Quick answer: To pass 5N1652 Assignment 1, follow the brief’s six headings in order, choose one intellectual disability and stay with it, and show a person-centred plan that the service user helped to shape. Keep to roughly 2,000 words in the third person, cite in Harvard, and change every name.

This guide is for Level 5 learners at The Open College who have the brief open and are not sure where the marks sit. It pairs with the live 5N1652 Assignment 1 question page and a worked 5N1652 sample extract, which is for reference only. If you would rather have a specialist check your plan, our Care Skills QQI Level 5 team can review it with you.

What does the 5N1652 Assignment 1 brief actually ask for?

The task has one idea at its centre: investigate an intellectual disability, then discuss why a person-centred plan matters within the social model of care. Everything else supports that.

The brief gives you two routes. Option 1 uses a real service user from placement, or a family member. Option 2 is research only, with no client. Pick the first if you have safe access to someone and can anonymise fully. Pick the second without apology if you cannot.

The headings are set for you. They run from the introduction through intellectual disability, the social model of care and person-centred care planning, to the support worker’s role and finally the conclusion and reflection. A contents page and a bibliography are required, and appendices are optional.

Most learners lose time here by writing the headings in the wrong order, or by merging two. Do not. Markers tick them off one by one.

Where are the marks in 5N1652 Assignment 1?

The brief names four criteria with weightings. It does not show a full breakdown, so treat anything beyond these as unknown and write to the whole task.

The pattern is plain. Evidence and description carry the heaviest listed marks, so the research must be real before the reflection is worth anything.

How do you write the assignment, step by step?

Here is the order that works for most learners.

1. Decide Option 1 or Option 2 on day one, and write down the pseudonym or the research focus.
2. Choose one intellectual disability that you can source well. Down syndrome is common because the information is easy to verify.
3. Collect your sources first: the Disability Act 2005, the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, HIQA standards and HSE policy documents.
4. Draft the definition, causes and assessment of the condition in about 300 words.
5. Write the social model section, including benefits, barriers, services and legislation.
6. Build the person-centred plan section around goals, supports and review dates.
7. Cover the support worker’s role across physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social support.
8. Write the conclusion and reflection last, then add the contents page and bibliography.

A rough word split helps. Aim for about 150 in the introduction, 400 on the condition, 450 on the social model, 400 on planning, 400 on the support worker’s role, and 200 on the conclusion. Stay within ten per cent either way.

What is the social model of care, and how do you show it?

The social model says that disability is created largely by barriers in society, not by the person’s impairment alone. A step with no ramp is the barrier. The wheelchair is not.

Show it with concrete examples from your setting or research. Visual timetables, easy-read documents and flexible meal times all work. Then name the barriers that remain, such as limited transport or staffing pressure.

The Irish framework is where your documentation mark is won. The Disability Act 2005 provides for assessment of needs arising from disability (Government of Ireland, 2005). The Equal Status Act 2000 deals with discrimination in goods and services (Government of Ireland, 2000). The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 supports decision-making built around a person’s will and preferences (Government of Ireland, 2015).

For services, HIQA’s national standards for residential services set out sixty standards under eight themes, starting with individualised supports and care (HIQA, 2013). HSE New Directions lists twelve supports for adult day services, including making choices and plans (HSE, n.d.a).

If you need a template for a structured report, our report writing help page sets out the usual layout.

How do you build a person-centred plan that earns marks?

A person-centred plan is a record of what matters to the person, what support she or he needs and who will provide it. Say that in a sentence, then show one.

A simple table does the job.

Then explain the benefits and how it is achieved in your setting. HSE guidance on moving people out of congregated settings stresses a person-centred planning approach to choosing where and with whom someone lives (HSE, n.d.b). Link your plan to that.

The strongest Level 5 plans tend to be small. Three realistic goals beat ten vague ones every time.

What should you write about the support worker’s role?

The brief asks for five kinds of support: physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social. Give each its own short paragraph with one example.

Physical support might be help with meals or mobility. Psychological support could be explaining changes in routine ahead of time. Spiritual support is often missed, yet it can be as simple as arranging attendance at a place of worship or respecting a belief.

