Introduction

Your knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this core unit will be assessed through your answers to four of the questions listed below. Your assessor will let you know which questions you are to answer. You are expected to complete all the learning for the unit, irrespective of which questions you are asked to answer.

 

The four questions will be drawn from different learning outcomes, featuring one assessment criterion in each learning outcome. These questions encompass a wide range of generalist HR, OD & L&D subject areas.

You will write four answers of approximately 1000 words to the questions posed and submit them together in a single document. This constitutes your assessment for this unit. The total word count for the assessment will therefore be 4000 words, plus or minus 10%. The bibliography or list of references is not included in the total word count.

You must demonstrate within the submitted evidence (through headings and sub-headings) which learning outcomes and assessment criteria you have addressed. We are unable to moderate your work if this is not included.

As this is an Advanced Level Diploma, it is important that you are able to demonstrate not only good knowledge and understanding of the material associated with each learning outcome, but also the ability to develop an original argument and justify it persuasively with reference to wider reading. Examples of approaches taken in a range of organisations are also an effective means by which to justify your arguments.

The six main criteria that CIPD requires centres to use when marking your assessment are outlined below, but it may be that not all these criteria are present in every question.

(1) focus

(2) depth and breadth of understanding

(3) strategic application and professional advice

(4) research and wider reading

(5) persuasiveness and originality

(6) presentation and language

Watch the supporting video for this unit: https://youtu.be/0z63NQppx-U.

Case study

PrimeReach Care is a government funded, acute health care service to around 500,000 people in its local region. Located across multiple, geographically dispersed sites, it employs over 15,000 people in a wide variety of professional and ancillary roles and maintains a variety of important partnerships with dozens of other organisations.

PrimeReach Care has faced very substantial challenges in recent years. Some, like the covid pandemic were exceptional, but thankfully quite short-lived. Others, such as a fast-aging population and the emergence of some chronic skills shortages in key areas, are longer term in nature, but equally concerning in terms of their potential impact on PrimeReach Care’s capacity to provide the highest standards of healthcare. Skills shortages in some specialist areas are becoming increasingly severe. PrimeReach Care has plugged gaps by recruiting overseas but is finding it hard to retain these recruits for longer periods of time. 

During 2024, employee voice activities highlighted that groups of staff were dissatisfied about pay and conditions within the organisation. This has now abated due to significant government-funded pay rises, but discontent among staff in respect of terms and conditions continues to simmer. Staff retention is a particular current challenge, as is absence. A higher percentage of PrimeReach Care’s employees are currently taking extended periods of sick leave than has ever been the case before, and in over 50% of these cases poor mental health comprises at least one of the causes.

Senior managers at PrimeReach Care have recently attended a briefing given by ministers and officials, at which some very clear messages were communicated regarding the next five years. The most important concerned funding. Put simply, health care services like PrimeReach Care should plan for very tight, ongoing financial settlements in the next five years. They should not expect above-inflation increases in their regular operating budgets, which include pay for staff. Any additional funds that become available will be focused specifically on priorities such as bringing waiting lists and waiting times down. Capital budgets will also be very constrained, reducing the availability of funds for new buildings and equipment. Repair bills will have to be met out of current expenditure. Substantial efficiency improvements and increased productivity are both needed and expected. 

Senior Managers have asked the People Department to provide recommendations about appropriate future actions at PrimeReach Care in some key areas. You work in a generalist, mid-level People management role on PrimeReach Care’s main site but are considered to be someone who is appropriate for promotion into a more senior role on completion of your studies. The People Director has asked you to provide answers to the following questions that will provide insight into some of the major challenges facing PrimeReach Care and help to inform the recommendations.

Questions

Question 4 (AC1.4)

Appraise the potential long-term consequences on work, employment and management practices at PrimeReach Care, arising from published forecasts about the economy over the coming three years. (AC 1.4)

Question 6 (AC2.2)

Assess the likely impact of the government’s current economic policies, on the people practice agenda within the healthcare sector.  (AC 2.2)

Question 10 (AC3.2)

Examine how best to tackle resistance to cultural change at PrimeReach Care, including making specific recommendations about this. The driver for this is the productivity improvement agenda that PrimeReach Care expects to become an increasingly prominent feature of its people management activity over the coming three years.  (AC 3.2) 

Question 13 (AC 4.1)

Examine the ethics of proposed initiatives for the use of HR surveillance technologies at PrimeReach Care, including those which keep a record of computer usage both on site and at home, and ‘wearables’ which track someone’s location during their working day. (AC 4.1)

Declaration of Authentication

Declaration by learner

I can confirm that: this assessment is all my own work. where I have used materials from other sources, they have been properly acknowledged and referenced. I have not used Artificial Intelligence tools to generate content for my assessment. I understand the consequences of malpractice and accept that any violation of this agreement may result in disciplinary action.
Learner name:
Learner signature:  (This must be a true signature, so a handwritten signature, or a photo or scan of a handwritten signature, or an e-signature. A typed signature is not acceptable.)
Date of submission* Date of first re-submission (if applicable)* Date of second re-submission (if applicable)* *This should be the date on which you submit your assessment for marking

Marking Grid

Learners will receive a Pass, Merit, Distinction or Refer/Fail result at unit level.

