Skills for Life: Looking After Others
Looking after others is a Pearson Skills for Life unit in which learners identify their own needs and the physical, emotional, social and safety needs of others, then carry out practical caring tasks while following hygiene and safety procedures. It is one 20 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life Award, Certificate or Diploma, from Entry 1 to Level 2. Literacy carries the assessment: stating, describing or explaining needs, following instructions, communicating respectfully with the person being cared for and, at Level 1 and Level 2, writing a plan of caring tasks. Numeracy is light and not assessed, limited to measuring temperatures and timing routines.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: state, outline or identify own needs and the needs of others and carry out basic, simple or caring tasks in familiar settings. The essential information for assessment decisions says what learners show at each level. Centres choose the type of evidence and set and mark the assessment, adapting Pearson's Authorised Assignment Brief or devising their own, internally verified and quality assured by Pearson standards verification. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each of Level 1 and Level 2: describe (Level 1) or explain (Level 2) own needs and the needs of others, then independently plan for and carry out caring tasks that promote positive relationships and wellbeing, with Level 2 adapting the plan to changing circumstances and settings. Centres choose the type of evidence and set and mark the assessment, internally verified and quality assured by Pearson standards verification. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Clarity and vocabulary
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Stating, describing and explaining needs
Learners give their own needs and the needs of others using the four categories of physical, emotional, social and safety needs, and say how these can be met. Entry 1 learners state them with support, Entry 2 outline and Entry 3 identify them, Level 1 learners describe and Level 2 learners explain. This is required by the assessment criteria at every level.
Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils sort picture cards of a baby, a teenager and an older person into a table of physical, emotional, social and safety needs and say one need aloud for each.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a paragraph describing the needs of a character in a short story who has broken a leg, and how family members could meet them.
- Year 9
- Pupils write an explanation of how the needs of a toddler and an older relative differ, using the four needs categories as headings and giving reasons.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 17, assessment criteria Entry 1 to Level 2, page 82; Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 1 to Level 2, pages 83 to 84
“Learners can explain their own needs and the needs of others and how these can be met”
Progression step 3
I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.
I can write a comprehensive account of a topic, theme or viewpoint.
Progression step 4
I can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
I have experienced a range of area of learning and experience/discipline-specific and general academic vocabulary, and can use them in my own communication.
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Communicating respectfully while caring
From Entry 2 learners use appropriate communication when carrying out caring tasks, such as greeting, asking simple questions, offering choices and giving reassurance. Level 1 learners choose communication methods to suit different needs and listen actively, and Level 2 learners adapt their communication and give clear instructions and explanations. Positive and respectful communication is required by the essential information for assessment decisions; the specific methods are examples.
Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Listening to understand, Purpose
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils role play greeting a visitor and offering them a choice of two drinks, practising a clear, friendly tone.
- Year 8
- Pupils practise giving simple, step by step instructions for handwashing to a partner who pretends to be a younger child, then swap.
- Year 9
- Pupils role play helping someone who is hard of hearing, adapting their speech, pace and gestures, and explain afterwards what they changed and why.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 17, Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 2 to Level 2, pages 83 to 84
“demonstrating positive and respectful communications and behaviours”
Progression step 3
I can speak clearly, recognising the appropriate language for different audiences and purposes, and varying my expression, vocabulary, tone and gestures to engage the audience.
I can listen to others’ ideas/presentations, and understand that they may have a different perspective to my own, in order to respond appropriately.
Progression step 4
I can speak clearly, selecting and adapting my language appropriately for a range of audiences and purposes, conveying meaning effectively to the audience.
I can organise talk effectively to respond to how listeners are reacting by adapting what I say and how I say it.
Good to know
- The unit is listed as "SfL 17 Looking after others" with a Unit GLH of 20 (Unit summary, page 5). It counts towards the Pearson Skills for Life qualifications, for example C00/5444/4 "Pearson Level 1 Skills for Life Award" (Qualification titles, page 4).
- A unit counts only once: "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6, and Assessment of units, page 9), so schools should decide which level each learner is working towards.
- Spoken evidence is acceptable: "there are no mandatory evidence requirements and centres can select the type of evidence" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 83), and at Entry 1 and Entry 2 learners can answer "by completing a matching activity" (page 83).
- Forms of evidence include "observation records, witness testimony, and products of learners' work", but "achievement cannot be inferred from performance" (Section 4, page 9), so communication during caring tasks must be recorded.
- The required teaching content is in a separate document: it "can be found in the Teaching and Learning Support document for this unit" (Unit content, page 83).
- AI must be acknowledged: "If AI is used, the final submission must be in the learner's own words" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 85).
- Learners "can be assessed in Welsh or English", and in British Sign Language as a reasonable adjustment (Language of assessment, page 8).
- The unit says its cross-cutting theme experiences "can be found in Annexe E" (page 86), but Annexe E has no row for SfL 17: the table goes straight from SfL 5 to SfL 18 (page 172), although Annexe D ticks the themes for this unit (page 168).
Links with other qualifications
Describing and explaining care needs and communicating respectfully lead straight into WJEC GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare and the WJEC Foundation in Health and Social Care, and Childcare. Reading and following hygiene instructions and measuring temperatures link with GCSE Food and Nutrition and the VCSE in Hospitality and Catering. Within the WJEC Skills Suite, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Healthy Relationships and Basic First Aid share the communication and support work. Compared with the WJEC Looking after others unit, which spreads literacy across four learning outcomes including explaining why self-care matters, the Pearson unit concentrates literacy in describing needs, communicating while caring and, at Level 1 and Level 2, writing a plan for a given individual. Neither version assesses numeracy.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma Qualifications specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 17: Looking after others.