Apprenticeship – Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Standard) – Level 3
Senior Healthcare Support Workers help registered practitioners to deliver healthcare services to people.
Course Summary
Course Information for Students
Who is this course for?
Senior Healthcare Support Workers help registered practitioners to deliver healthcare services to people. As an experienced support worker, you carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare or therapeutic tasks, under the direct or indirect supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner.
You provide high quality, compassionate healthcare, following standards, policies or protocols and always acting within the limits of your competence.
You may work in a range of services such as a hospital, community, health or day case unit, birth centre or midwifery-led unit, someone’s home, an operating theatre, a nursing or care home, an assessment centre, a hospice, a school, a prison, a GP surgery, a charity or a voluntary organisation. Your role could involve working in partnership with individuals, families, carers and other service providers.
Entry Requirements
Employers may select apprentices with prior experience as support workers.
What will you learn?
Mandatory Units:
- Health and wellbeing
- Duty of care and candour, safeguarding, equality and diversity
- Person-centred care, treatment and support
- Communication
- Personal, people and quality improvement
- Health, safety and security
Maternity Support Units:
- Assist with clinical tasks
- Assist with caring for babies
- Support mothers and birthing partners
Theatre Support Units:
- Assist healthcare practitioners with delegated clinical tasks
- Support individuals
- Equipment and resources
Mental Health Support Units:
- Assist with delegated clinical tasks and therapeutic interventions
- Support individuals
- Risk assessment and risk management
Children and Young People Units:
- Assist with clinical tasks
- Activities of daily living
- Child development
Therapy Support Units:
- Assist with delegated therapeutic or clinical tasks and interventions
- Support, educate and enable individuals with their health and wellbeing
- Equipment and resources
How will you learn?
The apprenticeship will be delivered in the workplace and at college.
What will you need to bring with you?
Your employer will need to provide you with any personal protective equipment (PPE) required legally and to help you undertake your role safely.
How will you be assessed?
Before going forward for end-point assessment, you must have completed:
- The 15 standards required by the Care Quality Commission (as set out in the Care Certificate)
- Level 2 Maths and English
- A specified regulated Level 3 occupational competence qualification
- A learning journal documenting and reflecting on your development (knowledge and skills) as well as your approach to the workplace (values and behaviours). The learning journal is completed during the three months leading up to the planned date of the end-point assessment.
The end-point assessment will consist of a:
- 60-minute multiple choice and short answer test
- 90-minute observation of practice
- Learning journal
- 30-60 minute interview
Where next?
You can move on to a higher level apprenticeship on completion of this qualification.
Who do you contact for more information?
For more information contact Derby College on 0800 0280289 or enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk
Is there any financial support available?
This will be discussed on application
Course Information for Employers
Apprenticeship summary
Senior Healthcare Support Workers help registered practitioners to deliver healthcare services to people. Experienced support workers 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 acting within the limits of their competence.
They may work in a range of services such as a hospital, community, health or day case unit, birth centre or midwifery-led unit, someone’s home, an operating theatre, a nursing or care home, an assessment centre, a hospice, a school, a prison, a GP surgery, a charity or a voluntary organisation. Their role could involve working in partnership with individuals, families, carers and other service providers.
Are they any entry requirements for my apprentice?
You may wish to select an apprentice with prior experience as a support worker.
What is required from the employer in the workplace?
- Support and training
- Paid time for the apprentice to study and attend College if they need to complete Functional Skills
- Communication with the assessor
- Reviews to be completed and signed in a timely fashion
Behaviours expected within the role
- Treat people with dignity, respecting each individual’s diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences
- Show respect and empathy for those they work with
- Have the courage to challenge areas of concern and work to best practice
- Be adaptable, reliable and consistent
- Show discretion, resilience and self-awareness
- Show supervisory leadership
What qualification will my apprentice gain?
- Care Certificate
- Level 3 Diploma in Clinical Healthcare Support or Maternity and Paediatric Support or Perioperative Support or Mental Health Care or Allied Health Profession Support (depending on the pathway chosen).
What will the assessment look like?
Will my apprentice need to come into college?
Before going forward for end-point assessment, the apprentice must have completed:
- The 15 standards required by the Care Quality Commission (as set out in the Care Certificate)
- Level 2 Maths and English
- A specified regulated Level 3 occupational competence qualification
- A learning journal documenting and reflecting on their development (knowledge and skills) as well as their approach to the workplace (values and behaviours). The learning journal is completed during the three months leading up to the planned date of the end-point assessment.
The end-point assessment will consist of the following:
- 60-minute multiple choice and short answer test
- 90-minute observation of practice
- Learning journal
- 30-60 minute interview
Is there any specialist equipment required?
You will need to provide your apprentice with any PPE required legally and to help them to undertake their role safely.
What progression can my apprentice expect after completion of their apprenticeship?
Your apprentice can move on to a higher level apprenticeship in the same occupational area on completion of this qualification.
What job roles will this apprenticeship be suitable for?
- Senior Healthcare Support Worker
- Senior Healthcare Assistant
- Maternity Support Worker
- Theatre Support Worker
- Mental Health Support Worker
- Children and Young People Support Worker
- Therapy Support Worker
- Rehabilitation Support Worker
- Enablement Worker
Will the college help me find an apprentice?
You may already have someone in your organisation or someone has come to you direct asking for an apprenticeship, but if you don’t we have a free recruitment service to help you hire the best candidate for your organisation from our talent pool and external advertising through social media and the national apprenticeship services website
Contact us
If you are an employer and you would like to know more, please email businessenquiries@derby-college.ac.uk or call 01332 387421
Career Information
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Course Information Last Updated On: March 11, 2026 2:02 pm
