Apprenticeship training course

Osteopath (level 6)

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Information about Osteopath (level 6)

Osteopaths are highly trained to practise autonomously from the point of registration.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • Osteopaths’ regulatory, ethical and professional responsibilities.
  • The principles and standards set out in the Osteopathic Practice Standards and associated regulatory guidance.
  • The importance of understanding personal scope of practice and operating within the limits of personal competence at any one time.
  • The clinical sciences, biopsychosocial model, and osteopathic concepts, principles and guidelines that underpin the profession’s practice.
  • Osteopathy’s contribution to delivering patient care across the lifespan in the context of wider healthcare systems and models of care.
  • Approaches to delivering osteopathic care to meet individuals’ health needs, beliefs and preferences.
  • The role and importance of touch, palpation and the use of developed sensory motor skills within osteopathic care.
  • Structured approaches to critical thinking and problem solving within clinical assessment and decision making.
  • How to deal with unfamiliar, complex and unpredictable situations within professional contexts.
  • How to gain valid consent from individuals before assessing them and delivering care to them and what to do if consent is not given or is withdrawn.
  • How to apply clinical knowledge and assessment skills to identify normal and abnormal clinical findings and manage specific conditions and clinical scenarios within personal scope of practice.
  • How to identify and assess symptoms and conditions commonly presented within osteopathic care, focused on those relating to the musculoskeletal system, acute and chronic pain and biomechanical function and with an understanding of psychosocial factors impacting on individuals’ health and wellbeing.
  • How to undertake a holistic osteopathic assessment of individual patients’ needs through history taking and clinical observation and examination to obtain relevant clinical data.
  • How to obtain and record subjective and objective assessment findings within a full patient case history to inform clinical assessment and to articulate clinical decision-making.
  • When and how to request appropriate clinical investigations, including diagnostic imaging and blood tests, and how to interpret the reported results to inform treatment planning.
  • When and how to refer individuals to other healthcare professionals when this is in individuals’ best interests
  • How to communicate verbally and in writing with peers and other healthcare professionals to engage in collaborative, interprofessional working and to deliver safe and effective patient care.
  • The importance of providing clear, succinct and accurate information in making patient referrals.
  • Different communication and interpersonal styles and strategies, including active listening, and how to use these to build and maintain effective therapeutic relationships based on understanding, empathy, respect and trust.
  • How to devise and implement osteopathic treatment plans in line with clinical assessment, diagnosis and shared decision-making and to keep their effectiveness under review.
  • Approaches to working in partnership with individuals to optimise their function, mobility and wellbeing, informed by their priorities and goals.
  • How to select, explain, apply and adapt specific osteopathic treatment approaches in line with individuals’ needs, preferences and goals and by recognising relative and absolute contraindications.
  • How to recognise, act and advise on patients’ adverse reactions to their receipt of osteopathic treatment.
  • Ways to support individuals to manage their own health and wellbeing, including through health promotion, illness prevention advice, and health coaching.
  • The role and value of social networks, communities and activities to support individuals’ health and wellbeing.
  • Safeguarding responsibilities and how to fulfil these by acting on concerns about individuals’ safety.
  • The importance of maintaining professional boundaries with patients and colleagues, including to uphold trust in therapeutic relationships and the osteopathic profession.
  • Approaches to critically appraising research and evidence-based guidelines relating to osteopathic practice and applying relevant findings to osteopathic practice.
  • Processes to collect qualitative and quantitative data within osteopathic practice, including to measure and optimise patient outcomes and as part of engaging with clinical audit, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives.
  • How to undertake risk assessments and report and act on these in line with appropriate guidelines.
  • The importance of upholding patient confidentiality in professional activity in line with legislation, policies and local processes and procedures.
  • How to produce and store clinical records in line with all legislative, regulatory and professional requirements and to demonstrate accountability for clinical decisions and actions.
  • First aid and basic life support principles and procedures.
  • Health and safety legislation, policies and procedures to uphold the interests of patients, colleagues, the public and self.
  • How to use population and public health data to inform the delivery of osteopathic care to meet health and wellbeing needs.
  • How to manage a patient caseload and waiting list.
  • The professional responsibilities attached to acting as a first point of contact for patients within community-based services.
  • The professional responsibilities attached to duty of candour within healthcare.
  • Legislation, policies and guidance relating to equity, diversity and inclusion.
  • The professional responsibility to engage in career-long learning to maintain professional knowledge and skills and to respond to changing population health, service delivery and practice needs.
  • The importance of engaging with research methodologies and osteopathy’s evolving evidence base, including as part of demonstrating the value of the profession’s contribution to meeting health and wellbeing needs.
  • The impact of organisational culture on personal and team wellbeing, service delivery and patient care.
  • Leadership theories and styles and the impact of their implementation on teams, service delivery and patient care.
  • Approaches to supporting others’ learning and development and their relevance and value for supporting personal professional development.
  • Theories and models of business development, financial management and entrepreneurialism that are relevant to setting up, delivering and developing osteopathic services.
  • The importance of adhering to ethical business practices to uphold safe, effective, high-quality care and the reputation of osteopathy.
  • How to manage patient concerns and complaints.
  • Attending to personal wellbeing and resilience to fulfil professional responsibilities and to deliver safe and effective care.
  • Digital communication tools and technologies relevant to osteopathic care, record-keeping and service delivery, including to uphold patient confidentiality and vigilance relating to cyber-security.
  • Sustainability principles and practices and their relevance to osteopathic service delivery.

