Associate Continuing Healthcare Practitioner

Role Overview

The associate continuing healthcare practitioner role is found in a wide variety of organisations that oversee health and social care services such as Clinical Commissioning Groups, social services and community healthcare services.

Continuing Healthcare services provide care for over 60,000 people over the age of 18 annually across England. It is estimated that 70% are in nursing homes, and 30% have care in their own homes.

As an associate continuing healthcare practitioner, you play a key role in the assessment of an individual’s complex health and social care needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness, and the planning and commissioning of the services for these individuals. You also act as the first point of contact for individuals and their carers offering support, care and advice about the service and for young adults and their family who are transitioning from children’s continuing care into this adult continuing healthcare service.

You liaise with nurses, social workers, doctors and other health and social care colleagues involved in planning, reviewing and delivering services provided to the individual guiding them with expert knowledge of the specialist continuing healthcare regulations and in line with the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare, related
legislation and policy.

In most instances your role is overseen by a registered health or social care professional such as a nurse, social worker or occupational therapist and you will also have line management or supervisory responsibility for junior members of the team, acting as a role model, planning and managing their work.

Your role will be primarily office-based but you will also visit individuals in their homes or in health and social care settings.

Entry Requirements

Whilst any entry requirements will be a matter for individual employers, typically an apprentice might be expected to have already had 2 years experience in a carer capacity for a health or social care provider organisation, or have worked within a Continuing Healthcare team.

Programme Qualifications

Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End Point Assessment. End point assessment is a synoptic assessment of the knowledge, skills and behaviours you have learned during your apprenticeship.

Programme Requirements

To meet the skills, knowledge and behaviour requirements of the apprenticeship standard and to be consistently working at or above the level required of an associate continuing healthcare practitioner.
Complete a minimum of 6 hours learning and development per week through your studies and at work.
Collate a portfolio of evidence

Programme Delivery

You will receive support and guidance throughout your apprenticeship from a Skills &Development Coach who will be assigned to you at the start of your programme. Your Skills &Development Coach will be experienced in your
sector.

Your apprenticeship programme will be delivered as blended learning. Blended learning is a combination of both online and face to face delivery.

You will need to have good internet access and a suitable device such as a smartphone, laptop, or tablet to work on.
Microsoft Teams is used for coaching sessions and ZOOM is currently used for taught sessions.

You will need to check with your employer that access to ZOOM and Microsoft Teams is available and permitted if using a work device to complete your training.

Assessment Gateway

Your employer will make the decision that you are ready to go forward to End Point Assessment when you have achieved the mandatory requirements of the apprenticeship programme and you are consistently working at or above the level of an associate continuing healthcare practitioner. Gateway is a term used to signify you are now ready to go through to your end point assessment.

End Point Assessment

The End Point Assessment (EPA) is undertaken by an Independent Assessment Organisation, chosen by your employer and within a three month timeframe of passing Gateway.

The End Point Assessment comprises of two assessments

Assessment method 1: Work based observation and questioning

Assessment method 2: Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio