HSC7001 Contemporary Issues, Policies, and Practice Assessment Brief 2026 | UGM
| Category | Assignment | Subject | Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| University | University of Great Manchester | Module Title | HSC7001 Contemporary Issues, Policies, and Practice |
HSC7001 Contemporary Issues, Policies, and Practice Assessment
| Assessment Number | 1 |
| Assessment Type (and weighting) | Critical Essay (70%) |
| Assessment Name | Critical Essay 4000 words |
| Assessment Submission Date | Critical Essay: Submission Deadline – Friday 29.05.2026 at 23.59 Hours |
Learning Outcomes Assessed:
- LO1: Synthesise the nature of central and local government decision-making and policy in relation to human services
- LO2: Critically analyse the external social, economic and political environment that impacts upon decision-making and policies
- LO3: Develop justified recommendations for policy development, with critical consideration of top-down and bottom-up approaches
With this essay, you are free to choose what you want to critically examine as long as it fits within the module, learning outcomes and assignment brief.
Assessment Instructions
You will produce a critical essay which will address learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3. This will involve a critical and theoretical consideration of the ways in which decision-making is influenced by local and central government. You will also critically consider ways in which policy development and implementation might be influenced by practitioners, interest groups, political movements, lobbyists and other actors. You should use examples that relate to your area of practice.
Must-haves
The essay must be related to your area of specialism, meet the learning outcomes, be referenced and cross-referenced correctly, be discursive, be written in the 3rd person, have headings, and be 4000 words.
Some ideas on structure
1) A holistic examination of policy and the process, including the different elements. Provide a critique of the different stages of the policy process.
2) Examine one specific part of the policy process in relation to your specialist area in depth. Evaluate the local and central government and other elements, such as top-down and bottom-up decision-making.
3) Examine one particular piece of policy relating to your specialism area.
4) Critically evaluate the impact on stakeholders and practitioners in relation to policy formation, implementation and delivery in your area of specialism.
The Essay Must Contain
- a) Ideological approaches and theoretical discussion, such as democracy, participation, engagement, etc
b) Meet the learning outcomes.
c) Examination of the influence of and impact upon stakeholders and practitioners
d) Examples from practice to justify and add critique to your debate.
Minimum Secondary Research Source Requirements:
Level HE7 - It is expected that the Reference List will contain between fifteen and twenty sources. As a minimum, the Reference List should include four refereed academic journals and five academic books. The in-text and Reference list should be arranged according to the Harvard referencing style.
Specific Assessment Criteria:
Distinction (70% and above): The work displays an exceptional and comprehensive synthesis of central and local government decision-making processes and policies. Demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the topic, incorporating relevant theories and concepts. Provides insightful connections between central and local government decision-making. Offers an outstanding and comprehensive analysis of the external social, economic, and political environment`s impact on decision-making and policies. Provides an in-depth and nuanced understanding, considering complex interactions among various factors. Offers exceptional and innovative recommendations for policy development. Provides a comprehensive and well-justified analysis of top-down and bottom-up approaches, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Offers an outstanding and comprehensive evaluation of a specific policy`s impact on service delivery, considering a wide range of factors and perspectives. Demonstrates critical thinking and insight.
Merit (60-69%): The work displays a good understanding of central and local government decision-making and policies related to human services. Synthesises information effectively and presents a clear overview of the subject matter. Demonstrates a solid understanding of the external factors influencing decision-making and policies. Offers a clear analysis of key factors and their implications. Develops well-justified recommendations for policy development, considering both top-down and bottom-up approaches, having a clear rationale for each recommendation. Provides a solid evaluation of how a specific policy impacts service delivery, considering various factors and perspectives. Offers a balanced analysis.
Pass (50-59%): The work displays a basic overview of central and local government decision-making processes and policies in relation to human services, but may lack depth or clear integration of concepts. Provides a basic analysis of the external social, economic, and political factors impacting decision-making and policies, but may lack depth or comprehensive coverage of relevant factors. Develops recommendations for policy development but lacks depth and may not fully consider top-down and bottom-up approaches. Offers a basic evaluation of how a specific policy impacts service delivery in a given area and may lack depth or fail to consider multiple perspectives.
Fail (Below 50%): Students who do not meet the requirements of the Pass criteria will not complete the assessment activity.
| Assessment Number | 2 |
| Assessment Type (and weighting) | Portfolio evidence (30%) |
| Assessment Name | Portfolio evidence 1000 words |
| Assessment Submission Date | Portfolio Evidence: Submission Deadline - Friday 20.03.2026 by 23.59 Hours |
Learning Outcomes Assessed:
LO4: Critically evaluate how a specific policy/policies impact on a given area of service delivery
Assessment Instructions
You will need to identify one policy relating to your area of specialism/practice. In terms of structure, you can use headings such as ‘Policy development, Challenges, Impact’ etc. The word count is 1000 words with a 10% leeway. Your critical review must contain a policy name and/or link to your chosen policy so the marking tutors can refer to it where necessary.
General Assessment Criteria for Written Assessments
GENERAL ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES – LEVEL HE7
| Relevance | Knowledge and Understanding | Analysis, Creativity and Problem-Solving | Self-awareness and Reflection | Research/ Referencing | Written English | Presentation and Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISTINCTION Exceptional Quality 85-100% Work is directly relevant and expertly addresses the requirements of the brief. Learning outcomes are met. | Demonstrates an exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding of theory and practice which is beyond the threshold expectation for the level. Produces exceptional work which makes a contribution to knowledge in the subject area. | Presents an exceptional critique of advanced research material resulting in clear, original and illuminating conclusions. Expertly interprets complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data. Demonstrates exceptional creative flair and a high level of originality. Develops distinctive, insightful and creative solutions to complex problems. | Provides insightful reflection and critical self-awareness in relation to the outcomes of own work and personal responsibility. | An extensive range of advanced research sources critically evaluated and selected. Sources cited accurately in both the body of text and in the Reference List/ Bibliography. | Writing style is clear, succinct and relevant to the requirements of the assessment. An exceptionally well written answer with only rare errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Uses a wide range of less common and more advanced vocabulary and sentence types fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings. Paragraphs are expertly structured with linking and signposting. | The presentational style and layout are correct for the type of assignment. Evidence of planning and logically structured. Where relevant, there is effective inclusion of, and reference to, figures, tables and images. |
| Excellent Quality 70-84% Work is relevant and comprehensively addresses the requirements of the brief. Learning outcomes are met. | Demonstrates an excellent breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding of theory and practice for this level. Clearly demonstrates originality in the application of knowledge. | Presents an excellent critique of advanced research material resulting in clear, original and illuminating conclusions. Comprehensively interprets complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data. Demonstrates excellent creative flair and a high level of originality. Develops distinctive and creative solutions to complex problems. | Provides excellent reflection and critical self-awareness in relation to the outcomes of own work and personal responsibility | A wide range of advanced research sources critically evaluated and selected. Sources cited accurately in both the body of text and in the Reference List/ Bibliography. | Writing style is clear, succinct and relevant to the requirements of the assessment. A very well written answer with very few errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Uses a wide range of vocabulary and sentence types fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings. Paragraphs are very well structured with linking and signposting. | The presentational style and layout are correct for the type of assignment. Evidence of planning and logically structured Where relevant, there is effective inclusion of, and reference to, figures, tables and images. |
| MERIT Good Quality 60-69% Work is relevant and addresses most of the requirements of the brief well. Learning outcomes are met. | Demonstrates a thorough breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding of theory and practice for this level. Demonstrates originality in the application of knowledge. | Presents a comprehensive critique of advanced research material, resulting in clear and original conclusions. Systematically interprets complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data. Demonstrates creative flair and originality. Develops creative solutions to complex problems. | Provides good reflection and critical self-awareness in relation to the outcomes of one`s own work and personal responsibility, as required by the assessment. | A range of advanced research sources has been critically evaluated and selected. In the main, sources cited accurately in both the body of text and in the Reference List/ Bibliography. | Writing style is clear, succinct and relevant to the requirements of the assessment. A well-written answer with some minor errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Uses a range of vocabulary and sentence types to convey precise meanings. Paragraphs are well structured with linking and signposting. | The presentational style and layout are correct for the type of assignment. Evidence of planning and logically structured in the main. Where relevant, there is effective inclusion of, and reference to, figures, tables and images. |
| PASS Satisfactory Quality 50-59% Work addresses the requirements of the brief, although superficially in places. Minor irrelevant content. Learning outcomes are met. | Demonstrates a sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding of theory and practice for this level. Demonstrates originality in the application of knowledge in various places. | Presents some critique of advanced research material resulting in original conclusions. Shows the ability to systematically interpret complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data. Demonstrates creative flair and originality. Develops some creative solutions to complex problems. | Provides justified reflection and critical self-awareness in relation to the outcomes of one`s own work and personal responsibility, as required by the assessment. | Advanced research sources critically evaluated and selected. Some errors are evident in relation to referencing the text and the Reference List/Bibliography | Writing style is readable and relevant to the requirements of the assessment in the main. Competently written with minor lapses in spelling, grammar and punctuation. For example, paragraphs are structured and include some linking and signposting. Sentences are complete. A range of appropriate vocabulary is used. | The presentational style and layout are correct for the type of assignment. Logically structured for the most part. Inclusion of figures, tables and images, but not all relevant or referred to. |
| FAIL Borderline Fail 45-49% Work addresses some of the requirements of the brief. Irrelevant and superficial content. One or more learning outcomes have not been met. | Some omissions evident in knowledge and understanding of theory and practice for this level. Demonstrates limited originality in the application of knowledge. | A limited critique of research material presented, with simplistic conclusions drawn. Some complex matters and ideas interpreted but not systematically, resulting in flawed judgements. Limited creativity and originality evident. Demonstrates insufficient problem- solving skills and initiative. | Provides limited reflection and critical self-awareness in relation to the outcomes of own work and personal responsibility, when required. | Sources selected are limited and lack validity/relevance. Poor referencing technique employed. | Writing style is generally readable but lacks relevance to requirements of the assessment in places. Intermittent lapses in grammar, spelling and punctuation pose obstacles for the reader. For example, some paragraphs may lack structure and there is limited linking and signposting. Some appropriate vocabulary is used | For the type of assignment the presentational style, layout and/or structure are lacking. Inclusion of figures, tables and images but not clear, relevant and/or referred to. |
| Fail 0-44% Work does not address the requirements of the brief. Irrelevant and superficial content. One or more learning outcomes have not been met. | Demonstrates inadequate knowledge and understanding of theory and practice for this level. A lack of originality in the application of knowledge is evident. | An absence of critique of research material is evident in unjustified conclusions. Complex matters and ideas are not interpreted correctly, resulting in flawed judgments. Creativity and originality are absent. Insufficient problem-solving skills and initiative were demonstrated. | Provides inadequate reflection and critical self-awareness in relation to the outcomes of one`s own work and personal responsibility, when required. | Relevant and valid sources are not selected. Poor referencing technique employed. | The writing style is unclear and does not match the requirements of the assessment in question. Deficiencies in spelling, grammar and punctuation make reading difficult and arguments unclear. Unstructured paragraphs | For the type of assignment, the presentational style, layout and/or structure are lacking. Inclus |
