BTEC Level 3 in Public Services

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Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief2

Grading Criteria

P1 outline the responsibilities of the different levels of government in the UK.

P2 describe the role of government departments in relation to public services including their responsibilities.

P3 explain the electoral processes used in UK elections.

P4 describe, with examples, the impact of government policies on different public services.

P5 identify how society is affected by government policies.

P6 demonstrate how government policies are developed.

M1 explain in detail the responsibilities of the different levels of government in the UK.

M2 compare the electoral processes used at different levels of government in the UK.

M3 explain the impact of different government policies on a range of public services.

M4 analyse how government policies are developed.

D1 evaluate the responsibilities of the different levels of government in the UK.

D2 evaluate the impact of government policies on public services and the communities they serve.

A major part of the UK’s government process is the democratic election of representatives to all levels of government, including local, regional, national and European governments. Learners will examine the responsibilities that each level of government has in maintaining effective public services, and also explore the different electoral processes available, and those currently used. Learners will then move on to investigate the main roles of elected representatives within the different government levels, including a brief investigation into the devolved parliaments in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and also the European Parliament, although an in-depth knowledge of these is not required.

Learners will also study the structure of government in the UK to discover what the different levels of government are, from central government to local councils. This investigation will lead to knowing about specific responsibilities of government departments and other organisations involved in the government structure, including their relationship to the public services.

The unit will explain how government policies are developed, give an understanding of the legislative processes, and the effects that government policies can have on the public services, the personnel working within them and the provision of services.

Introduction

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief3

Learning Outcomes and Criteria Targeted:

Learning outcomes Grading criteria covered

Learning outcome 1Know the different levels of government in the UK

P1, P2, M1, D1

Learning outcome 2Understand the democratic election process for each level of government in the UK

P3, M2

Learning outcome 3Know the impact of UK government policies on the public services

P4, P5, M3, D2

Learning outcome 4Be able to demonstrate how government policies are developed.

P6, M4

Assignment 1 Tasks Grading criteria covered

Task 1a Wall display P1, M1, D1

Task 1b Wall display P2

Assignment 2 Tasks Grading criteria covered

Task 2 Posters P3, M2

Assignment 4 Tasks Grading criteria covered

Task 4 Storyboard/flowchart P6, M4

Assignment 3 Tasks Grading criteria covered

Task 3 Guest speaking slot P4, P5, M3, D2

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief4

1 Know the different levels of government in the UK

Levels of government and their responsibilities: European Parliament; central government; devolved parliaments, local authorities; regional governments; other local authorities; other institutions in the government process, e.g. the monarchy, House of Commons, House of Lords; branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial); main roles at government levels e.g. prime minister, government ministers, members of parliament, mayors, council members; London Assembly.

Responsibilities of government departments and other levels of government for specific public services: the government departments responsible for the public services e.g. Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department for Communities and local government.

Accountability of public services: inspectorates used to monitor public services activities e.g. HM inspectorates (constabularies, prisons, probation, Independent Police Complaints Commission, Care Quality Commission, defence vetting agency); local organisations e.g. police authorities, health authorities, fire and rescue authorities.

2 Understand the democratic election process for each level of government in the UK

Democratic election processes: who is entitled to stand for election; candidate selection processes; the influence of the party system on elections; representatives; period of election; publicity and electioneering activities undertaken; the voting processes e.g. personal, postal, electronic; election day activities for different elections e.g. general elections, local elections e.g. parish, district, county, metropolitan boroughs elections; responsibilities of elected bodies; voting systems used e.g. first past the post, single transferable vote, alternative vote, proportional representation.

Unit Content

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief5

Unit Content

3 Know the impact of UK government policies on the public services

Examples of policies affecting different public services: policies that influence all services e.g. environmental, civilian, equal opportunities, human rights, financial reductions or increases; policies affecting the military services e.g. declarations of war, increased use of reserve forces, increased use of technology; links with other international services (NATO, United Nations, combined services activities); policies affecting the emergency services e.g. fire and rescue station closures in some areas, target-setting standards (attendance times, petrol usage, financial targets).

Social responses to government policies: how government actions affect the public services e.g. civil disobedience, demonstrations involving the police and ambulance services, terrorism affecting all the services, meetings that require police attendance, picketing of sites such as military bases and closing companies, sit-ins to prevent road building.

