NCFE Level 2 Paper 1 & Marking Scheme

[Jenny]

NCFE Level 2 Paper 1

Remember you are a counselling student not a counsellor

Question 1
You are using your counselling skills to support someone who is going through a difficult experience. Explain how you would respond if he or she asks if you had experience of others in his/her situation before.
1 mark available

Question 2
Name ONE of the personal moral qualities of a counsellor listed in the BACP Framework For Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
1 mark available

Question 3
List TWO significant ways in which the “client” and the person using counselling skills or counsellor might differ from each other as individuals.
1 mark available

Question 4
Explain why it would be wrong for a person using counselling skills or a counsellor to tell a “client” that he or she could offer complete confidentiality.
1 mark available

Question 5
Explain how the person using counselling skills or counsellor would make the “client” feel safe when they are talking together.
1 mark available

Question 6
Identify a feeling or an issue, which may be present in the last session between a “client” and the person who has been spending time with him or her.
1 mark available

Question 7
Identify ONE way in which a person on a course such as the NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills can obtain feedback about his or her developing counselling skills.
1 mark available

Question 8
Identify ONE way in which a qualified counsellor or a person on a counselling skills training course can meet his or her need for self-development.
1 mark available

Question 9
The “client” says “I feel lost” and the person using counselling skills responds with “You feel that you can’t find your way”. Give TWO terms that describe this response.
1 mark available

Question 10
Name the core condition, which involves the practitioner’s prizing of the client.
1 mark available

[Jenny]

Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Exemplar Mark Scheme

Question 1 (Relates to Unit 1, Element 1, Learning Outcome 6)
You are using your counselling skills to support someone who is going through a difficult experience. Explain how you would respond if he or she asks if you had experience of others in his/her situation before. (1 mark)
Model answer (essential content)
• Congruence
• Limits of competence
Alternative themes for one
• Honesty
Alternative themes for two
• Reflection of “client’s” concerns
• Correct information about how s/he will try to work with the “client”
• Limits of competence versus need to gain experience

Question 2 (Relates to Unit 1, Element 1, Learning Outcome 9)
Name one of the personal moral qualities of a counsellor listed in the BACP Framework For Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. (1 Mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
• Any one of the following: Empathy, sincerity, integrity, resilience, respect, humility, competence, fairness, wisdom, courage & unconditional positive regard

Question 3 (Relates to Unit 1, Element 1, Learning Outcome 10)
List two significant ways in which the “client” and the person using counselling skills or counsellor might differ from each other as individuals. (1 mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
• Any two of the following: Communication needs, communication methods,
language, culture, race, age, gender, beliefs, religion, values, educational
background, sexuality, disability

Question 4: (Relates to Unit 1, Element 2, Learning Outcome 14)
Explain why it would be wrong for a person using counselling skills or a counsellor to tell a “client” that he or she could offer complete confidentiality. (1 Mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
• Complete confidentiality could not be offered as there are legal and ethical reasons why information may need to be passed on
• Trust would be lost if the “client” went on to say something which had to be passed on
Alternative words for phrase no 1:
• BACP Framework For Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy
• Organisational policy
• Referral, supervision
Alternative words for phrase no 2:
• Dishonesty/lack of congruence/misinformation
• Break down of helping relationship

Question 5 (Relates to Unit 1, Element 3, Learning Outcome 7)
Explain how the person using counselling skills or counsellor would make the “client” feel safe when they are talking together. (1 Mark)
Model answer (essential content)
• By providing a physical environment that is non-threatening
• Via the three core conditions
Alternatives for phrase one
• A physical environment that is private
• A physical environment that is non medical
• A physical environment that promotes equality
• A physical environment that is comfortable
• By providing the correct physical environment
Alternatives for phrase two
• Via the relationship between the skills user and the “client”
• Via the working alliance
• Via unconditional positive regard/respect and/or congruence/honesty
• By creating trust through the core conditions
• By providing the correct psychological environment

Question 6 (Relating to Unit 1, Element 4, Learning Outcome 23)
Identify a feeling or an issue which may be present in the last session between a “client” and the person who has been spending time with him or her. (1 Mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
Any one of the following: feelings of loss, feelings of rejection, memories of previous endings/loss, feeling of happiness, feeling of release, feeling of achievement/success, concern about confidentiality, concern about fate of written and audio records of sessions, means of making contact in future, possibility of return in future, hopes about a continued (different) relationship, etiquette in regard to future chance meetings

Question 7 (Relating to Unit 2, Element 1, Learning Outcome 9)
Identify one way in which a person on a course such as the NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills can obtain feedback about his or her developing counselling skills. (1 Mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
Any one of the following: from colleagues at work, from anyone they use counselling
skills with outside the course, from other students on course, from course tutor, from
course assessment

Question 8 (Relating to Unit 2, Element 1, Learning Outcome 15)
Identify one way in which a qualified counsellor or a person on a counselling skills training course can meet his or her need for self-development. (1 Mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
Any one of the following: training courses, reading, individual supervision, group supervision, supervision, personal/self-development groups, journal writing, written work, personal counselling

Question 9 (Relating to Unit 3, Element 1, Learning Outcome 10)
The client says “I feel lost” and the person using counselling skills responds with “You feel that you can’t find your way”. Give two terms that describe this response. (1 Mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
• Empathy
• Paraphrasing
Alternatives for term one
• Simple empathy
• Accurate empathy
• Level 2 empathy (Mearns and Thorne)
• Level 2.5 or Level 3 empathy (Truax and Carkhuff)
Alternatives for term two
• Paraphrase
• Reflection

Question 10 (Relating to Unit 3, Element 1, Learning Outcome 11)
Name the core condition which involves the practitioner’s prizing of the client. (1 Mark)
Model Answer (essential content)
• Unconditional positive regard
Alternative answers
• Non-conditional positive regard
• UPR
• Respect