Then tie the role to dignity, choice, relationships and contribution. These four words come straight from the brief, so use them as sub-headings.

You can also compare how a Special Needs Assistant role differs, if you work across settings. Our SNA QQI support page covers that role in detail.

What do students struggle with in this assignment?

Learners tell us the same things again and again. These are the usual sticking points.

• Not knowing whether a placement client is allowed to be used, and how to anonymise.
• Mixing up the medical model and the social model.
• Finding Irish statistics and not knowing which year to cite.
• Confusing a care plan with a person-centred plan.
• Staying at 2,000 words while covering six headings.

On statistics, quote only what a current published source gives you, such as the Health Research Board’s National Intellectual Disability Database reports. If you cannot find a figure, describe the trend in words. An invented number costs more than a missing one.

What are the most common mistakes?

First, writing in the first person. The brief expects the third person, so “the learner” or “the support worker” replaces “I” until the reflection, if your centre allows it.

Second, using real names or a recognisable workplace. State clearly that names have been changed.

Third, copying the brief’s wording into your headings and introduction. Paraphrase it.

Fourth, relying on one source. A bibliography with a single website will not earn the documentation marks.

Fifth, writing a reflection that only praises the work. Markers want a negative as well, and a recommendation.

Checklist before you submit

• Word count within 2,000 words plus or minus ten per cent.
• All six headings present, in the order given.
• Contents page and Harvard bibliography included.
• Names changed, and the change stated.
• At least three Irish or UK legal and policy sources cited.
• A real plan with goals, supports and review dates.
• Five types of support covered, each with an example.
• A reflection with positives, negatives and recommendations.

Our model answers are for reference, and you can read what other learners say on our student reviews page. You remain responsible for what you submit and for your centre’s rules. When you are ready, send us your brief and we will tell you what a review would involve.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a client from my placement for 5N1652 Assignment 1?

Yes, Option 1 allows a service user from placement or a family member. You must change every name and say so in the work. Check your placement’s confidentiality rules before you write anything.

Is Down syndrome a good choice of condition?

It is a sensible choice because the causes and assessment are well documented. Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 (yourgenome, n.d.). Pick another condition if you know it better.

How many references do I need?

The brief does not give a number. Aim for a spread of legislation, HIQA or HSE policy, and at least one journal or book, so the documentation criterion is clearly met.

Should I write in the first person?

Use the third person, as the brief states. Refer to yourself as the learner or the support worker. Ask your tutor whether the reflection may use the first person.

Do I need appendices?

No, they are optional. A short anonymised plan template in an appendix can help, but it does not count towards the word limit and cannot replace the analysis in the main text.

Can I use a sample answer as my own work?

No. A sample shows structure and level only. Submitting it as your own breaks academic integrity rules, so use it for reference and write your own.

About the expert

This guide reflects the specialism of Dr. Sinead O’Malley, whose profile on our site describes her as a QQI Care Skills and Person-Centred Care academic. It states that she specialises in assignments on person-centred care, communication, dignity, independence and daily care routines.

References

• Government of Ireland (2000) Equal Status Act 2000. Dublin: Stationery Office. Available at: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2000/act/8/enacted/en/print (Accessed: 27 October 2026).
• Government of Ireland (2005) Disability Act 2005. Dublin: Stationery Office. Available at: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2005/act/14 (Accessed: 27 October 2026).
• Government of Ireland (2015) Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. Dublin: Stationery Office. Available at: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2015/act/64/enacted/en/html (Accessed: 27 October 2026).
• Health Information and Quality Authority (2013) National Standards for Residential Services for Children and Adults with Disabilities. Available at: https://www.hiqa.ie/ga/node/15085 (Accessed: 27 October 2026).
• Health Service Executive (n.d.a) New Directions: day services for adults with disabilities. Available at: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/disability/newdirections/ (Accessed: 27 October 2026).
• Health Service Executive (n.d.b) Time to Move on from Congregated Settings. Available at: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/disability/congregatedsettings/ (Accessed: 27 October 2026).
• yourgenome (n.d.) Down’s syndrome and trisomy 21. Available at: https://yourgenome.org/theme/what-is-downs-syndrome (Accessed: 27 October 2026).