Course: Foundation Entry in Health & Social Care (Level 3)        Module Code: NUC006 Module Title: Developing Professional Skills for Delivering Health & Social Care Title of the Brief: Reflective essay Type of assessment: Essay

NUC006 Developing Professional Skills for Delivering Health & Social Care

Assessment Introduction

Course: Foundation Entry in Health & Social Care (Level 3)                                        Module Code: NUC006
Module Title: Developing Professional Skills for Delivering Health & Social Care
Title of the Brief: Reflective essay
Type of assessment: Essay

This assessment is worth 100% of the overall module mark and should take 160 hours of independent study to complete.

This Assessment Pack consists of a detailed assignment brief, guidance on what you need to prepare, and information on how class sessions support your ability to complete successfully.

You’ll also find information on this page to guide you on how, where, and when to submit. If you need additional support, please make a note of the services detailed in this document.

How, when, and where to submit

Submit as a word document via the relevant NUC006 Turnitin submission box – if you have approved MCs, there is a separate box.

The submission deadline: Wednesday 17^th December 2025 @ 13.00hrs

You should aim to submit your assessment in advance of the deadline.

Note: If you have any valid mitigating circumstances that mean you cannot meet an assessment submission deadline and you wish to request an extension, you will need to apply online, via My University with your evidence prior to the deadline. Further information on Mitigating Circumstances via this link.

We wish you all success in completing your assessment. Read this guidance carefully, and any questions, please discuss with your Module Leader.

Additional Support available:

Disclaimer: The information provided in this assessment brief is correct at time of publication. In the unlikely event that any changes are deemed necessary, they will be communicated clearly via e-mail and a new version of this assessment brief will be circulated.

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Preparing for your assignment.

• Refer to Module Information Pack to understand the Learning Outcomes
• Familiarise yourself with the marking criteria
• Attend all classes for the module
• Attend assignment support sessions
• Seek help early
• Don’t leave the assignment until last minute!

NUC006 Assessment Brief

Module Title: Developing Professional Skills for Delivering Health & Social Care

Module Code: NUC006

Learning Outcomes and Guidance

Learning Outcome	Pass Criteria (Minimum)	To Improve Your Grade
LO1: Identify key duties and skills required for a chosen health and social care professional.	Shows awareness of your chosen professional role (e.g., adult nurse, midwife, occupational therapist, social worker). Describes at least two core duties and related skills using simple examples or source material.	Shows clear, reflective understanding of how duties and underpinning skills interconnect with professional values and codes. Explains why these skills matter for safe, effective and person-centred care. Uses credible evidence (e.g., NHS Constitution, professional frameworks, academic sources) to support discussion and show how your own developing abilities align with the profession.
LO2: Outline key professional values essential for working in health and social care.	Identifies at least two key professional values (e.g., compassion, respect, integrity) and links them to your chosen role.	Integrates values throughout the essay, showing how they underpin duties and skills. Explains why values matter for service users, colleagues and ethical decision-making. Supports ideas with evidence from professional standards (e.g., NMC Code, HCPC Standards, NHS Constitution) and reflective theory. Demonstrates interplay between values and practice.
LO3: Reflect on own skills and abilities to work in a chosen health and social care profession, including collaborative working.	Reflects on personal skills and experiences (e.g., communication, empathy, reliability). Mentions teamwork or collaboration.	Provides thoughtful, evidenceinformed reflection using examples from learning or practice. Shows developing self-awareness and critical thinking about teamwork, feedback, and communication. Uses a reflective framework such as Gibbs (1988), Rolfe et al. (2001) or Kolb (1984) to deepen analysis. Demonstrates learning from both positive and challenging experiences, connecting insights to professional standards.
LO4: Explain how codes of conduct, policies and/or guidelines shape	Refers to at least two relevant professional code, policy, or guideline (e.g., NMC Code, NHS Constitution, Care Act).	Integrates reference to codes and frameworks throughout the essay, showing how they guide duties, values and ethical decision-making. Links professional standards to real examples from reflection. Analyses
professional behaviour.		how policy and evidence shape accountability, boundaries, and person-centred care. References sections of specific frameworks (e.g., “prioritise people,” “preserve safety”) to demonstrate detailed understanding.

