(Date updated: 09/05/2023)
Key information
Version: 1.1
Level: 2
Typical duration to gateway: 12 months
Typical EPA period: 3 months
Maximum funding: £3,000
Date updated: 30/11/2022
Approved for delivery: 19 May 2016
Lars code: 103
Example progression routes: Senior healthcare support worker
Occupation summary
This occupation is found in the health and care sectors. Healthcare Support Workers work in a range of healthcare settings, for example in a hospital, General Practice, as part of a community team and in individuals’ homes where their wider team may include workers from both health and social care. They can also be found in social care settings where the scope of the role they carry out requires them to be responsible for a range of clinical tasks. These roles are becoming more common as health and social care services in some areas become integrated or where residential and nursing homes are caring for residents who have health and care needs, are unwell or reaching the end of their life but have not been transferred to a hospital or primary care setting.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide high quality and compassionate person-centred care and support based on individual needs and setting. Daily activities for a Healthcare Support Worker will vary according to the workplace and will be determined by the needs of the individuals they are caring for. Healthcare Support Workers will check the overall comfort, wellbeing and progress of individuals in their care. They support individuals with their daily activities including eating, drinking, washing, dressing or going to the toilet. They carry out clinical activities such as measuring and monitoring blood pressure, temperature or weight, checking wounds or applying dressings. They prepare individuals for healthcare activities carried out by other members of the healthcare team, looking after them before, during and/or after those activities in line with their care plan. They will also carry out non-clinical duties such as handling enquiries and signposting or escorting people, keeping records, making beds, tidying the work area, returning or cleaning equipment used during a clinical activity.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with
- Patients, service users, carers and their families
- Registered healthcare professionals, for example doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals
- Social care staff including registered managers, adult care workers and social workers
- Administration, management and other staff like cleaners, drivers, porters and receptionists
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for working within the limits of their competence and agreed ways of working to provide a defined range of healthcare tasks as part of the wider health and social care team. Healthcare Support Workers in health settings typically report to a registered healthcare practitioner who will directly or indirectly supervise their work. Healthcare Support Workers in adult social care settings typically report to a Registered Manager, Service Manager and, in the case of Personal Assistants, to the individual with whom they work. Healthcare Support Workers can address straightforward problems in their daily work, reporting concerns and changes to the appropriate person in a timely manner. They must communicate effectively and be able to adhere to strict standards, including legislation, when handling sensitive and confidential information. They must maintain a safe and healthy working environment and keep their knowledge and skills up to date through continuous professional development.
Typical job titles include:
Healthcare assistant; Healthcare support worker; Mental health support worker; Nursing assistant; Personal assistant; Support worker
Occupation duties
DUTY / KSBS
Duty 1 Act within the limits of own competence and within agreed ways of working, following the relevant local and national standards, policies and protocols used in the workplace
- K1 K2 K3 K4
- S1 S2 S3 S4
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 2 Monitor the health and well-being of individuals in your care
- K5 K6 K7 K8 K9
- S5 S6 S7 S8 S9
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 3 Assist individuals to maximise their independence
- K10 K11
- S10 S11
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 4 Contribute to the daily running and administration of an effective and efficient service or team
- K12 K13 K14
- S12 S13 S14
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 5 Use communication methods and techniques to overcome barriers and meet individuals’ wishes, preferences and needs
- K15 K16
- S15 S16
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 6 Promote the health and wellbeing of individuals
- K17
- S17
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 7 Record, report and store information related to individuals
- K18 K19
- S18 S19
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 8 Maintain own and others’ safety at work
- K20 K21 K22
- S20 S21 S22
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 9 Maintain and further develop your own skills and knowledge
- K23 K24 K25
- S23 S24 S25
- B1 B2 B3
Duty 10 Contribute to the quality of services by participating in improvement activities
- K26 K27
- S26 S27
- B1 B2 B3
KSBs
Knowledge
K1: The legislation, policies, standards, local ways of working and codes of conduct that apply to own role.
