🌟 Underpinning Knowledge for Social Care – “Coming Soon!”
Underpinning or “Common” Knowledge
The Underpinning Knowledge in a vocational or competency-based learning context refers to the essential theoretical understanding and background information that supports the practical skills required for a specific role or qualification..
🔹 What Is Underpinning Knowledge?
Underpinning Knowledge refers to the essential theoretical understanding, values, and principles that support the practical skills required in both:
- Social Services (Children and Young People)
- Social Services and Healthcare
It ensures that learners and practitioners are equipped not just to do the work, but to understand why they do it — safely, ethically, and effectively.
Rights
Your Practice
Theory for Practice
Communication
Personal and professional development
Health and safety
Safeguarding
Handling Information
Completing the short course with Macmillan Centre for Learning empowers social care workers with a solid foundation in essential knowledge areas—such as rights, person-centred values, safeguarding, and communication—while directly linking theory to everyday practice. It builds confidence in making informed, ethical decisions, enhances readiness for SVQ assessments through reflective skills and shared language, and signals commitment to professional development. Ultimately, it prepares learners for SCQF Level 6 or 7 qualifications and equips them to deliver high-quality, person-centred care across adult care settings.
Click here to go Understanding Underpinning Knowledge Short Course
For Social Services (Children and Young People):
- Legislation and policy: Children (Scotland) Act, GIRFEC, UNCRC, safeguarding and child protection.
- Child development: stages of development, attachment theory, resilience, trauma-informed practice.
- Communication: engaging with children and families, active listening, non-verbal communication.
- Values and ethics: promoting rights, inclusion, confidentiality, anti-discriminatory practice.
- Professional practice: reflective practice, partnership working, maintaining records.
For Social Services and Healthcare:
- Legislation and policy: Adults with Incapacity Act, Health and Social Care Standards, GDPR, safeguarding vulnerable adults.
- Health and wellbeing: physical and mental health, ageing, disability, palliative care.
- Health and safety: infection control, moving and handling, risk assessment.
- Communication: supporting individuals with communication needs, empathy, professional boundaries.
- Values and ethics: person-centred care, dignity, respect, equality and diversity.
- Professional practice: multi-agency working, confidentiality, accountability, reflective practice.
🔹 Why It Matters
- Builds a strong foundation for safe and effective practice.
- Helps learners meet the knowledge evidence requirements of SVQ units.
- Supports informed decision-making in complex care situations.
- Encourages reflective and ethical practice.
- Links theory to real-world application, preparing learners for assessment and professional roles.