Skills for Learning in Care Portfolio

Assiggnment Brief

SKI4001 Skills for Learning in Care

As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit a Skills for Learning in Care assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing the module, you should be able to:

1. Identify the skills required within the workplace, and illustrate their use and application, particularly within a management and/or practitioner context.

2. Identify personal qualities and transferable skills necessary for employability and further study and use methods of enquiry to explore personal development opportunities and related issues.

3. Identify, retrieve and evaluate discipline-specific material for a given purpose and use such material appropriately.

4. Demonstrate the ability to communicate discipline-specific information in an appropriate form as specified.

You are required to compile a portfolio of material that highlights your learning and development. Note that you should introduce the portfolio with an overview of your approach and conclude with a summary of the parts.

Task One

Research the topic “Value based Healthcare”. Your research should draw on two recent academic journal articles, two academic text books and two appropriate websites, that must be included in your reference list. Write a summary describing each source and explain why you selected it. You should evaluate each source for currency, scope, credibility and intended audience. To be clear: this task is about identifying sources, reading, selecting and motivating your choice of sources before using the sources to write the essay in task two. You are strongly advised to show your tutor a draft of this task, before you progress to the second task.

Task Two

Using relevant sources, including the ones you have identified in question A, write a 1,500-word essay on the following topic: Discuss the impact of Value-based Healthcare on service users

Task Three

Your task is to develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP) for your program of study. The PDP should be structured as follows:

• Introduction

• Your personal vision

• Your ideal future job role

• A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) analysis

• Four SMART objectives that directly link to your SWOT analysis. Each objective should therefore be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. i.e. SMART. 

• An action plan to achieve the objectives

• A short discussion of risks that may affect your action plan, and how you might deal with them, should they arise. 

• Conclusion 

• Reference list

Sample Answer

The Impact of Value-Based Healthcare on Service Users

Introduction

Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) represents a shift from volume-driven care to outcome-based care. Instead of measuring healthcare success by the number of treatments provided, VBHC focuses on improving patient health outcomes relative to costs. For service users, this approach aims to enhance quality, satisfaction, and overall well-being. This essay discusses the impact of VBHC on service users, considering accessibility, quality, empowerment, and system efficiency.

Enhanced Quality and Outcomes

VBHC encourages healthcare providers to focus on measurable outcomes such as recovery rates, reduced complications, and long-term well-being. Porter and Lee (2013) argue that aligning payment systems with outcomes incentivises providers to deliver effective, efficient care. Service users benefit directly through shorter hospital stays, lower readmission rates, and improved management of chronic conditions. The focus on prevention and holistic treatment leads to sustainable health improvements.

Improved Patient-Centred Care

Value-based models prioritise individualised treatment plans. Brown and Edwards (2021) highlight that in nursing, VBHC promotes shared decision-making, where patients are involved in planning their care. This strengthens trust between patients and providers. Empowering patients through education and engagement improves adherence to treatment, self-management of conditions, and satisfaction with healthcare experiences.

Increased Access and Equity

VBHC initiatives can improve healthcare access by allocating resources more effectively. Saini et al. (2017) found that reducing unnecessary interventions frees up resources for under-served populations. For service users in lower-income or rural areas, this leads to more equitable access to essential services. In the UK, NHS England’s (2022) VBHC programme integrates equity goals into funding structures, ensuring that public health benefits reach wider communities.

Efficiency and Cost Savings

VBHC reduces wasteful spending on ineffective treatments. According to McKee and Healy (2019), system efficiency increases when care is coordinated across providers and outcomes are tracked transparently. Service users benefit from faster care pathways and reduced waiting times. Furthermore, healthcare systems that reinvest savings into preventive care generate long-term health and economic benefits.

Challenges and Risks

Despite its advantages, VBHC implementation presents challenges. Accurate data collection and outcome measurement can be complex, potentially leading to inequalities if high-cost patients are excluded from care (WHO, 2023). Service users with multiple conditions may face difficulties fitting into outcome-based payment models. Therefore, ethical oversight and patient advocacy are essential to ensure fairness and inclusivity.

Continued...