There are a wide variety of apprenticeships in Health and Social Care that are not solely restricted to clinical roles, but include numerous support roles too.
Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) play an important role in modern Health and Social Care services. They are a diverse group of clinicians who deliver high-quality care to patients and clients across a wide range of care pathways and in a variety of different settings.
Discover a universe of opportunities for your future AHP career by exploring the roles available to see if it is the right thing for you.
- Occupational therapy is a rewarding career that requires a highly developed knowledge and professional skill-set to enable them to work across a range of settings and environments. Occupational therapists work with individuals from birth to end of life, including people with physical and mental health conditions, injuries, learning disabilities, long-term conditions, palliative care needs and with those who find themselves displaced from their societies.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
Occupational Therapy Apprenticeship
- Physiotherapy is a science-based profession. Physiotherapists work with individuals and their families and carers, from birth to end of life and in a wide range of Health and Social Care settings. They lead and deliver programmes and interventions to help people affected by injury, ageing, illness or disability. Physiotherapists use a range of physical and psychological treatment approaches, including movement, exercise and manual therapy, to optimise an individual’s mobility, function and quality of life.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
- Podiatrists are Healthcare professionals specialising in the lower limb (feet, ankles, legs), providing high quality clinical care to people of all ages.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
- The role of a therapeutic radiographer is to provide excellent care to patients diagnosed with cancer by delivering high quality and accurate radiotherapy, whilst ensuring to take into consideration the patients’ emotional, psychological, and physical needs through each stage of their cancer treatment.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
Therapeutic Radiographer Apprenticeship
- The role of a diagnostic radiographer is to provide excellent patient care by obtaining images of a high diagnostic quality using a range of complex imaging equipment. This includes imaging using x-rays and cross-sectional imaging methods (computed tomography or CT), fluoroscopy and interventional radiology.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
Diagnostic Radiographer Apprenticeship
- Speech and language therapists provide life-changing treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing. They help people who, for physical or psychological reasons, have problems speaking and communicating.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
There are a number and variety of healthcare support roles available where you can say, support the care for the elderly, provide hospitality, work in administration, finance or even cyber security (which is a growing sector). There is a perfect role to suit your own strengths and interests. A few examples are listed below to give you an idea of what is available, but you can find out more here.
- These types of apprenticeship are aimed at those interested in working in administration, secretarial and/or PA roles and mostly not in direct patient facing roles, for example:
- Administrative staff provide essential support to doctors, scientists, nurses and other healthcare professionals. There is a wide choice of roles and places to work. For those who enjoy dealing with patients and their relatives, there is the option to work as a receptionist in a clinic or a clerk on a ward. Alternatively, there is the option to work in offices that have no patient contact, with a role in Human Resources or as a medical secretary for example.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 2 and 3 – click below to find out more.
- IT and digital professionals along with other Information & Community Technology (ICT) play an essential role in each patient journey, from diagnosis to recovery. These not only include allied health professionals, nurses and doctors, but IT and digital professionals; everyone who works in the NHS has a role to play in supporting patients.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 3 – click below to find out more.
- Where ICT staff are responsible for all internal and external electronic communication networks, including all hardware, for example desktop computers, tablets etc., and software such as electronic mail (email), there are also IT and digital professional roles such as in cyber security.
- Cyber security has become extremely important in the health and social care sectors where record keeping and the holding of patient information has transferred from paper to digital formats. Patient health information is an asset that requires a high level of confidentiality and protection.
- The purpose of these types of roles, are to provide front-line support that requires the close monitoring and detection of any potential security threats.
- This type of apprenticeship will show you how to apply procedures and mechanisms to maintain security and to process requests in a confidential manner.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 4 – click below to find out more.
- There are other non-clinical areas in which you can work that includes Corporate Services, Domestic Services and Estates.
- Finance staff may be based in office areas of hospitals and health centres or in headquarters buildings. They work closely with admin staff and others in the wider healthcare team. They may also work with clinical and non-clinical managers. Most finance staff have little or no contact with patients.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 3 – click below to find out more.
- Domestic services staff make sure hospitals are clean, comfortable places and prepare and serve food for patients and staff.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 2 – click below to find out more.
