. The format is a suggested source of evidence, not required by the assessment criteria.

    DCF: Creating digital content, Evaluating and improving digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils make a one page digital poster in Publisher or Canva showing the steps of washing hands, with a picture and one short sentence for each step.
    Year 8
    Pupils make a four slide presentation on keeping a kitchen safe for a young child, choosing images and text size so a Year 5 class could follow it.
    Year 9
    Pupils work in a group to build a presentation on hazards in a care setting and how to reduce them, ask another group for feedback using comments, and improve two slides before presenting.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Sources of evidence, page 10; Suggested activities, page 9

    “Group work outputs (e.g. posters, presentations, mind maps)”
    Progression step 3

    • 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.

    • I can ensure my output is appropriate for specific purposes.

    Progression step 4

    • 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.

    • I can suggest and make improvements that are relevant for audience and purpose, based on feedback and self-evaluation of my digital work.

  3. Recording practical care tasks on photo and video with permission

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Practical tasks such as handwashing, a safe snack preparation or a role-play of positive communication can be evidenced with photographs, audio or video recordings and checklists. Photographs are only taken where permitted, so learners need to think about consent and dignity when filming care tasks. Recording is a suggested source of evidence; the assessment criteria ask for the task to be shown, not for the recording.

    DCF: Identity, image and reputation, Storing and sharing, Online behaviour and online bullying, Creating digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils take turns to photograph each other completing a handwashing routine on a school tablet, asking permission first, and save the photos in a named folder.
    Year 8
    Pupils film a short role-play of greeting and helping a visitor, check with everyone in the clip that they are happy for it to be kept, and store it in the class shared drive.
    Year 9
    Pupils record a short video of themselves explaining a hygiene routine, trim it to under two minutes and decide what must not appear in the shot to protect other people's privacy.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Sources of evidence, page 10; specification section 4.1, page 18

    “Photographs of learners completing practical activities (where permitted)”
    Progression step 3

    • I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.

    • I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.

    Progression step 4

    • I can understand that photographs, locations and tags can be tracked and can make informed decisions accordingly.

    • 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

Links with other qualifications

The pack names GCSE Health and Social Care and Childcare as a linked WJEC qualification, and the work on physical, emotional and social needs, care settings, hygiene and safe working practice is a direct lead in to it, and to the WJEC Foundation Health and Social Care, and Childcare. The hygiene and safe food preparation content links with GCSE Food and Nutrition and VCSE Hospitality and Catering, where food hygiene and safety are also taught. Within the Skills Suite, the pack lists Basic first aid, Food planning and preparation, Healthy lifestyle, Healthy relationships, Mental health and wellbeing, Personal safety, Teamwork, Understanding self and others and Wellbeing and work among the closely related units.

Source: WJEC Looking after others unit delivery and assessment pack, read with the WJEC Entry 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life and Skills for Work specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).