Senior Healthcare Support Worker Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard and Level 3 City & Guilds Diploma in Healthcare Support 

(4346-31)

As models of care within the NHS evolve to provide a multi-disciplinary, flexible workforce and healthcare and social care are increasingly integrated, the role of the Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) has become increasingly highlighted. In addition, a range of national drivers has resulted in an increase in the number of HCSWs employed in healthcare. Until recently, this role has not been clearly defined or regulated.

Incorporating the Senior Healthcare Support Worker Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard, this Level 3 City & Guilds Diploma in Healthcare Support course expects the learner to already possess the core practical skills and underpinning knowledge and theory to be a healthcare practitioner in a GP Practice or other healthcare settings.

Care Certificate

The candidate will have already obtained the Care Certificate, and this will be recognised as prior learning and taken into consideration during the learner journey.

If the Care Certificate has not yet been completed, the employer must support the learner to do so otherwise the learner will not be able to proceed to end point assessment.

Fees

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Duration: 24 Months

Location: Workplace

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, failure to do so will result in learners having to complete Functional Skills L2 in maths and English.

To be eligible for the apprenticeship learners will complete a self-assessment (skills scan) to assess their knowledge, skills and behaviours, will need to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and have the support of their line manager and employer.

This level is aimed at experienced HCSWs who are ready to demonstrate best practice and act as role models in addition to accepting more responsibility and accountability. The learner will be required to act as a supervisor to other team members.

Course overview

1. Level 3 City & Guilds Diploma in Healthcare Support (4346-31)

This qualification is for those individuals who wish to undertake an occupational qualification in Healthcare Support in England.

This qualification consists of mandatory units covering knowledge and skills competencies with optional specialisms which can be are combined in flexible ways to reflect the real working context of different learners.

This qualification allows candidates to learn, develop and demonstrate the skills and knowledge required for employment and/or career progression in healthcare. Opportunities may also be available to progress to an apprenticeship at level 5 such as the Assistant Practitioner in Healthcare or the Nursing Associate, or to higher education programmes, providing all entry requirements are met.

Structure

To achieve the City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support, learners must achieve: a total of 83 credits. 63 credits from the mandatory units and 20 credits from the optional group

This qualification is part of the Gateway requirements for the End-point Assessment for Senior Healthcare Support Worker.

2. Senior Healthcare Support Worker Standards

Typical duration to gateway: 24 months

Typical EPA period: 3 months

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in the health and care sector. Senior Healthcare Support Workers work in a range of settings for example in a hospital, as part of a community team, in a day-case unit, birthing centre, individual’s homes, operating theatres, nursing or care homes, hospices and in general practice.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to support registered healthcare professionals in the delivery of high quality and compassionate health and care services. A Senior Healthcare Support Worker will provide clinical, therapeutic or diagnostic care under the direct or indirect supervision of a registered healthcare professional.

For this standard, learners will complete 9 core standards plus one additional standard relevant to the job role; typically, in a GP surgery the following would be appropriate:

Adult Nursing Support

Providing care and support for adults as part of the nursing team. Some of the individuals the adult nursing support worker cares for will have short-term needs for example, if they have a wound that requires dressing. Others may have long-term conditions which affect them every day, all their lives. Many individuals will have more than one condition, and some will need round-the-clock care for all their personal needs including feeding, washing, going to the toilet as well as for their clinical needs.

The standards are designed to allow the learner to effectively demonstrate their knowledge, skills and behaviours in preparation for their end point assessments.

Career Progression

The Senior Healthcare Support Worker (SHCSW) apprenticeship standard has been recently revised to be delivered over 24 months (rather than 18 months) and includes a new mandatory level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support qualification. It is designed to prepare apprentices for progression into a registered health practitioner or health professional occupations, including nursing and midwifery. The SHCSW apprenticeship is an excellent preparation for higher education (HE) healthcare programmes and a key means to promote the career progression of your staff.

As a PMA student, I have recently completed a level 3 Senior Healthcare Support worker, alongside this diploma, I also had to study and pass function skills level 2.

I am a mum of four, who works full time and during my studying with PMA, has had personal commitments and life struggles as most people do.  I wondered when I began this course how it would fit in with childcare, family time, football practice, ballet classes, swimming lessons and everything else that parents must do in their daily routine.

Once I began studying, I was determined to complete the course early.  I wanted it done! I didn’t want to be studying long than needed.  I am driven to succeed and have a target and aim to achieve it. My aim was 12 months.  March to March.  It was difficult at times, to be able find the time to study, studying at work, studying at home. A few hours here and a few hours there. 

But what I found helpful was the encouragement from both my tutors, who told me to rest when I needed it but also gave me that last push too.  I achieved my goal of passing my Function skills Maths level 2 in Maths in February and I finally completed the diploma in March.

And now, I am in the process of applying to the Open University to study an Apprenticeship Nursing Degree, with the support of my employer.

Course Delivery

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-post 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.

What is off-the-job training (OTJ)?

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 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 a reflective journal

Functional Skills

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.

End Point Assessment (EPA)

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.

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