PgCert Enhanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship

New apprenticeship for January 2025
Enhanced Clinical Practitioner
Applications are now open, find out more by coming along to one of our Enhanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship Online Information Sessions.
  • Wednesday 2 October 2024
  • Thursday 10 October 2024
If you have an enquiry about any of the apprenticeships at the University of Plymouth, please complete the below form.
Enquiry form
You can also call us on +44 1752 583625
Office hours are Monday – Friday, 08:30–16:30
Apprentices must hold the following:
  • GCSE Maths Grade C/4 or above, or Functional Skills Level 2 Maths or equivalent.
  • GCSE English Grade C/4 or above, or Functional Skills Level 2 English or equivalent.
  • Normally a relevant first degree, BSc (Hons) 2:1 or above.
  • Applicants without a first degree, BSc (Hons) at 2:1 or above may be eligible, if combined with appropriate practice related experience relevant to the apprenticeship and following submission of a written critical evaluation of advanced practice marked against the Level 7 criteria.
  • Applicants must hold a minimum of two years post-registration experience with no less than six months experience in their relevant self-identified enhanced practice clinical speciality.
  • Must be a registered practitioner in an area of practice that will facilitate the successful completion of module learning outcomes. The apprentice must be registered with either one of the statutory healthcare regulators, Social Work England or with one of the following accredited voluntary registers:
    • The Academy for Healthcare Science
    • Register of Clinical Technologists
    • Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists
  • Apprentice Educational Audiologists must hold student membership with the Academy for Healthcare Science on entry and hold full registration with The Academy for Healthcare Science at the gateway to end-point.
  • Due to the blended learning delivery model of this programme, it is an expectation that applicants will have access to wi-fi and relevant electronic devices that allow them to engage fully with all aspects of delivery, teaching, learning and assessment.
  • In some cases, an interview may be required to assess individual ability to meet the requirements of this apprenticeship.

How to apply

The potential apprentice will be required to complete an Initial Needs Analysis (INA) with the support of their employer and the University to ensure the Apprenticeship programme is an appropriate solution to their skills development needs. On completion of the INA the University will assess the information provided and determine the next steps.
The employer must request the Initial Needs Analysis by emailing apprenticeships@plymouth.ac.uk.
Applications are now open for January 2025!
The closing date for applications is Monday 11 November 2024.

Fees and funding 

Apprentices do not pay any course fees. Costs are covered by the government and/or the organisation. As education funding experts, we can support you in accessing funding via the apprenticeship levy or can provide alternative funding options to minimise or eradicate any up-front costs. 
The maximise funding for the Enhanced Clinical Practitioner is £7,000.

Funding models

There are currently two funding models available: 
  • Co-funded: Non levy organisations and Levy who have exceeded their Levy contribution.
  • Fully funded: Levy paying organisations.

Co-funded
If you are a non-levy paying organisation or you are a Levy organisation who has exceeded their pot the government will financial co-support your Apprenticeship training – they will contribute 95 per cent of the costs and as the employer you will contribute 5 per cent.
Government contribution £6,650
Employer contribution £350
Apprentice contribution £0

 
Fully funded
If the annual pay bill of your organisation exceeds £3 million you will pay for your apprenticeship training through your levy account. If you have exceeded your levy contribution you will fund apprenticeship training through the co-funded model – to better understand how this will work please make contact with us.
Employer contribution £7,000.
About the Apprenticeship
Are you looking to train in Enhanced Clinical Practice across the four pillars of practice in a programme that is innovative, flexible and customisable to your area of expertise? This exciting programme assists postgraduate development of qualified health and social care professionals, supporting you in your career progression.
This programme has been designed to support the non-medical, allied health, social care, healthcare science and social science workforces to upskill and develop to a standardised and nationally recognised level. 
To ensure the apprentice has a top-quality learning and development experience, which meets the needs and expectations of the apprentice and their employer, our experienced academic team will support and enable the student through the pre-programme onboarding and enrolment, on-programme and post-programme stages of the student journey.
 
