02 Mar 2021
Key Facts
Qualification purpose
Confirm occupational competence and/or ‘licence to practice’
Qualification Grading Type
Pass
Assessment Methods
Why choose Gateway Qualifications for this qualification?
Gateway Qualifications offers a range of innovative, flexible and dynamic vocational qualifications that are valued and meaningful and which will develop the skills necessary to gain employment or to progress through further study.
Rules of Combination
Learners must achieve a minimum of 65 credits with at least 37 credits at level 3 or above. This includes all units from the mandatory group totalling 45 credits. The remaining credits must be taken from the optional group with only a maximum of 16 credits taken at level 2.
Optional units selected must be appropriate to the apprentice role.
Units
Learners must achieve 45 credits from the mandatory group.
Causes and spread of infection
Cleaning, Decontamination and Waste Management
Duty of care in care settings
Promote communication in care settings
Promote effective handling of information in care settings
Promote equality and inclusion in care settings
Promote health, safety and wellbeing in care settings
Promote person-centred approaches in care settings
Promote personal development in care settings
Responsibilities of a care worker
Safeguarding and protection in care settings
Study Skills for Senior Healthcare Support Workers
The principles of infection prevention and control
Understand mental health problems
Understand mental well-being and mental health promotion
Learners must achieve at least 20 credits from the optional group.
Adapt and fit healthcare equipment, medical devices, assistive technology, or products, to meet individuals’ needs
Administer medication to individuals and monitor the effects
Administer oral nutritional products to individuals
Advise and inform individuals on managing their condition
Assist and support individuals to use alternative and augmentative communication systems (AAC)
Assist in implementing treatment programmes for individuals with severely reduced movement/mobility
Assist in planning and evaluating learning activities
Assist in testing individuals’ abilities prior to planning physical activities
Assist in the administration of medication
Assist in the administration of oxygen
Assist in the implementation of programmes to increase mobility, movement and functional independence
Assist individuals who have mental health problems when they are transferring between agencies and services
Assist others to monitor individuals’ progress in managing dysphagia
Assist others to plan presentations
Assist professionals to support individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to access speech and language therapy services
Assist the practitioner to carry out health care activities
Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act 2005
Care for individuals with naso-gastric tubes
Care for individuals with urethral catheters
Care for the elderly
Carry out arterial puncture and collect arterial blood
Carry out blood collection from fixed or central lines
Carry out intravenous infusion
Carry out vision screening
Carry out wound drainage care
Collaborate in the assessment of environmental and social support in the community
Collate and communicate health information to individuals
Communicate with individuals about promoting their health and wellbeing
Conduct external ear examinations
Conduct hearing assessments
Conduct routine maintenance on clinical equipment
Contribute to monitoring the health of individuals affected by health conditions
Contribute to the care of a deceased person
Contribute to the discharge of individuals to carers
Control the use of physical resources in a health setting
Coordinate the progress of individuals through care pathways
Deliver exercise sessions to improve individuals’ health and wellbeing
Deliver training through demonstration and instruction
Develop activities and materials to enable individuals to reach specific communication goals
Develop and prepare speech and language therapy resources for alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) use
Effective communication and building relationships in mental health work
Enable individuals to develop strategies to manage their behaviour
Enable individuals with mental health problems to develop alternative coping strategies
Enable mental health service users and carers to manage change
End of life and dementia care
Examine the feet of people with diabetes
Facilitate and monitor housing and accommodation services to support individuals with mental health needs
Facilitate learning and development activities to meet individual needs and preferences
Give presentations to groups
Human structure and functionality
Implement hydrotherapy programmes for individuals and groups
Implement therapeutic group activities
Inform an individual of discharge arrangements
Insert and secure nasogastric tubes
Interact with and support individuals using telecommunications
Maintaining quality standards in the health sector
Make recommendations for the use of physical resources in a health setting
Manage the availability of physical resources to meet service delivery needs in a health setting
Managing symptoms in end of life care
Manufacture equipment or medical devices for individuals within healthcare
Monitor and maintain the environment and resources during and after clinical/therapeutic activities
Monitor and review individuals progress in relation to maintaining optimum nutritional status
Monitor individuals’ progress in relation to managing their body weight and nutrition
Move and position individuals in accordance with their care plan
Obtain a client history
Obtain and test capillary blood samples
Obtain and test specimens from individuals
Obtain venous blood samples
Perform first line calibration on clinical equipment to ensure it is fit for use
Perform intravenous cannulation
Perform routine Electrocardiograph (ECG) Procedures
Prepare for and carry out extended feeding techniques
Prepare individuals for healthcare activities
Principles of Health Promotion
Promote positive behaviour
Promotion of general health and wellbeing
Provide advice on foot care for individuals with diabetes
Provide agreed support for foot care
Provide information and advice to individuals on eating to maintain optimum nutritional status
Provide support for individuals with communication and interaction difficulties
Provide support for leisure activities
Provide support for mobility
Provide support for sleep
Provide support to individuals to continue recommended therapies
Provide support to maintain and develop skills for every day life
Provide support to manage pain and discomfort
Recognise indications of substance misuse and refer individuals to specialists
Remove wound closure materials
