Submission Deadline
Marks and Feedback
Before 10am on:
31/01/2020
20 working days after deadline (L4, 5 and 7)
15 working days after deadline (L6)
10 working days after deadline (block delivery)
28/02/2020
Unit title & code
Health and Social Care Inequalities PUB013-6
Assignment number and title
Critically examine how health and social care inequalities are experienced, explained and the government policies and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in a specific area of public health.
Assignment type
Essay
Weighting of assignment
100%
Size or length of assessment
4000 words
Unit learning outcomes
1. Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding:
• A critical understanding of the evidence base about health and social care inequalities and the government policies and interventions aimed at improving outcomes.
2. Demonstrate the following skills and abilities:
• Critically reflect on the complex and interrelated way in which health and social care inequalities are experienced and the impact on outcomes.
What am I required to do in this assignment?
Write a 4000 word essay critically examining how health and social care inequalities are experienced, explained and the government policy and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in a specific area of public health.
What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)
• Identify and describe a public health issue where there is clear inequalities in health and/or social care between different groups in society e.g. gender, ethnicity, age.
• Explain why these inequalities exist and how they impact on the health and social care experience of the group/s you have chosen.
• Explain what government policies and interventions have been introduced to reduce the inequality and improve health and social care outcomes.
• The focus of the essay does not have to be the UK.
How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?
• The assignment should be written in an academic report format and fully referenced using the University of Bedfordshire Harvard system.
• Start the reference list on a new page.
• Provide a contents page and use section headings if appropriate.
• The recommended font style is Arial 11 or 12.
• The title page should contain your name and ID, the name of the University, the name of your course, the unit code / title and the title of the assessment.
• Have an introduction. This should include some information or an opening statement which sets up the issue you want to discuss and highlights your argument/opinion. This should grab the attention of the reader. In other words this is your problem statement/rationale. This part of your essay also presents the background context of the issue you have selected. It should also provide a summary signposting what is coming in the rest of the essay (300 words).
• Have a section describing and presenting evidence (e.g. outcome data) for inequalities in health and/or social care for the issue you have selected (1000).
• Have a section critically explaining reasons for inequalities in health and/or social care for the issue you have selected. At this point you should critically reflect on the concepts underpinning health and social care inequalities. Paragraphs should be focused on an idea supported with evidence that reinforces your argument/opinion. This evidence should include empirical studies which ‘research inequality’. You must have a clear argument or ‘story line’ which relates to the aspect/s of the issue you have selected (2,400 words).
• Have a section critically discussing what government policies and interventions have been introduced to reduce the inequality and improve health and social care outcomes for the issue have selected. This section should identify the gaps in current policies and interventions.
• Conclusion. This should be the summary of your argument/opinion and your final perspective on the issue you have selected. You can end with a memorable thought or call to action (300 words).
How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?
Each week the health and social care inequalities lectures will use the Determinants of Health approach to identify, describe and explain health and social care inequalities related to a range of public health issues and identify government policies and interventions that have been introduced to reduce inequalities and improve health and social care outcomes. You are expected to use your knowledge and understanding to select one issue to discuss in your essay.
How will my assignment be marked?
Your assignment will be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.
You can use them to evaluate your own work and consider your grade before you submit.
Pass – 40-49%
Pass – 50-59%
Commendation – 60-69%
Distinction– 70%+
1 Written expression and structure
Overall presentation of the essay is satisfactory, but it lacks a clear rationale for the issue selected.
Most points are explained coherently, but structure and organisation of the essay is very weak.
Satisfactory use of key terminology, but explanations are vague and over simplistic.
The assessment question is addressed superficially; essay includes interesting but irrelevant details throughout.
Many spelling and grammatical errors throughout the essay.
Good, well presented report but it lacks a clear rationale for the issue selected.
The essay has a good, well organised structure and points are explained coherently.
Good, correct use of key terminology, but explanations are relatively basic.
Attempts to address the assessment question well, but essay includes some irrelevant information.
Some spelling and grammatical errors.
Presentation of essay including the rationale for the issue selected is very good.
The essay has a clear structure and information is well organized.
Very good, detailed and coherent discussion.
Demonstrates very good understanding and use key terminology and definitions.
Focuses on addressing assessment question and avoids inclusion of irrelevant information.
Minimal spelling and grammatical errors
Excellent or outstanding presentation of publication standard.
Written expression is concise, accurate and articulate.
Excellent, coherent in-depth discussion.
Essay tightly focuses on and successfully addresses the assessment question.
Minor spelling and grammatical errors
2 Use of literature and referencing
Has identified essential literature but minimal range of literature is cited.
References and citations are included but UoB Harvard style is not used consistently.
Good range of evidence cited including current peer-reviewed primary literature.
Most references and citations are formatted in the UoB Harvard style but some inaccuracies remain. Very good range of evidence cited including current peer-reviewed primary literature.
References and citations are consistently formatted, with most in the UoB Harvard style. An excellent, comprehensive range of current primary literature is used effectively to support discussion.
References and citations are consistently formatted in the UoB Harvard style.
3 Application of knowledge and understanding
Essay describes the outcomes illustrating inequalities related to the issue selected.
Discussion of the Determinants of Health to explaining inequalities is simplistic and lacks specific detail.
Essay identifies a broad range of outcomes illustrating inequalities related to the selected issue and includes good detailed description the Determinants of Health approach to explaining inequalities.
Essay highlights a broad range of outcomes illustrating inequalities related to the selected issue and presents a very good, detailed description of the Determinants of Health approach to explaining inequalities.
Discussion of the Government policy and interventions to reduce inequalities in the selected area is very good.
Essay highlights a broad range of outcomes illustrating inequalities related to the selected issue and presents excellent detailed description of the Determinants of Health approach to explaining inequalities
Discussion of the Government policy and interventions to reduce inequalities in the selected area is excellent.
4
Critical evaluation of explanations for inequalities for the selected issue A limited attempt to analyse the explanations for inequalities for the selected issue.
Analysis lacks a strong evidence base.
Demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of explanations for inequalities for the selected issue.
Attempts to analyse the explanations for inequalities for the selected issue using supporting evidence from good quality sources of information.
Demonstrates good understanding of explanations for inequalities for the selected issue. Very good, detailed critical analysis of the explanations for inequalities for the selected issue based on evidence synthesised from multiple sources of good quality information.
Demonstrates very good understanding of explanations for inequalities for the selected issue.
Presents excellent, in-depth and insightful evidence-based critical evaluation of the explanations for inequalities for the selected issue.
Demonstrates excellent understanding of explanations for inequalities for the selected issue.
5 Critical discussion of the Government policy and interventions to reduce inequalities for the selected issue Discussion of the Government policy and interventions to reduce inequalities in the selected area is simplistic and lacks specific detail.
Discussion of the Government policy and interventions to reduce inequalities in the selected area good.
Discussion is described clearly and supported by a sound evidence-base.
Discussion of the Government policy and interventions to reduce inequalities for the selected issue is well thought-out and identifies and suggests alternative strategies supported by a strong evidence-base.
Suggestions for alternative strategies are insightful and supported by a sound evidence-base.