K2: The scope of practice, limitations of own competence and who to ask for support
K3: The principles of ‘person-centred care and support’, including principles of equality, diversity and inclusion, active participation, consent and choice
K4: The principles of a ‘duty of care’ and ‘safeguarding’, including the signs and types of abuse and ways to reduce the risk of abuse
K5: The signs and symptoms that an individual is in pain, distress or discomfort
K6: The signs and symptoms that an individual’s health and wellbeing is changing and ways to report changes
K7: Techniques and principles to perform basic life support
K8: The physiological states, their normal ranges and the correct tools or equipment used to measure them
K9: The importance of prescribed medication and the limitations of own role in relation to medication
K10: The principles of hydration, nutrition and food safety
K11: The activities of daily living and ways to support individuals in developing and maintaining their independence in carrying out these activities
K12: Local systems to order and manage supplies and stocks
K13: Methods to safely clean and dispose of materials and equipment, including ways to handle hazardous materials and substances
K14: Local systems to manage appointments, including IT and telephone systems, how and where to sign-post individuals
K15: Communication techniques to maximise understanding including for individuals with specific communication needs or wishes
K16: The meaning of ‘capacity’, the differences between mental illness, dementia and learning disability and the impact of these conditions on an individual’s needs
K17: The principles of health promotion, availability of services to support individuals with lifestyle choices and how referrals can be made if required
K18: Ways to record and store information securely and in line with national and local policy and legislation, including the safe use of technology
K19: The principles and organisational policies for confidentiality, duty of confidence and disclosure
K20: The principles of infection prevention and control and the importance of good personal hygiene, hand hygiene and correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
K21: The health and safety legislation, the principles of safe moving and handling of equipment and other objects and assistance of individuals
K22: The meaning of ‘risk’ in the workplace, ways to identify and raise concerns and own responsibilities in relation to incidents, errors and near misses
K23: The principles of continuing personal development and the local arrangements for appraisal and supervision
K24: The principles of the ‘Care Certificate’
K25: The principles of reflective practice
K26: The principles of ‘quality improvement’
K27: Ways to source evidence to support improvement in the workplace
Skills
S1: Work in line with legislation, policies, standards, local ways of working and codes of conduct that apply to own role
S2: Work within the scope of practice, the limits of own knowledge and skills, escalating and reporting to others when needed
S3: Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide safe non-discriminatory person-centred care and support in line with individual’s established consent
S4: Implement a duty of care, recognising and responding to safeguarding and protection concerns and acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm
S5: Recognise and respond to the signs and symptoms that an individual is in pain, distress or discomfort to maximise comfort and wellbeing
S6: Recognise and respond to changes in individuals’ health and wellbeing
S7: Perform basic life support
S8: Undertake physiological measurements, selecting and using the correct tools or equipment
S9: Assist the registered practitioner in encouraging individuals to take or use their prescribed medication
S10: Promote access to fluids and nutrition in line with an individual’s care plan
S11: Support individuals with activities of daily living to maximise independence in line with their desired outcomes and plan of care
S12: Contribute to the storage of supplies and equipment
S13: Contribute to the cleaning, disinfecting and disposal of materials and equipment
S14: Support others with appointments, enquiries and referrals
S15: Communicate with individuals using techniques designed to facilitate understanding
S16: Recognise and respond to limitations in an individual’s mental capacity
S17: Act on opportunities to support others to maximise their health, well-being and positive lifestyle choices
S18: Record and store information related to individuals securely and in line with local and national policies, including the safe use of technology
S19: Report and share information related to individuals securely and in line with local and national policies, maintaining confidentiality
S20: Maintain a safe and healthy working environment, using a range of techniques for infection prevention and control, including hand hygiene and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
S21: Move and handle equipment or other items safely and assist individuals
S22: Take action in response to identified concerns, risks, incidents or errors and near misses arising in the workplace
S23: Participate in appraisal and supervision to support ongoing personal development
S24: Participate in training and development activities including the Care Certificate Standards
S25: Reflect on own practice
S26: Contribute to improvement activities in the workplace, for example collecting and logging data for audit
S27: Use evidence to make suggestions for improving practice
Behaviours
B1: Treat people with dignity
B2: Show respect and empathy for those you work with
B3: Be adaptable, reliable and consistent
Qualifications
English and Maths
English and maths qualifications form a mandatory part of all apprenticeships and must be completed before an apprentice can pass through gateway. The requirements are detailed in the current version of the apprenticeship funding rules.