Biomedical scientists are subject to statutory regulation by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The HCPC sets the standards of proficiency required for entry to the professional register and these are the occupational standards for registered Biomedical scientists. The HCPC also has the statutory duty to set requirements of programmes necessary to support the achievement of the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the standards of proficiency and the KSBs in the occupational standard. The apprenticeship standard and the delivery of the apprentices training must be aligned to all relevant HCPC standards to ensure that apprentices are eligible for entry to the HCPC register on completion. It is against the law for anyone to work as a Biomedical scientist without being registered with the HCPC. The end-point assessment (EPA) assesses whether apprentices have also passed the apprenticeship and is based on the same professional knowledge, skills and behaviours as the occupational standard.
This document sets out the requirements for EPA for the Biomedical scientist statutory integrated apprenticeship standard. It is for the end-point assessment organisations (EPAO), that must be an HCPC Approved Education Provider, who need to know how EPA for this apprenticeship must operate. It will also be of interest to apprentices, their employers and HCPC Approved Education Providers.
Apprentices will typically spend 36 months on-programme working towards the occupational standard.
The EPA period should only start, and the EPA be arranged, once the employer and HCPC Approved Education Provider are satisfied that the apprentice is consistently working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard and all of the pre-requisite gateway requirements for EPA have been met. It is expected that the gateway will be reached on completion of the final module and before the Approved Education Provider’s examination board.
The apprentice must have achieved English and maths qualifications in line with the apprenticeship funding rules.
The EPA period is expected to last a maximum of 1 month beginning when the apprentice has passed the EPA gateway.
The EPA will determine the overall apprenticeship standard and grades of:
This apprenticeship has a statutory integrated EPA. The EPA will use the assessment arrangements in use for other entry routes into this occupation and will be completed simultaneously, as outlined in this EPA plan. Alignment of the integrated EPA is permitted because the following criteria are met:
- Parliament has prescribed that the occupation (profession) must be regulated and a statutory regulator has undisputed control of access to the occupation.
- The statutory integrated EPA meets the requirements of an apprenticeship