The content of this Pathway has been agreed by Social Care Wales. This is the only Apprenticeship Pathway in the Health & Social Care sector approved for use in Wales that is eligible for Medr funding.
Learning Programme Content
The Learning Programme provision shall comprise of three mandatory elements:
Qualifications,
Essential Skills
On/off the job training
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 4 Pathway - Health and Social Care –Professional Practice in Health and Social Care is 45 credits with a maximum of 180 (dependant on the pathway taken).
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 4 Pathway - Health and Social Care –Independent Advocacy is 45 credits with a maximum of 180 (dependant on the pathway taken).
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 4 Pathway - Health and Social Care – Social Services Practitioner is 45 credits with a maximum of 180 (dependant on the pathway taken).
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 4 Pathway - Health and Social Care –Adult Placement / Shared Lives is 45 credits with a maximum of 180 (dependant on the pathway taken).
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 5 Pathway - Health and Social Care – Leadership and Management of Health and Social Care: Practice is 45 credits with a maximum of 180 (dependant on the pathway taken).
Entry requirements
The Professional Pathway for Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care
Services is suitable primarily for applicants who have experience in the sector.
They must be in a management or team leader/supervisory position currently, perhaps as an assistant manager or senior care worker position and are seeking to improve their progression opportunities and assist with the succession planning for managers within their employment situation. They may wish to move from one service area to another e.g. from working with adults to working with children and young people. The current post will determine the pathway to be completed.
Some employers may see this as an opportunity to develop their own future managers and offer ‘acting up’ positions for their staff who can be given additional responsibilities in order to complete the requirements of the qualifications.
Achievement at level 4 and 5 reflects the ability to identify and use relevant understanding, methods and skills to address broadly-defined, complex problems. It includes taking responsibility for planning and developing courses of action as well as exercising autonomy and judgement within broad parameters. It also reflects understanding of different perspectives, approaches or schools of thought and the reasoning behind them.
Applicants will require to be in a position that provides real life work opportunities that meet these criteria.
Applicants should ideally, have completed the Apprenticeship Pathway at Level 2 or 3,
or have the NVQ level 2, 3 or 4 in Health and Social Care or the level 2 or 3 Diploma in
Health and Social Care and are now acting as advanced practitioners, supervisors, deputy managers or managers. Applicants who have not completed these qualifications must have significant previous experience of working in supervisory or management positions in the sector.
The job roles covered by this Pathway do involve working with vulnerable adults and
children and are therefore liable to a clean enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service
checks (previously known as Criminal Records Bureau checks). In addition, there are a range of characteristics and personal attribute that are required for all workers in these sectors.
Some of the posts will be required to register with Social Care Wales from 2017 and therefore either hold or work towards qualifications within these Pathways. Details on the required qualifications linked to registration are shown on this link. Qualification framework for social care and regulated childcare in Wales | Social Care Wales
An initial assessment of each learner should be made before the start of their
programme to identify:
if the learner has any specific training needs,
support and guidance they may need when working towards their qualification,
the appropriate type and level of qualification.
It is highly likely that applicants will be asked to undertake (or will already have completed at interview) a variety of tests which will include communication skills, English (and/or Welsh) and problem solving. These are not meant as a barrier to entry but more to gauge the
ability of the applicant to achieve the programme and to tailor the individual learning plan to meet their needs and those of the employer. For existing staff it is certainly recommended that learning providers complete an initial Essential Skills Wales assessment that will demonstrate the likelihood for a candidate to be able to undertake the appropriate qualification. Good verbal and written communication in English and or Welsh is essential to high quality care practice as well as achieving the apprenticeship Pathway so it is essential this is in place.
Processes exist to make sure those applicants with relevant prior knowledge, qualifications and/or experience are not disadvantaged by having to repeat learning. Training providers, awarding organisations, and colleges will be able to advise on the current rules for accrediting prior learning and recognising prior experience. This may be particularly relevant if you are changing service areas e.g. from child care to adult care.
Since applicants will already be working in the sector or will have recently worked in the sector they can apply to have their experience formally recognised by an Awarding Body and this will count towards the qualifications in this Pathway
Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)
Level 4 - Professional Practice in Health and Social Care
Essential Skills Wales (ESW)
| Level 4 - Professional Practice in Health and Social Care | Level | Minimum Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 1 | 6 |
| Application of number | 1 | 6 |
Other additional requirements
Enhanced DBS checks are required and some offences may stop Apprentices from working in these sectors.
Progression
Progression into the Apprenticeship
Learners will be from different age groups, with differing backgrounds and experience. The
professional Pathway has been developed to provide scope and breadth for those in
and moving into leadership and management roles in the sector.
As a guide, applicants may enter via a range of routes including from:
Apprenticeships (level 2 or 3) and Professional Pathways in Advanced Practice,
via other qualifications (for example in management), work experience, unemployment but with previous related experience in Health and Social Care,
NVQ/QCF Diplomas at levels 2,3 or
knowledge qualifications relevant to health and social care (e.g. from colleges or
universities),
Social work qualifications and Nursing qualifications.
Progression from the Apprenticeship
Learners may progress from this Pathway onto further qualifications specific to their work. A
wide range of qualifications are available for use within the social care sector. These may
include specialist qualifications at any level, Higher Education Certificates or Diplomas,
foundation degree or degree courses in health and social care or other work-related
education and training to support continuing professional development.
Learners can also move to other parts of the sector, for example from adult care to the
children services or into the Health sector, completing additional sector and job-relevant
development and qualifications as appropriate
Equality and diversity
It is important that apprenticeship Pathways are inclusive and can demonstrate an active approach to identifying and removing barriers to entry and progression. Pathways should advance equality of opportunity between persons who share protected characteristics and those persons who do not as identified in the Equality Act 2010.
The protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity. Marriage and civil partnership is also included although only in respect of the requirement to eliminate discrimination in employment.
Training providers and employers MUST also comply with the other duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that applicants are not discriminated against in terms of entry to the industry based upon those nine protected characteristics.
Skills for Health and Skills for Care and Development (Care Council for Wales) are
very aware that the Health & Social Care Worker role is predominantly female. Care has traditionally been seen as 'jobs for women' and the need to attract more men into the profession to ensure care can be offered by men to men is important. In addition as traditional heavy industry jobs are lost in Wales more men are looking for work in the service industries and care and health are two of the largest employers in Wales. Gender imbalance is not unique to this Pathway as it is also an issue for the health, care and support sector as a whole.
It is equally important from our labour market intelligence that we must increase the numbers of Welsh speakers in social care and improve access to services through the medium of Welsh by this initiative. This will meet the Government expectation of More than Just Words and the Active Offer where people are offered and can receive their support through the medium of Welsh if they want to.
The SSCs will continue to raise awareness and the need to promote equality and value
diversity to employers, training providers and learners to try and encourage local
recruitment to reflect the community. The SSCs seeks to improve the equality and diversity monitoring of all the Apprenticeships via registration data and its certification of completions to assist with a better understanding of this issue.
In addition the responsible SSCs are currently undertaking a marketing strategy producing materials to promote and to engage both learners and employers. This has involved producing bilingual material, which promotes both younger people and male images in the sector.
Employment responsibilities and rights
Employment Responsibilities and Rights (ERR) is no longer compulsory. But it is recommended that all apprentices (especially the 16 years -18 year group) receive a company induction programme.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the Training Provider and Employer to ensure that the requirements of this pathway are delivered in accordance with the Welsh Government/Medr Apprenticeships Guidance.