4 Be able to demonstrate how government policies are developed

Development processes: meetings that will occur to create policies e.g. cabinet meetings, parliamentary committees and sub-committees, the use of white papers and green papers in parliament, consultation meetings, public meetings or enquiries; representations from outside government e.g. from opposition members of parliament (MPs), letters to MPs, MP’s constituency surgeries.

The legal processes used to create legislation: the drafting of the statute; laying before parliament; parliamentary readings; voting in House of Commons and House of Lords; signature by the monarch; setting dates of implementation; issuing guidance and directives to public services to support the implementation and identify their accountability; advertisements in media to publicise the law; financing of charities and organisations to assist in the implementation of policies e.g. Prince’s Trust, NACRO, probation service.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief6

Task 1a: Wall display

P1 outline the responsibilities of the different levels of government in the UKM1 explain in detail the responsibilities of the different levels of government

in the UK D1 evaluate the responsibilities of the different levels of government in the UK.

Scenario: As part of your school’s/college’s/workplace’s efforts during a national democracy week, you have been asked to complete a wall display detailing the different levels of government and their responsibilities.

Your article should include:

(P1) • Themainresponsibilitiesofthedifferentlevelsofgovernment.

(M1) • Adetailedexplanationofthemainresponsibilitiesofthedifferentlevelsofgovernment.(Provide a real life example.)

(D1) • Theappropriatenessoftheresponsibilitiesofthislevelofgovernment. • Theadvantagesanddisadvantagesofhavingtheseresponsibilitiesatthislevelof

government • Couldanyresponsibilitiesbetransferredtoadifferentlevel?Explainyouranswer • Shouldthislevelofgovernmenthavetheseresponsibilities?Explainyouranswer.

Task 1b: Wall display

P2 describe the role of government departments in relation to public services including their responsibilities.

Now you have a clearer understanding of the different levels of government, let’s have a closer look at some of the individual departments. You are to select a minimum of two governmental departments and describe the roles and responsibilities in relation to public services. You can select from the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, Department for Communities and Local Government.

Assignment 1 Tasks

T1a

T1b

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief7

Task 2: Posters

P3 explain the electoral processes used in UK elections.M2 compare the electoral processes used at different levels of

government in the UK.

Scenario: It is coming up to election time, and due to your past efforts to raise awareness of politically related issues, you have being asked to design and produce two posters to try and help people understand the election process at a national and local level, so they can be sure that they make the right decision when voting for their favourite candidate/party.

Your posters should include:

• Thepeopleentitledtostandforelection• Thecandidateselectionprocess• Theinfluenceofthepartysystemonelections• Thetimebetweenelections• Thetypesofpublicityandelectioneeringactivitiesthatmighttakeplace• Thevotingprocessesthatcanbeused• Theelectiondayeventsandactivitiesthattakeplace• Thevotingsystemsused• Theresponsibilitiesoftheelectedbodies.

T2

Assignment 2 Tasks

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief8

Assignment 3 Tasks

Task 3: Guest speaking slot

P4 describe, with examples, the impact of government policies on different public services

P5 identify how society is affected by government policies M3 explain the impact of different government policies on a range of public services D2 evaluate the impact of government policies on public services and the communities they serve.

Scenario: Following on from the positive feedback received for your wall display and posters, you have been asked to speak at a gathering of colleagues, superiors and local government officials at an annual dinner, on the topic of the impact of government policies on the public services and society.

T3

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma In Public Services Unit 1 | Government, Policies and the Public Services

Assignment Brief9

Assignment 4 Tasks

Task 4: Storyboard/flowchart

P6 demonstrate how government policies are developedM4 analyse how government policies are developed.

(P6) Using the information from the previous task and your own research, complete the storyboard/flowchart to demonstrate how government policies are developed. Each stage should have a full breakdown of what happens at that stage, with and image/s and or video footage to accompany the stage.

(M4) On completion of the flow chart you will be presented with a further box to enable you to work towards the M4 criterion. In this box you should answer the following questions:

• Whataretheadvantagesofhavingaprocesslikethis?(Includeexamplesandjustificationto back up your answer/s)• Whatarethedisadvantagesofhavingaprocesslikethis?(Includeexamplesandjustification to back up your answer/s)• Whatcouldhappenifwedidnothaveaprocesslikethis?(Includeexamplesandjustification to back up your answer/s)• Howdoeshavingaprocesslikethisimpactonthepublicservices?(Includeexamplesand justification to back up your answer/s).

Answer each in full and in detail to give you the best possible opportunity to achieve the criteria above.

T4

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