Overview of the NUC006 Assessment

Title = Reflective Essay: Developing Professional Skills for My Chosen Profession

In this 1500-word reflective essay, you will explore your chosen future profession in health or social care and reflect on your personal development in relation to professional expectations.

You will demonstrate an understanding of:

• the duties, skills, and values required for your chosen role
• the codes of conduct and professional standards that shape behaviour
• your own strengths, collaborative skills, and areas for growth as a developing professional

The essay should demonstrate insight, honesty, and awareness of professional standards.

Suggested Structure

Your reflective essay should demonstrate how professional duties, skills, values and codes of conduct interact in practice and how these connect to your own developing professionalism. The essay should be written as a continuous reflection.

How this differs from a traditional academic essay:

In a standard academic essay, you usually write about other people’s ideas to argue or explain a topic. In a reflective essay, you are still expected to use academic evidence and professional sources, but the focus is on what you have learned and how your understanding is developing. Your conclusion in reflective essays usually introduces future planning and goes beyond summarising information.

Instead of simply describing information, you analyse your own experiences, explain how they relate to professional expectations, and use theory or policy (for example, the NHS Constitution or HCPC Standards) to make sense of them. Reflection involves moving between:

Description: what happened or what you did,

Interpretation: why it matters, what you learned, or how it links to professional standards, and

Application: what you will do differently or take forward in future.

Your goal is to connect evidence, theory and experience to show professional growth. This means in a reflective assessment you are expected to use first person (“I”).

Use the following structure as a flexible guide. Each part of your essay should show reflectionin-action by analysing how professional expectations relate to your own learning and development.

1. Introduction (approx. 150–200 words)

Linked Learning Outcomes:

LO1: Identify key duties and skills required for a chosen health and social care professional.

LO2: Outline key professional values essential for working in health and social care.

Relevant Sessions:

Module introduction, Skills and qualities, Reflective practice (all week 1)

Purpose:

This section sets the scene by clarifying your chosen profession, your motivation for choosing it, and the professional context in which it contributes to health and social care. It demonstrates that you understand the basic expectations of the role and the values that underpin it.

Include:

• Your chosen profession and why it interests you.
• How this role contributes to improving people’s lives and the wider health and social care system.
• Indicate that the essay will explore duties, skills, values and codes together through reflection.

Short example (Social Prescriber):

“I am drawn to social prescribing because it helps people address the wider causes of poor health, such as loneliness or housing insecurity. This essay reflects on how I am developing the skills and values required for the role, including communication, teamwork and accountability.”

2. Main reflective analysis (approx. 1,000–1,100 words)

Linked Learning Outcomes:

LO1: Identify key duties and skills required for a chosen health and social care professional.

LO2: Outline key professional values essential for working in health and social care.

LO3: Reflect on own skills and abilities to work in a chosen health and social care profession, including collaborative working.

LO4: Explain how codes of conduct, policies and/or guidelines shape professional behaviour.

Relevant Sessions:

Skills and qualities (week 1), Professional values day (week 2),

Communication and interview skills (week 2), Professional conduct (week 3), Working as a team in health and social care (week 3), Meet the professionals (week 3), Giving and receiving feedback (week 4)

Purpose

This section demonstrates your integrated understanding of your chosen profession by exploring at least two key duties of your chosen role. For each duty, show how skills, values and profession standards connect and reflect on your own development in these areas.

Note: Each duty should explore a different combination of skill, professional value, and relevant code or policy. This shows your ability to apply theory and professional standards across a range of practice areas rather than repeating the same examples.

