Higher Apprenticeship - FdSc Assistant Practitioner (Health Studies)

Entry Requirements

NHS Trusts select potential apprentices and candidates are interviewed jointly during the admissions protocol. In order to enrol onto this programme, individuals must have Maths and English (GCSE grade 4/ C or Level 2 Functional Skills) or demonstrate through a BKSB assessment that they are working at that level and will be able to achieve this qualification. Candidates must also have their Care Certificate.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of Level 4 (Year 1), learners will be expected to achieve/ demonstrate the following:

• A sound knowledge, understanding and application of underlying concepts and principles to practice in healthcare.
• Apply scholarly conventions to inform evidence- based arguments.
• Professional skills, attitudes, ethical values and behaviours.
• Transferrable skills in relation to practice, including applying the role of reflection in learning.

By the end of Level 5 (Year 2), learners will be expected to achieve/ demonstrate the following:

• To conduct investigation, analysis and research, and critically evaluate academic sources when engaging with the principal debates in healthcare.
• To develop and apply knowledge of health promotion and causes and treatment/ management of disease to improve individual and population health.
• Practical skills and professional behaviours relevant to employment in the healthcare sector.

In addition to these course level learning outcomes, each module will have its own individual learning outcomes which will form the basis of the assessments.

For the full apprenticeship, candidates will complete:

• Level 5 Healthcare Assistant Practitioner (Health Studies) Apprenticeship Standard

Assessment

Training and assessments are delivered in the workplace and in college. Apprentices will be required to attend college-based sessions as part of their training, whilst also completing off-the-job training in the workplace. You will also complete assessments and observations in the workplace.

Assessments are varied and innovative, and are aimed to develop transferable skills to support employability. They include essays, journals, individual and group presentations, academic posters, reports, portfolio/ CPD building, professional discussion, examinations and exhibitions. Each module assessment has been considered alongside the knowledge, skill, and behaviours required in practice. Therefore, assessment activities have been designed to encourage theory- practice links, and to develop transferrable employability skills specific to the sector.

Progression

On this programme, Healthcare Assistant Practitioners will develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours. This also promotes opportunities for career progression and requires the apprentice to successfully complete an End Point Assessment, to demonstrate that they have met all the Healthcare Assistant Practitioner standards and required standards of competency.

Career Progression

As a higher apprenticeship, the learning outcomes and content have been designed so that the apprentice can embed academic learning in practice and can complete assignments around workplace scenarios, where possible. Transferable employability skills are embedded in the learning outcomes of the modules through the application of analytical thinking, problem solving, communication and reflective practice. In addition to the employability skills threaded throughout, specific modules encourage a particular focus on certain areas- for example, the Research in Practice module enables students to develop a research proposal based on their place of work to help improve service delivery. Successful completion of this apprenticeship programme provides students with the ability to work as an Assistant Practitioner.

Fees

September 2025, Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship course fees are subject to the age of the apprentice, and the size of the company.
 
For employers with less than 50 employees who do not pay the apprenticeship levy and who take on an apprentice who is aged between 16-21 at the start of their apprenticeship, there will be no direct cost and the full training costs will be covered by Government funding. If the apprentice is aged 22+ the government partially subsides the training costs and the employer will need to pay 5% of the costs. In the case of this course, the fee would be £700.
 
For an employer with more than 50 employees a 5% charge will be implemented regardless of the age of the apprentice which in this case would be £700.
 
A levy paying company will pay the full cost of the apprenticeship from their levy account which in this case would be £14,000.
 
Please note that course fees are to be paid by the employer and apprentices must not be asked to make a financial contribution toward their training.
 
To discuss apprenticeship course fees in more detail or for more information on recruiting an apprentice, please contact 01603 773365 or Apprenticeships@ccn.ac.uk.

September 2025, Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship course fees are subject to the age of the apprentice, and the size of the company.
 
For employers with less than 50 employees who do not pay the apprenticeship levy and who take on an apprentice who is aged between 16-21 at the start of their apprenticeship, there will be no direct cost and the full training costs will be covered by Government funding. If the apprentice is aged 22+ the government partially subsides the training costs and the employer will need to pay 5% of the costs. In the case of this course, the fee would be £700.
 
For an employer with more than 50 employees a 5% charge will be implemented regardless of the age of the apprentice which in this case would be £700.
 
A levy paying company will pay the full cost of the apprenticeship from their levy account which in this case would be £14,000.
 
Please note that course fees are to be paid by the employer and apprentices must not be asked to make a financial contribution toward their training.
 
To discuss apprenticeship course fees in more detail or for more information on recruiting an apprentice, please contact 01603 773365 or Apprenticeships@ccn.ac.uk.

Where Next?