A blend of on-the-job and academic learning

Most of your learning will be on-the-job and led by your employer. However, you will come into university for one day per week (45 weeks of the year), during which you will attend lectures, tutorials, seminars, debates, and practice-based workshops. You may also need to come into university for an extra ‘skills week’ each year.

Placements

As well as working in your paid role, you must also complete 460 hours of placements in other environments (about 20% of the apprenticeship). We will need the support of your employer to find these placement opportunities. You will have a Practice Supervisor on each placement who will provide guidance, support, and valuable feedback.

Please be aware that you are expected to travel up to 90 minutes each way to get to a placement, and to work the shift hours set by that organisation.

How you are assessed

You will be assessed on both the practical and academic parts of the course by a Practice Assessor and an Academic Assessor. They will regularly discuss your progress. You will need to record your completed proficiencies, placement hours, supervisor meetings and more, in a practice assessment document.

Your university work will be assessed in a variety of ways, including through poster presentations, exams, essays, assignments, and case-based discussions.

After you have completed the two-year programme, within three months you will need to complete an End Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA is a process that ensures you have met the requirements for the apprenticeship.