You should discuss at least two key duties, and one must relate to collaborative working to meet LO3.

Include

For each duty, structure your paragraph(s) as follows:

Reflective Focus	What to Include	Example (Social Prescriber)
Duty	Identify and briefly describe a core duty of your chosen role.	Supporting clients to access non-clinical support such as exercise groups or housing advice.
Underpinning Skill(s)	Explain the interpersonal or professional skills needed to perform this duty effectively.	Active listening and communication are essential to understand a person’s priorities and build trust.
Associated Professional Values	Discuss which professional values underpin the skill or duty (e.g., compassion, respect, integrity, inclusion).	Empathy and respect are central to enabling individuals to take part in decisions about their wellbeing.
Relevant Code of Conduct / Policy / Framework	Link your discussion to a professional code, policy, or framework (e.g., NMC Code 2018, HCPC Standards of Proficiency 2022, NHS Constitution).	The NHS Constitution highlights respect and dignity, reminding professionals that care must empower the person rather than impose solutions.
Reflection on Self	Reflect on your current ability or experience in relation to your discussed duty, skill or value: what are your strengths, what challenges you, and what have you learned? How would you improve?	“When volunteering at a wellbeing hub, I recognised that I can build rapport easily and help people feel comfortable, but I sometimes struggle to manage time effectively. Reflecting on this experience helped me understand the need to balance empathy with efficiency. I’ve learned that planning ahead and setting gentle boundaries supports both. To improve, I will ask my supervisor for
		feedback on my time management during future sessions.”

When writing your paragraphs, ensure that each duty links to a unique skill, value and professional code or framework. Avoid repeating the same examples and show variety and breadth in your understanding of professional practice.

Tip:

Avoid separating these elements into lists. Instead, weave them into a reflective paragraph that moves between description (“what”), interpretation (“so what”), and learning (“now what”). Each example should show how duties, skills, values, and codes interrelate.

Example paragraph (Social Prescriber)

“One of the main duties of a social prescriber is to support individuals to access communitybased services that improve wellbeing, such as exercise groups, peer support sessions, or housing advice. To do this effectively, strong communication and active-listening skills are essential. NICE (2022) highlights that person-centred communication improves people’s engagement in lifestyle and wellbeing programmes, while the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, 2022) expects all practitioners to adapt their communication to meet each person’s needs. These skills are underpinned by professional values such as empathy and respect, which ensure that people feel heard and involved in decisions about their own care. The NHS Constitution (Department of Health and Social Care, 2021) reinforces these values by stating that every service user should be treated with dignity and empowered to make choices about their health. Research on social prescribing (Polley et al., 2017; Husk et al., 2020) also shows that trust and empathy are key to building sustained engagement with community activities.

During my own volunteering experience at a wellbeing hub, I realised that I can sometimes rush conversations when I feel under pressure to offer solutions quickly. Reflecting on this helped me understand that effective communication requires patience and curiosity rather than speed. I am now practising using open questions and summarising what people say to ensure I have understood correctly which are techniques recommended by Miller and Rollnick (2013) in motivational interviewing. Developing this skill will help me provide more person-centred support in the future and meet the HCPC (2022) standard of promoting effective communication and maintaining professional relationships based on trust.”

To improve your grade:

• Integrate rather than list. High-quality writing weaves these five elements (duty, skill, value, conduct, reflection) into a reflective story rather than a checklist.
• Demonstrate interplay. Show how skills arise from duties, are shaped by values, and are governed by codes or policies.
• Use evidence. Refer to professional frameworks or credible sources (e.g., NHS Constitution, NMC Code, HCPC Standards of Proficiency) to support statements about best practice.
• Connect to self-development. Move beyond describing what professionals do to evaluating how your own behaviour and understanding are evolving.
• Include teamwork. At least one reflection must focus on collaboration to fully evidence LO3. Explain how communication, feedback or shared decision-making supported outcomes.
• Aim for critical depth. Strong essays explore tensions or learning moments (e.g., balancing empathy with boundaries, or independence with accountability).
• Apply a reflective model. To strengthen analysis, you may use a simple reflective framework such as Gibbs (1988), Rolfe et al. (2001) or Kolb (1984) to structure your thinking. Using a model can help you move naturally between description (“What?”), interpretation (“So what?”) and learning (“Now what?”) and demonstrates clear reflective reasoning.
• Show range as well as depth. Use a different value, skill, and code or framework for each duty to demonstrate breadth of professional understanding.