- The adult care sector continues to grow at an advanced rate. By 2035 the sector will need up to 520,000 more workers to meet this growing demand for care and support. There are more than 90 different roles to choose from and plenty of opportunities to progress.
- Even if you have never worked in adult social care before, you may have transferable skills that employers recognise and are able to provide development opportunities to put these transferable skills into action.
- The variety of roles now available in Social Care include not only direct care roles, such as Health Support and Adult Care Workers but also other ancillary and support roles, for example Cook or Kitchen Assistant; Housekeeper or even a Driver or Transport Manager.
- Adult Care Workers are the frontline staff who help adults with care and support needs to achieve their personal goals and live as independently and safely as possible, enabling them to have control and choice in their lives.
- Job titles might include: Care Assistant, Care Worker, Support Worker, Personal Assistant, Relief Team Worker, Support Worker – Supported Living, Key Worker in Residential Settings, Key Worker in Domiciliary Services, Key Worker in Day Services, Home Care Support Worker, Substance Misuse Worker, Learning Disability Support Worker, Mental Health Support Worker, Mental Health Outreach Worker and Re-enablement Worker.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 2 and 3 – click below to find out more.
Senior Healthcare Support Worker
- After a period of working and gaining experience, you may be able to work towards an Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate post.
- Apprenticeship qualification(s) available: Level 5 – click below to find out more.
Associate Continuing Healthcare Practitioner
- There are a number of ‘back office’ support roles that include administration, HR, Finance and Marketing as well as ancillary roles that includes Maintenance, Cook or Kitchen Assistant. These are roles that don’t involve direct care but are vital to the smooth running of an organisation.
- Apprenticeship qualification(s) available: Level 2 – click below to find out more.
Housing and Property Management Assistant
Professional & Management Roles
- Regulated and professional roles mean you have to be registered with a regulated body to practice. They require relevant qualifications which might include an undergraduate degree or diploma. However, did you know you can now become a Social Worker by undertaking an apprenticeship? There are other professional roles for example, Occupational Therapy and other management roles too. These roles involve managerial responsibility where you could be responsible for managing a small team, or be the CEO of an organisation.
- Apprenticeship Integrated Degree qualification(s) available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
Being a healthcare assistant is a responsible and rewarding role, having a direct impact upon patients’ lives. Healthcare assistants are often described as the bedrock of the Nursing service. The title ‘Healthcare Assistant’ covers a range of occupations including nursing assistant, clinical support workers, nursing auxiliaries and therapy assistants.
A healthcare assistant provides personal care duties for patients and provides vital assistance to healthcare professionals in diagnosing, treating and caring for patients. Healthcare assistants can work in therapy and assist physiotherapists, radiographers, podiatrists, speech therapists, dieticians and occupational therapists. Their duties might include preparing patients for therapy and setting up any equipment required.
Being a healthcare assistant is a rewarding support role with a direct impact on patient experience and offers an ideal entry route to a wide range of NHS careers.
Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 2
- The position of nursing associate is a new role within the nursing team. Nursing associates work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver care for patients and the public.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 5 – click below to find out more.
Nursing Associate Apprenticeship
- Midwives provide care and support to women and their families while pregnant, through labour and during the period after a baby’s birth.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 6 – click below to find out more.
- Healthcare scientists are technical specialists who work in a number of areas, for example: life sciences, physiological sciences, physical sciences and biomechanical engineering and bioinformatics. Not all healthcare scientists work in laboratories; where they work mainly examining body tissue and blood. Those who work in physical sciences often have direct patient contact and work on hospital wards. Overall, healthcare scientists have specialist technical skills that they use to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses.
- Healthcare Science Assistants carry out routine technical and scientific procedures and support within hospitals, doctor surgeries and other healthcare settings for a wide range of people.
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 2 – click below to find out more.
- Healthcare Science Assoicates work in hospitals, primary care and other healthcare settings, carrying out routine technical and scientific procedures. They support healthcare science (HCS) practitioners and clinical scientists
- Apprenticeship qualification available: Level 4 – click below to find out more.