Senior Healthcare Support Worker - Advanced Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship Summary
The Advanced Apprenticeship in Senior Healthcare Support offers a valuable opportunity for both employers and aspiring healthcare professionals to meet the growing demand for high-quality, compassionate care across the health and care sector. Senior Healthcare Support Workers (SHCSWs) play a vital role in delivering clinical, therapeutic, and diagnostic care, supporting registered healthcare professionals in hospitals, community teams, GP practices, care homes, and more.
For employers, this apprenticeship helps build a skilled and confident workforce capable of working safely, independently, and within professional boundaries. Apprentices learn to provide person-centred care, handle complex needs, and contribute meaningfully to multidisciplinary teams across a range of specialist pathways—such as adult nursing, mental health, maternity, theatre support, and children and young people’s care. By investing in SHCSW apprenticeships, employers benefit from enhanced service quality, improved staff retention, and a workforce equipped with up-to-date skills aligned with national standards.
For apprentices, this programme is a gateway to a rewarding career. It combines on-the-job experience with structured training, empowering individuals to build specialist expertise while earning and making a real difference. Apprentices develop advanced clinical and communication skills, gain a deeper understanding of person-centred care, and learn to supervise others—all while working towards a recognised qualification that opens the door to further progression, including nursing and allied health roles.
Whether you’re an organisation looking to strengthen your team or an individual seeking a meaningful career in healthcare, the Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship is an investment in people, potential, and the future of care.
Entry Requirements
For the apprentice:
Although specific entry requirements are set by individual employers, the following entry requirements will apply to all applicants.
Age: Must be at least 16 years old.
Qualifications: GCSE Maths and English Grade C/4 or above, or be prepared to achieve Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Maths while undertaking the apprenticeship
Additional Requirements:
DBS Check: A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required, typically obtained through employment.
Commitment: Ability to commit to the full length of the programme and meet the programme modules through your job role.
Apprenticeship standard dates
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Anytime
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Bispham Campus
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Anytime
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Bispham Campus
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Anytime
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Bispham Campus
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Next steps
As an Employer
If you would like to offer this as an apprenticeship vacancy within your organisation, enrol one of your existing employees on this apprenticeship or simply find out more about supporting an apprenticeship within your organisation, please complete the Enquire Now form above and a member of our Business Development Team will be in touch within 2 working days to advise you on next steps.
As an Apprentice
If you are interested in securing an apprenticeship as a Senior Healthcare Support Worker, please visit our Vacancies page to check for any suitable roles.
If there are currently no roles available, please submit an enquiry form using the Enquire Now button above to register your interest. We will use this information to let you know when a suitable vacancy becomes available and also to advise you of any courses we offer that might advance your career goals in the meantime.
Key information
How will the Apprenticeship be funded?
As the employer
How your apprenticeship is funded will depend on whether or not you pay the Apprenticeship Levy. If you do pay the Levy, your apprenticeship will be funded out of this, provided you have sufficient monies available. If you do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy, 95% of the apprenticeship will be funded by the Government, with the remaining 5% being funded by you. There may also be some further incentives offered by the Government which we will be able to advise you of when setting up your apprenticeship. Either way, B&FC's Business Development Team will be on hand to help you navigate the funding arrangements and support you through this process.
As the apprentice
One of the benefits of an apprenticeship is that, as the apprentice, you are not required to fund your training. You will also receive a wage for the work that you do with minimum hourly rates set by the Government. Your employer can choose to pay you more than the minimum wage, but they cannot pay you less. For details of current minimum wage rates for apprentices, please visit the Government website.
Terms and conditions
Read our full terms and conditions.
What will my Apprentice learn?
The apprenticeship provides the knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed to provide high-quality, compassionate care across a variety of healthcare settings. The programme is structured around core modules and a chosen specialist pathway, ensuring both breadth and depth of learning.
- Core Knowledge and Skills: Apprentices will develop a strong foundation in person-centred care, communication, infection prevention, safeguarding, health and safety, and basic clinical procedures. They will also learn how to support individuals with dignity, respect, and empathy.