3. Conclusion (approx. 300–350 words)

Linked Learning Outcomes:

• LO1: Identify key duties and skills required for a chosen health and social care professional.
• LO2: Outline key professional values essential for working in health and social care.
• LO3: Reflect on own skills and abilities to work in a chosen health and social care profession, including collaborative working.
• LO4: Explain how codes of conduct, policies and/or guidelines shape professional behaviour.

Relevant Sessions:

Action planning (week 4), Careers (week 2)

Purpose:

To summarise what you have learned about your chosen profession and about yourself as an emerging professional, showing how reflection informs your future development.

Include:

• A short synthesis of the key insights from your reflections.
• A statement of readiness to progress into higher education and continue developing professionally.
• A brief outline of your next steps for growth, showing how you will apply learning and feedback to your future development.

Short example:

“Reflecting on the links between professional duties, skills, and values has shown me how empathy, communication and accountability shape effective care. I now recognise that maintaining professional boundaries supports safety and trust. Moving forward I plan to strengthen my confidence in collaborative working by seeking feedback from my supervisor and engaging in communication training. These steps align with the NHS Constitution value of respect and demonstrate my commitment to continuous professional development. I feel ready to progress in my Higher Education journey and continue building the knowledge, confidence and ethical awareness needed for a future role in health and social care.”

To improve your grade

• Set SMART goals. Make your development aims Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (for example, “Within three months I will complete a short course on active listening and apply the techniques during my voluntary placement”).
• Link goals to evidence and standards. Explain how your plans align with professional expectations such as HCPC CPD Standards (2022), NMC Revalidation Framework (2019), or the NHS Constitution (2021).
• Show self-awareness. Connect your goals directly to insights from your reflections – why do these goals matter for your professional growth?
• Demonstrate progression. Highlight how achieving these goals will prepare you for higher education and future professional roles.
• Include a sense of accountability. Mention how you will monitor progress or seek feedback (e.g., through supervision, reflection logs, or peer review).

Overall Advice

Writing Tips for Top Grades

• Use first person (“I”) appropriately. Your voice is important in a reflective essay.
• Show how reflection connects theory and practice, not just feelings.
• Integrate professional language (e.g., accountability, person-centred, safe practice).
• Avoid repetition: each example should demonstrate a new insight or link.

How to Succeed

• Engage with the taught sessions – especially Skills and Qualities, Reflective Practice, Professional Values, Communication and Interview Skills, Working as a Team in Health and Social Care, Giving and Receiving Feedback, and Action Planning.
• Start early – reflection improves with time. Keep brief notes on your learning and experiences each week to draw on later.
• Use evidence and frameworks – refer to professional codes, policies (e.g., NMC Code, HCPC Standards of Proficiency, NHS Constitution), and academic sources to support your ideas.
• Show the interplay – link duties, underpinning skills, values, and codes together rather than describing them separately.
• Be reflective and honest – acknowledge challenges and what you have learned from them, showing growth and self-awareness.
• Include teamwork – one example of collaborative working must be discussed to meet LO3.
• Demonstrate readiness for progression – connect your learning to your future studies or career ambitions in health and social care.
• Write clearly and professionally – use first person appropriately, reference accurately, and present your ideas logically.

Submission Checklist

☐ I have clearly stated my chosen health or social care profession (e.g., nurse, social prescriber, midwife, occupational therapist, social worker).