This apprenticeship offers 60 credits of a learning pipeline to our 180-credit level 7 Advanced Clinical Practitioner apprenticeship for further career development. This provides those with longer term ambitions of advanced practice with efficiencies of time out of practice and funding.
The apprentice has the opportunity to study for a PgCert whilst remaining in salaried employment owing to the flexible nature of the programme incorporating online delivery. The work-based learning and professional development linked to a portfolio assessment, will require a named and appropriately trained educator in practice and protected time working with this educator to be agreed with the employer before enrolment. The University provides expert tuition in three modules and the expertise to support the apprentice to gain evidenced based knowledge and skills to bridge the theory-practice gap. Gaining enhanced level occupational competence on completion of the Institute of Apprenticeships Enhanced Clinical Practitioner Standard.
Why choose us?
  • We are a preferred provider of this apprenticeship through the NHS procurement services and one of only several universities to offer this award.
  • Our optional module allows for this apprenticeship to be bespoke to the needs of the apprentice and their employer. With many to choose from, each has been developed and is taught by leading experts in their fields.
  • This enhanced clinical practitioner award offers a learning pipeline to our 180-credit level 7 Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship. Providing those with longer term ambitions of advanced practice with efficiencies of time out of practice and funding.
  • Blended learning, with all face-to-face study taking place in our brand new InterCity Place building in central Plymouth, featuring a bespoke interprofessional postgraduate teaching space.
Intercity Place
Programme delivery
Duration: 18 months (plus EPA)
Delivery type: Blended learning (80% distance learning, 20% face-to-face)
Off-the-job training
As a statutory requirement of an apprenticeship, the employer must provide the apprentice with a minimum of six hours per week of their contracted working hours as ‘off-the-job’ training. Off-the-job training is defined as learning which is undertaken outside of the normal day-to-day working environment and leads towards the achievement of an apprenticeship. Theoretical module content will be delivered as distance learning, with content being released at the start of the module, as applicable. Clinical application will be supported by workshop and formative assessment days held face-to-face at University of Plymouth at the start of relevant modules, and summative assessment days held face-to-face at the end of relevant modules.
As an overview student learning activity will include:
  • formal learning that is online, to include lectures and webinars
  • practical clinical learning and/or workshops that are face to face
  • educational supervision and teaching within the workplace
  • guided independent learning.
Support
Our experienced clinicians will be there to support the apprentices every step of the way; they will receive 12 weekly tripartite meetings with their workplace mentor and a member of our apprenticeship team to discuss their progress.
Overview of modules
The apprenticeship comprises of 60 Higher Education Institution (HEI) credits at Level 7, including the following core modules (totalling 40 credits):
  • ADV783 Advancing Practice in Leadership, Management and Change Implementation (20 credits)
  • ADV780 Education in Clinical Practice (20 credits)
In addition to the core modules, apprentices will undertake one of the below 20 credit optional modules, creating a bespoke course based on the apprentice and employers objectives.
  • ADV712 Supported Independent Study
  • ADV735 Advancing the Management of Long-term Conditions
  • ADV749 Dietetic Practice: Supported Study
  • ADV750 Occupational Therapy Practice: Supported Study
  • ADV751 Physiotherapy Practice: Supported Study
  • ADV778 Clinical Management of Hypertonia
  • APP739Z Enhancing Practice in Paediatric Palliative Care
  • APP754 Diabetes Mellitus
Assessment
The apprentice will be assessed utilising a diverse range of assessment methods which will be linked to their own practice.
Throughout the apprenticeship, apprentices will be required to maintain an electronic portfolio of evidence of learning which, on successful completion of the apprenticeship, will become a lifelong source to evidence your professional practice.
Benefits to the business
  • Opportunity to upskill and develop your workforce.
  • Offer a flexible and progressive training route for employees.
  • Embed an ethos of work-based learning.
  • Improve staff retention rates.
  • Develop clinical expertise of staff against standardised national frameworks.
  • Draw on apprenticeship levy to subsidise staff training costs.
Benefits to your business
Benefits for the apprentice
Benefits to the apprentice
  • Opportunity to pursue funded postgraduate development, whilst in paid employment.
  • Access to an innovative and flexible programme which offers clinically focused work-based learning and assessment that aligns with relevant national frameworks.
  • Knowledge that your employer is supporting and valuing the importance of your progression.
  • Protected development time through allocated 'off-the-job' training.
  • Opportunity to learn in a diverse and multi-disciplinary environment from experts in the field.

Staff list

  • Lecturer / Academic CPD Co-ordinator
    Enhanced Clinical Practitioner Programme Lead
  • Associate Professor of Neurological Rehabilitation