FdA Health and Social Care (Assistant Practitioner: Higher Apprenticeship Route)
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-25 | - |
Program Overview
Course Details
Our higher apprenticeship is suitable for new and existing health and social care support staff who have direct contact with patients, service users or clients, and demonstrate the potential to take on the greater responsibilities and challenges of the Assistant Practitioner role. Offering the best combination of theory and practice, study at the University complements learning in the workplace, supporting apprentices to develop the core skills, knowledge, values and behaviours required to fulfil the role of Assistant Practitioner.
Our flexible programme recognises the wide range of health and social care environments and their specific challenges. We'll work with you to devise individual learning agreements and job descriptions for each of your apprentices. This will ensure they fulfil the core and essential criteria of the higher apprenticeship and develop the additional skills and knowledge your organisation requires for the specific clinical or professional area.
This higher apprenticeship allows you to offer structured training and a nationally recognised qualification in health and social care, helping you attract the best new talent and retain valued support staff through career progression. Integrating study into the normal working week allows apprentices to put their new skills and understanding into practice without delay, benefitting patients and service users immediately. Our focus is on helping your apprentices become knowledgeable, compassionate, and person-centred care professionals.
If you're looking for undergraduate-level training in this subject area but don't work for an employer that offers apprenticeships, please see our related courses section for details of study opportunities that don't require current employment.
Highlights
Key Features
Program Outline
Assistant Practitioners have direct contact with patients, service users or clients and work as part of the wider health and social care team to provide high-quality and compassionate care. Occupying the crucial gap in care delivery between a care support worker and a registered practitioner, the job title of Assistant Practitioner is applied to a wide variety of roles developed locally by employers to meet individual service needs.
Assistant Practitioners can be found working in a range of areas across health and social care, such as acute, social care services, community, physiotherapy, mental health, general practice, hospice care, genito-urinary medicine, orthopaedics, occupational therapy, cancer services, and learning disabilities, as well as in hybrid roles that cross traditional occupational areas.
What can I do with this qualification?
To become an Assistant Practitioner, apprentices will need to demonstrate their mastery of the core knowledge and skills defined by the higher apprenticeship standard along with the additional skills and knowledge based on your requirements as their employer. These will depend on the clinical or professional area in which they are working to allow for an integrated approach and skills escalation.
Some of the key transferable skills successful apprentices will possess include communication skills, teamwork, and negotiation, as well as the ability to present ideas and arguments, work independently, and reflect on and review progress.
After successfully completing the higher apprenticeship and achieving the Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care (Assistant Practitioner), your employees may be able to progress to one of the BSc (Hons) Nursing degrees or degree apprenticeships offered by the University of Bolton. Alternatively, they may benefit from stand-alone professional development modules in additional areas of professional practice or interest.
