Apprenticeship training course

Therapeutic radiographer (level 6)

Providing excellent care to patients diagnosed with cancer by delivering high quality and accurate radiotherapy.

• Qualification level: 6 ; Equivalent to degree.
• Typical duration: 36 months
• Apprenticeship category: Health and science
• Maximum funding: £24,000 ; Maximum amount government will fund ; for apprenticeship training.
• Skills:
  Skills an apprentice will learn

  • Identify the limits of own practice and when to seek advice or refer to another professional or service.
  • Recognise the need to manage own workload and resources safely and effectively, including managing the emotional burden that comes with working in a pressured environment.
  • Keep own skills and knowledge up to date.
  • Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.
  • Engage in safeguarding processes where necessary.
  • Promote and protect the service user’s interests at all times.
  • Respect and uphold the rights, dignity, values, and autonomy of service users, including own role in the assessment, treatment or therapeutic process.
  • Recognise that relationships with service users, carers and others should be based on mutual respect and trust, and maintain high standards of care in all circumstances.
  • Obtain valid consent, which is voluntary and informed, has due regard to capacity, is proportionate to the circumstances and is appropriately documented.
  • Exercise a duty of care.
  • Apply legislation, policies and guidance relevant to own profession and scope of practice.
  • Recognise the power imbalance which comes with being a health care professional, and ensure it is not for personal gain.
  • Practise in accordance with current legislation governing the use of ionising and non-ionising radiation for medical and other purposes.
  • Identify own anxiety and stress and recognise the potential impact on own practice.
  • Develop and adopt clear strategies for physical and mental self-care and self-awareness, to maintain a high standard of professional effectiveness and a safe working environment.
  • Recognise that they are personally responsible for, and must be able to, justify their decisions and actions.
  • Use own skills, knowledge and experience, and the information available, to make informed decisions and/or take action where necessary.
  • Make reasoned decisions to initiate, continue, modify or cease treatment or the use of techniques or procedures, and record the decisions and reasoning appropriately.
  • Make and receive appropriate referrals, where necessary.
  • Exercise personal initiative.
  • Demonstrate a logical and systematic approach to problem solving.
  • Use research, reasoning and problem-solving skills when determining appropriate actions.
  • Respond appropriately to the needs of all different groups and individuals in practice, recognising this can be affected by difference of any kind including, but not limited to, protected characteristics, intersectional experiences and cultural differences.
  • Recognise the potential impact of own values, beliefs and personal biases, which may be unconscious), on practice and take personal action to ensure all service users and carers are treated appropriately with respect and dignity.
  • Make and support reasonable adjustments in own and others’ practice.
  • Actively challenge barriers to inclusion, supporting the implementation of change wherever possible.
  • Adhere to the professional duty of confidentiality.
  • Respond in a timely manner to situations where it is necessary to share information to safeguard service users, carers and/or the wider public and recognise situations where it is necessary to share information to safeguard service users, carers and/or the wider public.
  • Use effective and appropriate verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate with service users, carers, colleagues and others.
  • Communicate in English to the required standard for the profession.
  • Work with service users and / or own carers to facilitate the service user’s preferred role in decision-making, and provide service users and carers with the information they may need where appropriate.
  • Modify own means of communication to address the individual communication needs and preferences of service users and carers, and remove any barriers to communication where possible.
  • Use information, communication and digital technologies appropriate to own practice.
  • Formulate and provide information and support for service users about their treatment and/or imaging process and procedures, with regular reappraisal of their information needs as appropriate.
  • Advise other healthcare professionals about the relevance and application of radiotherapy and, where relevant, imaging modalities to the service user’s needs.
  • Provide appropriate information and support for service users throughout their radiotherapy treatment and care.
  • Keep full, clear and accurate records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines.
  • Manage records and all other information in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines.
  • Use digital record keeping tools, where required.
  • Work in partnership with service users, carers, colleagues and others.
  • Contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Identify anxiety and stress in service users, carers and colleagues, adapting own practice and providing support where appropriate.
  • Identify own leadership qualities, behaviours and approaches, taking into account the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Demonstrate leadership behaviours appropriate to own practice.
  • Act as a role model for others.
  • Promote and engage in the learning of others.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the need to empower service users to participate in the decision-making processes related to their profession.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the need to encourage, support and mentor staff at all practitioner levels.
  • Demonstrate awareness of roles and responsibilities where work is delegated and how this applies in practice.
  • Interpret and act upon information from other healthcare professionals and service users, in order to maximise health gain whilst minimising risks to the service user, such as from radiation dose.
  • Engage in evidence-based practice.
  • Gather and use feedback and information, including qualitative and quantitative data, to evaluate the responses of service users to own care.
  • Monitor and systematically evaluate the quality of practice, and maintain an effective quality management and quality assurance process working towards continual improvement.
  • Participate in quality management, including quality control, quality assurance, clinical governance and the use of appropriate outcome measures.
  • Evaluate care plans or intervention plans using recognised and appropriate outcome measures, in conjunction with the service user where possible, and revise the plans as necessary.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the principles and applications of scientific enquiry, including the evaluation of treatment efficacy and the research process.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the philosophy and the development of the profession of radiography to inform understanding of current practice.
  • Apply the principles of ionising radiation production, interaction with matter, beam modification, administration of radionuclides and radiation protection.
  • Distinguish between normal and abnormal appearances on images.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the current developments and trends in the science and practice of radiography.
  • Recognise and respond to adverse or abnormal reactions to medications used in relation to their profession.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the principles of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning technology, and it’s application to practice.
  • Change own practice as needed to take account of new developments, technologies and changing contexts.
  • Gather appropriate information.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate the information collected.
  • Select and use appropriate assessment techniques and equipment.
  • Undertake and record a thorough, sensitive, and detailed assessment.
  • Undertake or arrange investigations as appropriate.
  • Conduct appropriate assessment or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions safely and effectively.
  • Critically evaluate research and other evidence to inform own practice.
  • Engage service users in research as appropriate.
  • Formulate specific and appropriate management plans including the setting of timescales.
  • Assess, monitor and care for the service user across the pathway of care relevant to their profession.
  • Undertake and record a thorough, sensitive and detailed clinical assessment, selecting and using appropriate techniques and equipment.
  • Use physical, graphical, verbal and electronic methods to collect and analyse information from a range of relevant sources including service user’s clinical history, diagnostic images and reports, pathological tests and results, dose recording and treatment verification systems.
  • Interrogate and process data and information gathered accurately in order to conduct the procedures most appropriate to the service user’s needs.
  • Appraise image information for clinical manifestations and technical accuracy, and take further action as required.
  • Manage complex and unpredictable situations including the ability to adapt planned procedures.
  • Operate radiotherapy equipment safely and accurately.
  • Check that equipment is functioning accurately and within the specifications, and to take appropriate action in the case of faulty functioning and operation.
  • Select and explain the rationale for radiographic techniques and immobilisation procedures appropriate to the service user’s physical and disease management requirements.
  • Position and immobilise service users correctly for safe and accurate procedures.
  • Plan appropriate radiotherapy procedures.
  • Assist in the construction of appropriate immobilisation, including beam modifying, devices, individualised to the specific needs of each service user and the treatment regime prescribed.
  • Identify organs at risk (OAR) on images to provide information for radiotherapy treatment planning.
  • Calculate does across a range of radiation modalities, including photons, protons and electrons, utilising a treatment planning system and verify this accordingly with a record and verification system.
  • In relation to radiotherapy planning :-- support service users in understanding radiation exposure, risk and benefit associated with radiation exposure and doses in relation to their imaging examination.- perform multimodality imaging techniques and the image registration process, and where appropriate contrast agent examinations, demonstrating appropriate care to service users and their carers.- manipulate exposure and image recording parameters to optimal effect- perform standard Computed Tomographic (CT) and assist in performing Magnetic Resonance (MR) planning procedures- use to best effect the processing and related technology supporting imaging systems.
  • Generate a treatment plan and verify treatment parameters ensuring optimal radiotherapy prescription delivery.
  • Use to best effect the image processing and related technology, including computer-based imaging systems for radiotherapy purposes.
  • Perform the full range of radiotherapy processes and techniques accurately and safely.
  • Manage and assist with fluoroscopic procedures, including those requiring the use of contrast agents.
  • Interpret and evaluate images obtained during radiotherapy planning and treatment, taking appropriate action to optimise accuracy dose delivery to the target volume.
  • Check that the OAR dose is as planned/prescribed during treatment.
  • Localise the target volume precisely in relation to external surface and anatomical reference markings using a range of techniques including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for the purpose of radiotherapy planning and delivery.
  • Critically evaluate and interpret the radiation prescription in such a way that radiotherapy is delivered accurately and reproducibly.
  • Recognise changing signs, symptoms and progression of disease, and make appropriate decisions not to treat or to review further before proceeding with treatment, including reviewing treatment imaging information.
  • Demonstrate awareness of relevant health and safety legislation and comply with all local operational procedures and policies.
  • Work safely, including being able to select appropriate hazard control and risk management, reduction or elimination techniques in a safe manner and in accordance with health and safety legislation.
  • Select appropriate personal protective equipment and use it correctly.
  • Establish safe environments for practice, which appropriately manages risk.
  • Apply appropriate moving and handling techniques.
  • Ensure the physical safety of all individuals in the therapeutic work environment, especially with regard to radiation safety and high-strength magnetic fields.
  • Use basic life support techniques and be able to deal with clinical emergencies.
  • Empower and enable individuals, including service users and colleagues, to play a part in managing own health.
  • Engage in occupational health, including being aware of immunisation requirements.

Full information on Therapeutic radiographer (level 6) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

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Regulated occupation

Therapeutic radiographer (level 6) needs a training provider who is approved by Health and Care Professions Council.

Apprenticeship location

Canterbury, Kent Remove location

4 providers available for this apprenticeship location