Remove wound drains
Reprocess endoscopy equipment
Select and wear appropriate personal protective equipment for work in healthcare settings
Service improvement in the health sector
Support carers to meet the care needs of individuals
Support independence in the tasks of daily living
Support individuals at the end of life
Support individuals during a period of change
Support individuals during emergency situations
Support individuals during the last days of life
Support individuals in undertaking their chosen activities
Support individuals to access and manage direct payments
Support individuals to access and use information about services and facilities
Support individuals to access and use services and facilities
Support individuals to access education, training or employment
Support individuals to access housing and accommodation services
Support individuals to carry out their own health care procedures
Support individuals to develop and run support groups
Support individuals to eat and drink
Support individuals to live at home
Support individuals to manage continence
Support individuals to manage dysphagia
Support individuals to manage their finances
Support individuals to manage their own recovery from mental health problems
Support individuals to meet personal care needs
Support individuals to prepare for and settle in to new home environments
Support individuals undergoing healthcare activities
Support individuals who are bereaved
Support individuals who are distressed
Support individuals with cognition or learning difficulties
Support individuals with specific communication needs
Support individuals with speech and language disorders to develop their communication skills
Support positive risk taking for individuals
Support the spiritual wellbeing of individuals
Supporting individuals with loss and grief before death
Understand Advance Care Planning
Understand care and support planning and risk management in mental health
Understand end of life care for individuals with specific health needs
Understand long term conditions and frailty
Understand mental health interventions
Understand the administration of medication
Understand the context of supporting individuals with learning disabilities
Understand the legal, policy and service framework in mental health
Understand the process and experience of dementia
Understanding Suicide Interventions
Undertake agreed pressure area care
Undertake personal hygiene activities with individuals
Undertake physiological measurements
Undertake stoma care
Undertake tissue viability risk assessments
Undertake treatments and dressings of lesions and wounds
Undertake urethral catheterisation processes
Work in partnership with families to support individuals
Tutor/Assessor Requirements
See assessment principles.
Internal Quality Assessor Requirements
See assessment principles.
What is the purpose of this qualification?
The qualification forms part of the mandatory requirements of the Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship Standard. The Standard was facilitated by Skills for Health and in partnership with Health Education England, unions and professional bodies.
The Standard sets out the requirements for 6 occupational areas and each specifies the qualification and endpoint assessment requirements.
This qualification meets the on programme requirements for:
Option 1 – Senior HCSW (Adult Nursing Support)
Option 4 – Senior HCSW (Mental Health Support)
Option 6 – Senior HCSW (Allied Health Profession - Therapy Support).
It may be delivered as part of an apprenticeship or as a standalone qualification.
What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?
Senior Healthcare Support Workers help registered practitioners deliver healthcare services to people. An experienced support worker, will carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare or therapeutic tasks, under the direct or indirect supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner. They provide high quality, compassionate healthcare, following standards, policies or protocols and always act within the limits of their competence. They may work in a range of services eg hospital, community, health or day case unit, someone’s home, 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.
How is this qualification different from other, similar qualifications?
This qualification replaces the current qualification for the Health and Social Care SASE framework and any new apprentices will require this qualification as part of the Senior Healthcare Support Worker standards for the new trailblazer apprenticeship.
Which sector does this qualification support?
This qualification is a mandatory part of training programme for apprentices prior to completing end point assessment. The optional units can support end point assessment for the following options: adult nursing support, mental health support, allied health profession – therapy support.
After a period of working and gaining experience, learners may be able to work towards an Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate post or, providing they meet the entry requirements, apply to university to become a registered healthcare practitioner.
Which job roles does this qualification support?
The qualification enables the learner to achieve the core NOS identified in the Skills for Health specification for a senior healthcare support worker: Communication, Person development, Values and behaviours, Health and wellbeing, Responsibilities, Safeguarding.
What are the progression options?
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.
Progression & Entry Requirements
When recruiting, employers may select apprentices with prior experience as a support worker. Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.Funding information
Learning Aims Search
The Hub provides a Learning Aims Search which you can use to check the funding status of any qualification or unit.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Hub website
Additional funding information for qualifications included in National Skills Fund level 3 offer for adults
This qualification is included in the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) National Skills Fund level 3 offer for adults.
Qualifications included in the National Skills Fund – level 3 adult offer will be fully funded from April 2021 for any adult aged 24 and over who wants to achieve their first full level 3 qualification.
A funding uplift is provided for the level 3 adult offer based on guided learning hours which is based on the following:
- Qualifications of 360 guided learning hours or above – £600 per qualification
- Qualifications of 359 guided learning hours or below – £150 per qualification
We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.
This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.