Healthcare science associate (level 4)
Working in hospitals, primary care and other healthcare settings, carrying out routine technical and scientific procedures. Supporting healthcare science (HCS) practitioners and clinical scientists.
- Qualification level
-
4
Equivalent to higher national certificate (HNC). - Typical duration
- 24 months
- Apprenticeship category
- Health and science
- Maximum funding
-
£16,000
Maximum amount government will fund
for apprenticeship training. - Skills
-
Skills an apprentice will learn
- Act in line with legislation, standard operating procedures, codes of conduct and ways of working that apply to own role.
- Work within the scope of the role, the limits of own knowledge and skills and support others to do the same.
- Act in line with probity requirements and support others to do the same.
- Promote mental health, wellbeing and resilience in the workplace.
- Provide technical healthcare-science-based services relevant to own role.
- Recognise problems and seek technical solutions to them and support others to do the same.
- Perform a range of equipment management activities appropriate to own role including fault-finding, preventative maintenance, calibration or repair.
- Contribute to the drafting or revising of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Support decisions made to initiate, continue, modify or cease using techniques or procedures.
- Analyse, interpret, record and present healthcare science technical data.
- Provide or support the provision of person-centred care.
- Take responsibility for any care provided by yourself and your team members including adhering to duty of care and safeguarding requirements.
- Apply policy and protocols that relate to informed consent.
- Protect the dignity, rights, privacy and confidentiality of individuals and support others to do the same.
- Deliver or support the delivery of high quality technical clinical procedures in the investigation or management of individuals.
- Convey information using appropriate techniques.
- Give and receive feedback that informs your own practice and that of others in the team.
- Use techniques to reduce communication barriers and support others to do the same.
- Keep accurate, confidential records and produce reliable data, inputting and retrieving information within required governance processes and checking that others do the same.
- Share information correctly as part of the healthcare science team and the multi-professional team.
- Use technology to present information.
- Follow protocols for dealing with or reporting difficult situations and complaints.
- Work as part of the healthcare science team and the wider healthcare team to provide healthcare science services.
- Plan, review and report on the work of a team and individuals within it.
- Follow delegation, reporting and escalation protocols appropriate to own role.
- Demonstrate leadership skills appropriate to own role and work in partnership with the healthcare science and wider healthcare team.
- Help create the conditions that assist the team in providing a supportive environment for colleagues.
- Maintain and check that others maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
- Participate in the management of risk, supporting others to do the same.
- Take appropriate action in response to incidents or emergencies, reporting or escalating as required by the situation.
- Move and transport items safely for example individuals or equipment and items.
- Adhere to protocols for infection prevention and control and support others to do the same.
- Follow guidelines and procedures for handling hazardous materials and substances.
- Demonstrate relevant health, safety or security practices to others in the team.
- Take part in quality management technical audit processes relevant to own role.
- Participate in audit or service improvement programmes.
- Share the outcome of audit or service improvement with others.
- Support the improvement of healthcare science practice by taking part in innovation or research or service improvement activities.
- Undertake audit, research or other activities which support quality improvement, innovation and sustainability in healthcare science.
- Critically reflect on your technical and non-technical practice and how it impacts on the quality and safety of patient care.
- Work within the limits of your personal competence, keeping up-to-date by engaging in continuing personal and professional development.
- Take part in mentoring processes with colleagues and students.
- Respond to appraisal or performance review and feedback in relation to your own development and action plans.
- Supervise and demonstrate practical skills to others.
Full information on Healthcare science associate (level 4) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.