Course Overview
Healthcare support staff can work in a variety of different settings within the NHS and private care facilities. The role of the support staff is to provide assistance to healthcare professionals in diagnosing, treating and caring for patients. The Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support provides learners with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to work in a range of healthcare support settings. The content of the qualification also aligns with the knowledge and skills required for the Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship standard. The content is applicable to a variety of roles, examples of which are: adult nursing support, maternity support, theatre support, mental health support, children and young people’s support, allied health profession (therapy support).
What will I learn?
The qualification is formed of mandatory and optional units. The mandatory units cover core competencies whilst the optional units allow learners to choose from a variety of specialist areas to tailor the qualification to their needs, interests and to reflect the context of their work.
There are 15 mandatory units to this course:
- Promote communication in care settings
- Promote effective handling of information in care settings
- Promote personal development in care settings
- Promote person-centered approaches in care settings
- Promote equality and inclusion in care settings
- Promote health, safety and well-being in care settings
- Responsibilities of a care worker
- Duty of care in care settings
- Safeguarding and protection in care settings
- The principles of infection prevention and control
- Causes and spread of infection
- Cleaning, decontamination and waste management
- Understand mental health problems
- Understand mental well-being and mental health promotion
- Study skills for senior healthcare support workers
Optional units will be discussed with the learner and assessor upon application to the course.
Study, Assessment and Qualifications
All units are assessed by a designated assessor using a range of methods. This will include direct observations in the workplace, a portfolio of evidence and written assignments.
Learners must achieve a minimum of 65 credits to gain this qualification. Learners must achieve 45 credits from the mandatory units and a minimum of 20 credits from the optional units. At least 37 of the credits must be achieved at level 3 or above.
All units are internally assessed by your Tutor or Assessor using a portfolio of evidence. Please note, mandatory assessment for the unit ‘Study Skills for Senior Healthcare Support Workers’ (DHS 15) must provide evidence of a piece of extended writing or a project.
Entry Requirements
Learners will need to be working or on a practical placement in a setting for the duration of the course as they need to show competence in both skills and knowledge.
Additional Costs and Information
Duration of the course is 24 months.
