ASDAN’s regulated Personal and Social Development qualifications. Available at Entry Levels 1, 2, and 3 and at Levels 1 and 2, with each level offered in three sizes — Award, Certificate, and Diploma — corresponding to increasing credit-volume.
PSD covers the personal and social skills that support independent and effective life in education, work, and community. Because it is regulated, it carries the same accountability and quality-assurance framework as a GCSE, BTEC, or Functional Skills qualification — making it commissioner-recognisable in ways that the non-regulated ASDAN programmes are not.
Unit territory
PSD units are drawn from areas including:
- Communicating with others — speaking, listening, written communication; using communication aids where appropriate
- Healthy living — physical health; mental health; nutrition; sleep; recognising warning signs in oneself
- Working as part of a group — co-operation; turn-taking; constructive disagreement; group decision-making
- Working towards goals — setting realistic goals; planning steps; reviewing progress; recognising and celebrating completion
- Managing own behaviour — recognising triggers; using regulation strategies; repairing relationships after conflict
- Recognising and responding to risk — personal safety; assessing situations; getting help
- Dealing with problems in daily life — practical problem-solving; recognising when to ask for help
- Sex and relationship education (Level-appropriate) — relationships; consent; reproductive health; staying safe
Each unit specifies learning outcomes and assessment criteria, and the learner produces portfolio evidence (written, photo, video, witness statement) demonstrating the criteria.
Why this is well-suited to the NEO cohort
PSD fits NEO learners because:
- Regulated. Ofqual / Qualifications Wales / CCEA recognition makes it commissioner-comfortable in a way that non-regulated portfolio work isn’t always
- Modular and accessible. Available at five levels, in three sizes — fits learners from very early levels right through to learners working at GCSE-Level 2
- Portfolio-based. No timed exam; assessment is the body of work the learner has produced
- Recognises the work of being well. Managing one’s own mental health, regulating behaviour, working with others — these are core curriculum at NEO and core qualification content here
- Builds on Cornerstones. PSD content maps cleanly onto every Cornerstone
Tests canonical
- Life and Work — full canonical branch
- Life and Work — Independent living (healthy living, daily-life problem-solving)
- Life and Work — Citizenship (working as part of a group, recognising risk)
- RSHE — Relationships Education (relationship and SRE units)
- RSHE — Health Education (healthy living units)
- [[../../relational-and-symbolic/relating-intelligently/index|Relating Intelligently]] (NEO-original — the relational and self-management content shares territory)
Cornerstone fits
- Connection (●●●) — relationships, group work, communication
- Reflection (●●●) — self-knowledge, behaviour management, goal-setting
- Rest (●●) — recognising warning signs; healthy living
- Movement (●●) — physical health; managing one’s body in daily life
- Nutrition (●●) — healthy-eating units
Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) anchor
PSD maps strongly onto all four PfA outcomes depending on unit choice. Combined with Workright (Employment) and My Independence (Independent Living), PSD is one of the building blocks of an EHCP-aligned post-16 plan.
NEO operational note
PSD is registered with ASDAN by the commissioner / LA. NEO supports curriculum delivery, evidence-gathering, and portfolio compilation. Because PSD is offered at five levels, the named practitioner co-ordinates with the commissioner to identify the level that matches the learner’s current working level — and to switch level upward as the learner progresses.
Source
ASDAN — Personal and Social Development qualifications (publicly available). Full unit handbook required for outcome-level tagging (schema §10 Q1).