☐ I have discussed key duties and underpinning skills relevant to this role.

☐ I have demonstrated how professional values (e.g., compassion, respect, accountability) link to these duties and skills.

☐ I have referenced at least two professional code, policy or framework (e.g., NMC Code, HCPC Standards, NHS Constitution).

☐ I have integrated reflection throughout my essay, analysing my own skills, teamwork, and development needs.

☐ I have used credible evidence from professional, academic, or policy sources to support my discussion.

☐ I have identified specific areas for further development or learning in my action plan.

☐ I have written in clear, professional language and used APA 7th edition referencing correctly.

☐ I have proof-read my work and ensured the final word count is within 10% of 1,500 words.

Submission Deadline: Wednesday 17 December 2025 at 1.00 pm

NUC006 Assessment Marking Rubric

Though this may initially appear a little overwhelming, it is good practice to familiarise yourself with the marking rubric. Lecturers use this when marking assignments. This rubric is Level 3, aligning to this course.

Grade %		Descriptive terms associated with students’ performance across a level	Knowledge	Analysis	Application	Construction
			Knowledge Relevance Understanding	Research Evidence Interpretation	Application Argument Evaluation	Presentation Structure Referencing
Band	%	What are we looking for in each column?	What do you know and understand?	How do you evidence/support this?	What do you do with this?	How do you communicate this?
Exceptional Distinction	100	Exemplary, outstanding, creative, insightful, illuminating, inspiring, authoritative, professional, exceeding expectations	Demonstrates outstanding knowledge and comprehension of relevant theories	Accesses and interprets appropriate information in an authoritative manner	Shows an outstanding ability to apply knowledge and analyse information in order to make reasoned judgements	Work professionally presented and communicated; references accurate, reliable and precise
Very High Distinction	94
High Distinction	87
Mid Distinction	80	Excellent, persuasive, sophisticated, original, ambitious, meticulous, critical, innovative	Demonstrates excellent knowledge and comprehension of relevant theories	Accesses and interprets appropriate information in a persuasive manner	Shows an excellent ability to apply knowledge and analyse information in order to make reasoned judgements	Work excellently presented and communicated; references accurate, reliable and precise
Low Distinction	74
High Merit	68	Very good, fluent, thorough, analytical, precise, rigorous, sustained, convincing	Demonstrates very good knowledge and comprehension of relevant theories	Accesses and interprets appropriate information in a convincing manner	Shows a very good ability to apply knowledge and analyse information in order to make reasoned judgements	Work precisely presented and communicated; references accurate and reliable
Mid Merit	65
Low Merit	62
High Pass	58	Good, reasonable, clear, confident, thoughtful, accurate, careful, congruent, coherent, solid, relevant, minor deficiencies	Demonstrates good knowledge and comprehension of relevant theories	Accesses and interprets appropriate information in a confident manner	Shows a good ability to apply knowledge and analyse information in order to make reasoned judgements	Work clearly presented and communicated; references generally accurate with minor deficiencies
Mid+ Pass	55
Mid Pass	52
Low+ Pass	48	Satisfactory, sufficient, adequate, descriptive, partial, elementary, basic, mostly relevant, with deficiencies	Demonstrates satisfactory knowledge and comprehension of relevant theories	Demonstrates basic ability to access and interpret appropriate information	Shows a satisfactory ability to apply knowledge and analyse information in order to make reasoned judgements	Work satisfactorily presented and communicated; references mostly accurate but some deficiencies
Low Pass	45
Low- Pass	42
Marginal Fail	35*	Incomplete, inadequate, inaccurate, inconsistent, contradictory, superficial, partially relevant, limited, below level	Demonstrates limited knowledge and comprehension of relevant theories	Demonstrates limited ability to access and interpret appropriate information	Shows a limited ability to apply knowledge and analyse information in order to make reasoned judgements