- Specialist Pathways: Depending on the apprentice's role, they will focus on one of the following areas:
- Adult Nursing Support – where they will learn to assist with personal care, monitor vital signs, support mobility, and help manage long-term conditions.
- Theatre Support – where they will gain skills in preparing theatre environments, supporting surgical teams, and caring for patients before and after procedures.
- Mental Health Support – where they will explore how to support individuals with mental ill health, promote recovery, and work collaboratively with families and professionals.
- Children and Young People Support – where they will look at child development, safeguarding, and how to deliver care in partnership with families and other services.
- Allied Health Profession Therapy Support – where they will learn to assist with therapeutic interventions, rehabilitation, and support individuals to regain independence.
Expert Tutors
All tutors involved in the delivery of courses and apprenticeships within the College are approved to teach the subjects and modules they deliver.
Our recruitment process ensures that tutors delivering a given programme are suitably qualified and, where appropriate, possess relevant technical and industrial experience and a familiarity with professional practice. This is especially important for apprenticeships where off-the-job training needs to align with apprentices' on-the-job experience.
How will the Apprenticeship be delivered?
The apprenticeship will typically be delivered over a 24-month period with additional time required to prepare for the End Point Assessment. Apprentices' time will typically be split 80:20 throughout the apprenticeship programme with four days a week spent at the employer premises learning on the job and one day a week spent off-site, undertaking classroom-based and workshop-based training at B&FC.
What support will I get from B&FC?
As the employer
Each employer is supported by an experienced member of our Business Development Team to set up their apprenticeship. For those employers who are completely new to the apprenticeship process, the Team will support them with all the necessary paperwork and administration to get their apprenticeship programme up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible. For existing employers, their dedicated Client Services Manager will be an ongoing point of contact for all their apprenticeship queries, however big or small.
We can also help employers who are looking to recruit new apprentices by advertising their vacancy, finding suitable applicants and supporting them with the interview and selection process. Once an apprentice is onboard, our Curriculum Tutors and Apprenticeship Trainers and Skills Coaches also step in to support the employer-apprentice relationship and ensure the apprentice is on track to succeed.
As the apprentice
In the first instance, we aim to give potential apprentices all the support they need to find a suitable apprenticeship. That can mean working with them prior to an application to improve their CV, hone their interview skills and advise them of any additional training that may help them secure an apprenticeship vacancy.
Once they start their apprenticeship, we continue to support them with their off-site training and with regular meetings with our Apprenticeship Trainers and Skills Coaches to ensure they are progressing and acquiring all the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will ensure they complete their apprenticeship successfully.
How will the Apprenticeship be assessed?
What is an end-point assessment and why it happens
An EPA is an assessment at the end of the apprenticeship. The EPA is the apprentice's opportunity to show an independent assessor how well they can carry out the occupation they have been trained for.
The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:
- fail
- pass
- distinction
When the apprentice passes the EPA, they will be awarded their apprenticeship certificate.
Assessment methods
- Portfolio of Evidence: Throughout the apprenticeship, apprentices will compile a portfolio of evidence that showcases their learning and achievements. This portfolio will include various forms of assessment such as written assignments, case studies and practical tasks.
- Written Assignments: These assignments will test apprentices' understanding of theoretical concepts and their ability to apply this knowledge to real-world scenarios.
- Case Studies: Apprentices will analyse specific situations, demonstrating their problem-solving skills and ability to provide appropriate care and support.
End-Point Assessment (EPA) Methods:
- Observation: Apprentices will be observed in their workplace by an independent assessor, demonstrating their practical skills and competencies in a real-world setting.
- Professional Discussion: This is a structured discussion between the apprentice and the assessor, focusing on the apprentice's portfolio of evidence and their experiences during the apprenticeship.
- Knowledge Test: A test to assess the apprentice's understanding of the theoretical knowledge required for the role.