Occupational Profile

Senior Healthcare Support Workers help registered practitioners deliver healthcare services to people. As an experienced support worker, you carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare or therapeutic tasks, under the direct or indirect supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner.  You provide high quality, compassionate healthcare, following standards, policies or protocols and always acting within the limits of your competence. 

You may work in a range of services e.g. hospital, community, health or day case unit, birth centre or midwifery lead unit, someone’s home, operating theatre, nursing or care home, assessment centre, hospice, school, prison, GP surgery, charity or voluntary organisation; working in partnership with individuals, families, carers and other service providers.

Duties are delegated to you in line with care plans. Not all duties are routine, and you will need to use your knowledge, experience and understanding to take decisions within your area of responsibility. You are accountable for your work and for reviewing the effectiveness of your actions. The role is undertaken following a period of experience in healthcare, so you are able to demonstrate best practice and act as a role model. You may supervise or guide the less experienced staff in your team. You follow the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers.

There are many options

1. Adult nursing support,
2. Maternity support,
3. Theatre support,
4. Mental health support,
5. Children and young people support,
6. Allied health profession – therapy support

Entry Requirements

Individual employers will set the selection criteria for their Apprenticeships. Most candidates will have Level 2 maths and English, ideally as part of 5 GCSE A-C grades. Other relevant or prior experience may also be considered as an alternative.

Employers may select apprentices with prior experience as a support worker

Undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the results to the employer.

Delivery model and duration

• Between 18-24 months
• Delivery in the workplace or online (remote)
• Additional workshops for English and maths if needed
• 20% Off-the-job training
• Ongoing support and assessments to capture knowledge, skills, and behaviours in preparation for the End-point Assessment

End Point Assessment – EPA

• Multiple Choice Test
• Observation of Practice
• Professional discussion 

Qualification Outcomes

Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support

Care Certificate

Functional Skills Level 2: English and Maths – if needed

End-point Assessment (EPA) – Apprenticeship Certificate

Progression

After a period of working and gaining experience, you may be able to work towards an Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate post or, providing you meet the entry requirements, apply to university to become a registered healthcare practitioner.

Job Roles

• Healthcare support worker
• Dietic assistant 
• Maternity support worker 
• Healthcare assistant
• Occupational therapy support worker 
• Orthotic technician
• Podiatry assistant 
• Physiotherapy assistants
• support workers 
• Prosthetic technician 
• Radiography assistants and imaging support workers
• Speech and language therapy assistant

Occupational Profile

Assistant Practitioners work as part of the wider health and social care team and have direct contact with patients, service users or clients providing high quality and compassionate care. Assistant Practitioners work at a level above that of Healthcare Support Workers and have a more in-depth understanding about factors that influence health and ill-health (e.g. anatomy and physiology). Assistant Practitioner is a job title applied to a very wide variety of roles that have been developed locally by employers to meet individual service needs. Upon successful completion of this standard, individuals will have obtained the core skills, knowledge and values/behaviours to become an Assistant Practitioner.

Examples of common work activities include assisting in total patient assessment, coordination of care (including referrals to other practitioners) and higher clinical skills such as catheterisation, wound care and discharge planning. Assistant Practitioners will therefore develop additional skills and knowledge based on their employer’s requirements depending on the clinical or professional area within which they are working.

An Assistant Practitioner works under the supervision of a Registered Practitioner in accordance with employer policy, protocols and standard operating procedures. The Registered Practitioner remains accountable for the appropriate and effective delegation of activities and must ensure that the AP has the competency, confidence and expertise to carry out such activities. Having accepted the activity, the AP is accountable for their actions. In a situation where the AP feels they do not have the necessary skills or ability then they must alert the registered practitioner immediately.

Entry Requirements

Individual employers will set the selection criteria for their Apprenticeships. Most candidates will have Level 2 Maths and English, ideally as part of 5 GCSE A-C grades. Other relevant or prior experience may also be considered as an alternative.

Learners must be in full-time employment in a managerial role within the healthcare sector

Undertake the Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result prior to starting.

Delivery model and duration

• Between 18-24 months
• Delivery in the workplace or online (remote)
• Additional workshops for English and maths if needed
• 20% Off-the-job training
• Ongoing support and assessments to capture knowledge, skills, and behaviours in preparation for the End-point Assessment

End Point Assessment – EPA

• Multiple choice and short answers test
• Observation of practice
• Reflective journal and interview

Qualification Outcomes

Level 5 Diploma for Assistant Practitioners in Healthcare

Care Certificate – if needed 

Functional Skills Level 2: English and Maths – if needed

End-point Assessment (EPA) – Apprenticeship Certificate

Progression

For those Assistant Practitioners who wish to progress into Registered Practice, the apprenticeship can provide credits into some Higher Education programmes aligned to professional registration.

Job Roles

Assistant Practitioners can be found working in a range of areas such as:

• Cancer Services 
• Physiotherapy 
• Genito- Urinary Medicine 
• Orthopaedics 
• Hospice Care 
• Mental Health 
• Social Care
• Community 
• Occupational Therapy 
• Learning Disabilities