Course Details

Care work is a very rewarding job and one to be proud. You will make such a difference to someone’s life, be it big or small and we want to help you make certain that you are learning and developing to the highest standard. The Service Users you will encounter are all different, with physical, practical, social, emotional or intellectual challenges, by practicing an ethical attitude; you will ensure that the Service User’s independence, dignity and control are all at the forefront of your mind.

Other skills that are important are leadership, observation and ensuring great standards when delivering care, being influential in improving the health and wellbeing of the Service Users and the supervision of colleagues. Delegation is key within care work and you will be given tasks to complete and also be expected to delegate tasks also. Being Independent and taking responsibility for setting a high standard of care is paramount, as well as continuous development throughout your career.

The Level 3 standard covers all areas of care, from working within Nursing or Residential homes, to domiciliary care and other clinical healthcare settings, covering the Lead Adult Care Workers skills, knowledge and behaviours within the criteria. It also covers personal assistants working individually with patients, again, covering the duty and standard of care to work to a senior level.

Off the Job Training

A key requirement of an Apprenticeship is Off-the-job training. This must make up at least 20% of the apprentice’s contracted hours, over the total duration of the apprentice’s planned training period. Off-the-job training must be directly relevant to the apprenticeship standard and must take place within the apprentice’s normal working hours. The new learning must be documented and reflected on through the Learner Journal on e-portfolio (OneFile).

The Apprentice will need to be in a relevant role and show a willingness to undertake the knowledge, skills and behaviours required. They will also need to have Level 2 Maths and English (GCSE at Grade 4/C or above or equivalent) or be prepared to attend a block study period for Maths and English if this is required.

Undertake the Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result prior to starting

Apprentices may be required to attend an interview and undertake relevant skills assessments.

Once they have been accepted on to the programme all apprentices will be required to attend a Lincoln College Induction. Apprentices will require access to a tablet/computer to access their e-portfolio (OneFile).

Assessment is done through a combination of practical tasks, written assignments, oral discussions and online tests throughout the programme. To ensure that we can support you to meet these, we will complete an in-depth initial skills analysis to ensure that we can tailor our delivery to meet these unique requirements.

We will then use the most relevant delivery methods to support your learners which include:

• Individual visits from their assessor, who will be allocated at the beginning of the course.
• Work based assignments and case studies.
• Shadowing and Mentoring E-Portfolios and e-learning.
• Employer led in house training for mandatory subjects (e.g. safeguarding, moving and positioning and medication).
• Independent learning and research as directed by the assessor.
• Review of progress every 4-10 weeks, depending on individual need.

End Point Assessment

There will be an End Point Assessment (EPA) as the final stage of an Apprenticeship. The Apprentice must demonstrate their learning to an independent end point assessor and the overall grade available is distinction, merit, pass or fail. This will only take place when the, Care Certificate, Diploma & English/Maths is achieved and all parties agree that the apprentice is ready for the EPA.

The EPA consists of the following two assessment methods: Situational judgement test The situational judgement test will present the candidate with a range of real-life scenarios about which the learner will have to answer questions in a multiple-choice format (60 questions). The assessment will normally be undertaken online, under controlled conditions with a time limit applied. Questions will draw from the stated knowledge and skills elements of the standard and focus on the higher order competencies. Material may be drawn from any part of the apprenticeship standard.

There is an option for a pass, merit or distinction and it is our aim to enable the apprentice to develop the necessary skills to achieve a merit or distinction. Professional discussion A professional discussion will be undertaken with an independent assessor. The discussion will be of no more than 45 minutes duration. Candidates can only apply to undertake the discussion component once the multiple-choice assessment has been achieved.

Qualifications

Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for England (QCF) Level 3. This qualification, promoted and valued by employers, is achieved by a combination of direct teaching and self-directed learning. The Care Certificate must be achieved as part of the apprenticeship standard and provided and assessed by the employer. Ideally in the 1st 6 weeks of employment. If not yet achieved, College can provide details of how to achieve it.

Progression

Advancement at work will provide apprentices with the opportunity to continue to a level 5 Leader in Adult Care apprenticeship.