Start your career in health and social care
The Healthcare Support Worker Level 2 Apprenticeship is an entry-level programme designed for individuals starting a career in health and social care.
Healthcare Support Workers play an important role in providing safe, compassionate and person-centred care. Working under supervision and as part of a wider health and care team, they support individuals with their day-to-day needs while helping to maintain their comfort, dignity and wellbeing.
The apprenticeship develops the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to work effectively in a healthcare environment, combining structured learning with practical experience in the workplace.
Healthcare Support Workers are employed across a wide range of settings, including hospitals, care homes, community services, the NHS and other health and care organisations.
About the Apprenticeship
Healthcare Support Workers provide high-quality, compassionate and person-centred care based on the needs of the individual and their care setting.
Working under appropriate supervision, learners develop the skills to support individuals with everyday activities and contribute to their comfort, wellbeing and care.
The role can include:
- Supporting eating and drinking
- Helping individuals with washing and dressing
- Supporting toileting and personal care
- Promoting comfort, dignity and independence
- Monitoring an individual’s wellbeing and progress
- Supporting individuals before, during and after healthcare activities
- Working in line with care plans
- Carrying out delegated clinical tasks within their competence
- Maintaining accurate records and information
- Supporting the safe use of equipment and work areas
Person-Centred Care
At the heart of the role is providing care that respects the individual.
Learners develop an understanding of how to support people in a way that promotes:
- Dignity
- Respect
- Privacy
- Choice
- Independence
- Comfort
- Wellbeing
They learn how effective communication and a compassionate approach can make a positive difference to the experience of people receiving care.
Clinical and Practical Support
Healthcare Support Workers may carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical activities as part of their role and under appropriate supervision.
Depending on their workplace and responsibilities, learners may develop skills in:
- Monitoring blood pressure
- Taking temperature
- Monitoring weight
- Checking wounds
- Applying dressings
- Preparing individuals for healthcare activities
- Supporting individuals following healthcare activities
- Cleaning and returning equipment
The specific duties undertaken will depend on the learner’s role, workplace and level of competence.
Learners are supported to understand their responsibilities and work safely within agreed procedures and their scope of practice.
What You’ll Learn
Throughout the apprenticeship, learners develop essential knowledge and practical skills in areas including:
- Person-centred care
- Communication
- Health and wellbeing
- Safeguarding
- Infection prevention and control
- Health and safety
- Supporting daily living activities
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Confidentiality and information handling
- Record keeping
- Teamwork and professional relationships
- Supporting individuals before, during and after care activities
- Safe use of equipment
- Professional standards and responsibilities
Learning is directly connected to the learner’s workplace, allowing them to develop their skills through real experience.
Fees
This apprenticeship is 95% government-funded with a 5% employer co-investment. Please call or email for more information.
If you are an employer with a pay bill over £3 million each year, you will automatically be paying into the apprenticeship Levy. Please call or email for more information.
Further funding information can be found here.
Duration: 18 Months
Location: Workplace
Entry Requirements
It is expected that the learner will be working towards Functional Skills Level 2 or have prior accepted GCSE certificates. Alternatively, learners with long-standing evidence of work to a Level 3 standard may apply if they are supported by their employer and would then follow Functional Skills training alongside the apprenticeship.
It should also be noted that the learner will need to achieve a Level 2 standard in English and Mathematics prior to their End Point Assessment. These are referred to as Functional Skills and during enrolment, learners will be required to complete both Maths and English Initial Assessments and diagnostic tests to assess their level of understanding. If learners are exempt due to prior achievements, certificates must be presented as evidence before enrolment if this is the case, failure to do so will result in learners having to complete Functional Skills.
To be eligible for the apprenticeship learners will need to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and have the support of their line manager and employer. Learners will complete a self-assessment to assess their knowledge, skills and behaviours to ensure they are eligible for the apprenticeship.
This will include a wide range of teaching and learning techniques and styles including one-to-one coaching, discussions and teaching, observations, practical assessments, mentoring, independent research and e-learning. The assigned PMA Tutor/Assessor will use online face-to-face platforms such as Zoom/MS Teams/FaceTime/Skype, as well as periodic workplace visits.
Learners will have access to Aptem, our e-portfolio system that supports monitoring progression throughout the apprenticeship. It is the central system that keeps track of learner assignments, and evidence and holds resources that will support learners to complete the apprenticeship.
Line managers will be key drivers in learner development, importantly in agreeing the unique learning plan and keeping abreast of progress at every step.
The learner will be able to evidence that they spend 6 hours per week on learning/training and that this is:
- Directly relevant to the apprenticeship standard or framework and is teaching new knowledge, skills and behaviours
- The learning is taking place within the apprentice’s normal working hours (paid hours excluding overtime)
Apprentices will be expected to keep a log of all learning activities while working towards the off-the-job requirements of 6 hours per week
Off-the-job activities could include:
- Attending masterclass teaching and learning sessions
- Coaching
- Independent research
- In-house training
- Shadowing
- Industry visits
- Mentoring
- Supervision with employer
- Writing assignments
- Online learning
- Manufacturer training
- Roleplay
- Simulation exercises
- Team meetings that include training
- Completion of reflective journal
Functional Skills are nationally recognised qualifications in English and maths. They are part of a government initiative and designed to improve literacy and numeracy skills across the workforce. Due to this, Functional Skills are a mandatory part of Apprenticeship Standards. Anyone enrolling in an apprenticeship must complete Functional Skills English and Functional Skills maths unless they have already achieved them previously at Level 2 or have GCSEs (or equivalent) in both subjects at Grade C or above. Certificates must be presented as evidence before enrolment if this is the case, failure to do so will result in learners having to complete Functional Skills.
In order to support you in completing Functional Skills, PMA will undertake an initial assessment and diagnostic assessment which will enable its specialist tutors to identify which areas to focus on with you and this will form the basis of a personalised learning plan.
It is important to bear in mind that Functional Skills do require apprentices to sit formal examinations. The team will support you with exam techniques alongside your learning plan and will arrange for the examinations to take place at your workplace.
If you are undertaking a Level 2 apprenticeship, you are required to complete Functional Skills English and maths at Level 1. If however, you complete Functional Skills early, it is a government requirement for PMA to upskill you to Level 2 Functional Skills. If you are undertaking an apprenticeship at Level 3 or higher, then you will automatically be enrolled in Level 2 Functional Skills.
EPA is the name given to a series of tests that an apprentice must complete at the end of their apprenticeship in order to receive their certificate. The EPA confirms apprentices are capable of undertaking the job that they have been trained to do. These tests are undertaken with an external organisation (known as an end point assessment organisation) to remove any bias from the examination process. The employer will choose the end point assessment organisation and PMA will support them to obtain information pertinent to this if needed.
When apprentices enrol on an apprenticeship, they study various units covering a wide range of relevant topics for their job enhancing their knowledge, skills and behaviours. This is often referred to as being ‘on programme’ and apprentices must complete all of the mandatory components of this including Functional Skills where appropriate.
Once this is completed, it is at this point the employer, after discussion with their apprentice and PMA, ‘signs off’ their apprentice as ready for EPA. This decision process is known as the ‘gateway’ to End Point Assessment.
The apprentice must be assessed by a minimum of 2 different assessment methods and the methods used will be the ones most relevant to the job.
| End-point assessment methods | Duration | Grading options |
| Multiple choice test | 45 minutes | Fail/Pass |
| Demonstration of practice | 100 minutes | Fail/Pass/Distinction |
| Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence | 60 minutes | Fail/Pass/distinction |