You should mark in line with the generic grade descriptors provided on the last page of this brief.

You must provide a mark from 1 to 4 for each Learning Outcome in the unit. You must provide constructive, developmental feedback for each Learning Outcome where you award a mark of one, so refer/fail. If it is your Study Centre’s policy, you can also provide constructive, developmental feedback for learning outcomes where you award a mark of two or above. In both cases, you must provide rich summary feedback at the end of the feedback form, following the instructions provided there.

To pass the unit assessment learners must achieve a 2 (Pass) or above for each of the learningoutcomes.

The overall mark achieved will dictate the grade the learner receives for the Unit, provided NONE of the learning outcomes have been failed or referred.

Overall mark	Unit result
0 to 7	Refer / Fail
8 or 9	Pass
10 to 13	Merit
14 to 16	Distinction

 

 

 

 

Learners’ result should be recorded in a marking grid similar to the example below.

Marking grid:

Learning outcome	Mark
LO1	2
LO2	3
LO3	3
LO4	2
Overall mark	10
Unit Result		Merit

EXAMPLE Marking grid and feedback for learner – 7CO01

This is an example feedback form. You will need to amend it so that it specifies the correct questions for the moderation window in which you’re submitting learners’ results.

Centre number
Centre name
Learner number (1st 7 digits of CIPD Membership number)
Learner surname
Learner other names (e.g. first name and middle name(s))

Note to Assessor – Please enter a mark for each LO. You need only provide feedback

where you have awarded a mark of 1. This feedback should be developmental.

LO1 Understand ways in which major, long-term environmental developments are affecting employment, work and people management in organisations. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development)		Mark (1-4)
	Assessor feedback first submission (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable)
LO2 Understand current and short-term developments in the people management business environment. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development)		Mark (1-4)
	Assessor feedback first submission (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable)
LO3 Understand how change, innovation and creativity can promote improvements in organisational productivity. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development)		Mark (1-4)
	Assessor feedback first submission (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable)
LO4 Understand the key interrelationships between organisational commitment to ethics, sustainability, diversity and wellbeing. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development)		Mark (1-4)
	Assessor feedback first submission (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable)
	Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable)
Total for this TASK		/16

Total marks for UNIT:		Grade:
Total marks for UNIT (resubmission 1 if applicable):		Grade (resubmission 1 if applicable):
Total marks for UNIT (resubmission 2 if applicable):		Grade (resubmission 2 if applicable):
Assessor Feedback Summary: Please use this box to summarise your feedback on the assessment overall. This should highlight strengths and any areas for improvement, either referring to specific LOs or commenting more generally across the assessment. (Note: developmental feedback on any LOs awarded a mark of 1 should have already been provided in the relevant box of the assessment form above. Please use a different font colour for any resubmission comments.)
Assessor name:	Submission	Resubmission 1	Resubmission 2
Assessor signature*: I confirm that I am satisfied that to the best of my knowledge, the work produced is solely that of the learner.
Date:

*This must be a true signature, so a handwritten signature, or a photo or scan of a handwritten signature, or an e-signature. A typed signature is not acceptable.

Second Marker Feedback (complete if second marked)
Second Marker Name
Second Marker Signature			Date
First Mark
Second Mark
Agreed Mark
Comments

Generic grade descriptors	REFER/FAIL / 1	PASS / 2	MERIT / 3	DISTINCTION / 4
Focus	Fails to address all the questions either sufficiently fully or directly.	An adequate attempt to address all the questions fully and directly.	A good attempt to address all the questions relatively well and directly.	An excellent attempt to address all the questions very well and directly.
Depth & breadth of understanding	Inadequate knowledge and understanding in respect of one or more of the questions. Limited depth and breadth of analysis.	Adequate knowledge and understanding across the questions. Satisfactory breadth and depth of analysis.	Full and solid knowledge and understanding across all the questions. Good breadth and depth of analysis.	Very full knowledge and understanding across all the questions. Excellent breadth and depth of analysis.
Strategic application & professional advice	Fails to provide appropriate or well-justified advice and/or recommendations. Lacks a strategic approach.	Provides adequately justified advice and informed recommendations Some strategic application.	Provides solid and thoughtful advice and well-informed recommendations. Clearly strategic in orientation.	Provides excellent advice and very well-informed recommendations. Strategically oriented in all respects.
Research & wider reading	Limited original research and/or appropriate wider reading for the assignment. Limited or no referencing.	Evidence of sufficient research and appropriate wider reading for the assignment. Satisfactory in-text referencing.	Evidence of significant research and thoughtful, appropriate wider reading for the assignment. A good standard of in-text referencing.	Evidence of considerable research and excellent, appropriate wider reading for the assignment. An excellent