Hello Sheila, is the Diploma in health and social care level 2 the same as the NVQ level 2?

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear S,

Thank you for your question. I asked Neil Crawford of Access Skills for his advice and this is what he said:

The NVQ Level 2 is an earlier version of a current diploma at Level 2 so the answer is in general outline yes.

Curriculum’s change from time to time. The National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) Framework was replaced several years ago when the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) was introduced. This has now itself been replaced by the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications, examinations, tests and assessments in England. All the successive frameworks above were introduced by Ofqual, and they decide how individual qualifications should be structured.

In detail there will be some changes in the unit options, content and performance criteria when comparing the original NVQ 2 with the new diploma at level 2 (now RQF), however materially they are still equivalent.

There is a blog on the Skills for Care website that you might be interested to look at.

I hope this is helpful.

Best wishes.

Sheila