BTEC First Diploma in Public Services
2006 Specification
2007- 08

Unit 1: Uniformed Public Services Employment

Name: _______________________________

Assignment Manager: Helen Reed

Hand out date:

This assignment has four tasks.

The overall deadline for the whole assignment to be complete and handed in is:

 

Interim deadlines have been given throughout the assignment and must be met

 

The following guidelines should be used when completing your assignment:

• You must refer to the criteria banner and the content of the unit throughout the assignment.
• You should make sure you do detailed research and have a good understanding of the subject you are researching.  Keep a note of the resources you use as you go along.
• Before handing in you must:
• Check that you have completed all tasks
• Label work appropriately
• Present tasks in the correct order
• That your name appears clearly in the header of each page and the page number appears in the footer of each page.

 

For further details refer to the ‘Student Guidelines’ that were issued to you at the start of your course.

 

To achieve this unit you need to:

• Understand the purpose, roles and responsibilities of a range of uniformed public services.
• Understand a range of jobs and conditions of service within the uniformed public services
• Know the application and selection processes for a given public service
• Understand the initial training and opportunities for career development within a given public service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Task 1:

You need to choose TWO contrasting uniformed Public Service’s to investigate in more detail and then prepare to apply for jobs within these areas.

You should prepare for possible interviews by writing down what you have found out and know about the 2 services you are applying for, so this can be used as evidence that you understand the purpose, roles and responsibilities of the service.

In order to show your knowledge you must present your research in the form of a LEAFLET/HANDOUT that can be presented at interview.  It should include the following;

• Jobs available within your chosen service
• The purpose of your chosen service
• The main responsibilities of each service
• Examples of tasks that each service performs
• How or why the tasks that each service carries out are important with examples of how they have changed (P1)

 

To achieve MI you must complete the above task in sufficient enough depth and explain the roles, purpose and responsibilities of 2 contrasting Public Services.

To achieve D1 you must evaluate the role, purpose and responsibilities of a uniformed public service.

 

You must  consider the following:

Understand the purpose, roles and responsibilities of a range of uniformed public services.

Emergency services: the police; fire; ambulance

The Armed Forces: Army; Royal Navy; Royal Marines; Royal Air Force;

Other uniformed services: the Prison Service; HM Revenue & Customs; Coast Guard; Private Security Services e.g.: Local Government

Purpose: organisational objectives; mission statements; legislation e.g. Fire Service Act 1997/2002; Police Act 2004

Roles: dealing with accidents and emergencies; routine work; peace-keeping activities; other roles e.g. anti-terrorist and anti-smuggling roles; defence roles of the armed forces; humanitarian work; disaster relief; conflict; working in prisons; transporting prisoners; patrolling coast; operating CCTV; working with local communities.

Responsibilities: accountability – legal, professional and political; performance indicators – what they are; examples of, effect on work

Public Service work: range of emergency and routine work undertaken; daily work routine; administrative work; work with other public services; community work; implications of working in the public services on a personal level; positive and negative aspects of working in the services; examples of recent peace-keeping activities and humanitarian work; roles at major incidences; examples of activities in recent conflicts.

 

Task 1 to be completed and handed in by

 

Task 2:         

In choosing a job for a public service it is important that you know about what is involved in that job and what the pay and conditions of service are like.  You decide to produce a short guide summarising what you have found out.  Your guide should include

• Descriptions of the type of work done in three different jobs within ONE chosen uniformed Public Service.

     (P2)  

• A summary of the main conditions of service for one of these jobs.  You must cover pay, holidays, working hours and other aspects that are important to you. (P3)

 

To achieve M2 you should explain in detail one of these jobs and the work carried out.            

 

 

 

 

You must consider the following:

Understand a range of jobs within the uniformed public services

Range: different operational jobs e.g. ambulance service; patient transport services; technician and paramedic, Royal Navy, operator mechanics, engineering technicians and writers; civilian support roles e.g. police control room operators and scenes of crime officers; community support officers; management and administrative; part-time opportunities e.g. special constables, retained fire fighters, Royal Navy Reserve, Territorial Army; jobs undertaken by the private sector.

Conditions of service: starting salary; holiday entitlement; benefits e.g. gym use, private medical insurance; retirement age; pension arrangements; sick pay; maternity/paternity provisions; minimum length of service; postings; shift patterns; contracted hours; access to training; education

Task 2 to be completed and handed in by

Task 3:         

You have now identified a public service and some job roles that you are interested in. 

You decide to identify what is required to apply for entry.  Your teacher has agreed to support you in making a simulated application, provided that you are able to identify what is required and to meet the timescales that you are given.

Describe the current entry requirements and the stages of the selection process for your chosen uniformed public service. (P4)

In order to show your readiness to undergo selection you should:

• Complete an application form including a personal statement of why you would like to be appointed the role.  (If the application form does not include this, then attach a separate sheet).
• Complete a CV that includes personal details, personal statement, qualifications and work experience. (P5)

 

To achieve M3 you should explain the process of applying for your chosen job in a uniformed Public service.

You must consider the following:

Know the application and selection process for a given uniformed public service

Application process: entry requirements — educational, physical, medical and other
requirements; application forms — types of forms and their requirements on completing
forms; personal statements and supporting information; curriculum vitae — different
formats, essential information, good and bad practice

Selection process: types and purpose of psychometric tests; physical fitness tests; other
types of selection tests e.g. simulations and presentations; types of interview; approaches;
dress code; preparation for interview e.g. arrangements, potential questions, research;
Interview skills

Task 3 to be completed and handed in by
Task 4:         

You have almost decided that a career in the public services is for you, but decide to take your investigations one step further just to be sure. You decide to:

Describe the initial Training programme for a given uniformed public service, including the stages that you will need to complete as a basic recruit to the service and what skills and attributes are needed. (P6)

Describe what career development opportunities are available within your chosen uniformed Public Service and what you will need to do to gain promotion or move to a specialist role. (P7)

 

To achieve M4 you must comment as to whether you are suited to completing this training and whether you feel you would be able to develop your career within your chosen public service. 

 

To achieve D2 you must evaluate your own strength and weaknesses in the career development within your chosen public service.

 

 You must consider the following:

Understand the initial training and opportunities for career development within a
given uniformed public service

Initial training: preparation suggested for new recruits prior to their basic training e.g.
physical fitness, background knowledge; duration and content of basic training programmes
e.g. theory/practical mix, main subjects/areas studied; skills and abilities developed during
basic training e.g. technical skills, teamwork skills, communication skills; types and
frequency of assessment; duration and purpose of probationary periods following basic
training; main reasons for recruits not completing basic training e.g. injuries, personal
problems, culture, wrong perception of service, fitness, assessment

Career development: promotion or career specialisation; rank structure; competition for
promotion or specialisation; minimum service required; personal skills and qualities
required; promotion or specialisation process including details of training and examinations;
main roles and responsibilities of supervision e.g. leading paramedics, leading fire fighters,
police sergeants, non-commissioned officers or specialist staff

 

Task 4 to be completed and handed in by

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Whilst the above headings have been written in the suggested order for hand-in, it is recommended that you complete tasks in order of Pass, Merit and then Distinction.

 

If there is anything you do not understand, please ask.

 

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