  Skills

  • Engage with and adhere to the regulatory, ethical and professional responsibilities of being an osteopath.
  • Uphold and adhere to the principles and standards set out in the Osteopathic Practice Standards and associated regulatory guidance.
  • Demonstrate self awareness of personal scope of practice and competence and how to work within these parameters.
  • Apply the underpinning knowledge base and philosophy of osteopathy to deliver safe, effective, person-centred osteopathic care.
  • Deliver osteopathy services within broader healthcare systems and models of care and service delivery.
  • Deliver person-centred care in response to individuals’ health needs, beliefs, preferences and goals.
  • Critically apply touch, palpation and sensory motor skills to inform and deliver osteopathic care in response to individuals’ needs.
  • Apply critical thinking and problem-solving approaches within clinical assessments and decision-making.
  • Manage unfamiliar, complex and unpredictable situations by exercising professional judgement, assessing and managing risk, acting within personal scope of practice, and seeking guidance from others.
  • Gain individuals’ consent before assessing them and delivering episodes of care and manage situations in which a patient either does not give their consent or withdraws their consent.
  • Exercise professional judgement in applying osteopathic principles and approaches, including touch and palpation, to assess and diagnose individuals’ needs.
  • Assess patients’ presenting symptoms and condition and appraise and discuss the appropriateness of delivering osteopathic care to meet their individual needs.
  • Assess individual patients’ needs through history-taking, clinical examination and obtaining and drawing on clinical data to understand their needs, preferences and goals.
  • Use subjective questioning and objective examination to formulate a working diagnosis and inform decision-making on appropriate treatment approaches to meet individual patients’ needs.
  • Develop, implement and evaluate care plans in partnership with patients to meet their individual needs, preferences and goals.
  • Select and modify osteopathic treatment approaches to meet individuals’ needs, acting on relative and absolute contra-indications to uphold patient safety.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing with peers and other healthcare professionals as part of collaborative interprofessional working and to advocate for individuals’ receipt of safe and effective care.
  • Provide clear, accurate and succinct information on individuals’ specific needs in making appropriate patient referrals.
  • Select, deploy and integrate different communication approaches to build and maintain individuals’ trust and confidence in the therapeutic relationship, keeping approaches’ effectiveness under review and adapting them where appropriate.
  • Develop, agree, implement and evaluate care plans in partnership with individuals to meet their specific needs, preferences and goals and keep plans’ effectiveness under review as an integral part of partnership-working.
  • Work in partnership with individuals to develop, regain or maintain their function, mobility and wellbeing, informed by their priorities and goals.
  • Select, explain, apply and adapt specific osteopathic treatment approaches in line with individuals’ needs, preferences and goals, recognising and acting on relative and absolute contraindications to uphold patient safety.
  • Identify individuals’ adverse reactions to their osteopathic treatment and take appropriate action to uphold patient safety, manage clinical risk and provide safety-netting advice.
  • Guide individuals on ways to improve, manage and maintain their health and prevent illness, including by providing advice, using health-coaching approaches, and supporting behaviour change.
  • Encourage individuals to use social networks and communities to support their own health and wellbeing, including through appropriate signposting to relevant resources and social prescribing initiatives.
  • Uphold individuals’ safety, including by adhering to safeguarding procedures and using formal processes to raise concerns.
  • Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with patients and colleagues.
  • Critically appraise, synthesise and apply relevant research literature, evidence-based guidelines and other information sources to inform clinical decision-making, treatment approaches and advice.
  • Collect data and apply appropriate outcome measures as part of engaging with clinical audit, service evaluation and quality improvement activities.
  • Undertake risk assessments and manage and report on their outcome to uphold others’ and own safety in line with appropriate guidelines.
  • Uphold patient confidentiality in all aspects of professional practice and be able to respond when fulfilling the public interest and safeguarding concerns override maintaining confidentiality.
  • Create and store patient care records in line with all legal, regulatory and professional requirements and local protocols and procedures and as evidence of clinical decisions and actions.
  • Provide first aid and basic life support and take appropriate actions to uphold individuals’ safety in urgent and emergency situations.
  • Adhere to health and safety legislation, policies and procedures to uphold all parties’ safety and maintain a safe practice environment.
  • Access, interpret and apply population and public health data to inform the planning and delivery of osteopathic care at a local level.
  • Manage a clinical caseload, prioritising individual patients in line with need and adhering to local waiting list and triaging procedures and protocols, where relevant.
  • Act as a first point of contact for patients within the limits of personal scope of practice.
  • Engage with the professional responsibilities attached to duty of candour, including when things go wrong.
  • Actively engage with equity, diversity and inclusion legislation, policies and good practice and their implications for delivering person-centred osteopathic care and working with others.
  • Engage in ongoing professional learning and development through critical reflection on learning needs, gaining others’ feedback, and learning with others.
  • Engage with research methods, practices and developments relevant to the profession, demonstrating awareness of different approaches' value and limitations and the importance of demonstrating the profession's value and impact.
  • Work with others to support personal and team wellbeing, contribute to effective service delivery and uphold safe and effective patient care.
  • Contribute to shared models of leadership in line with role, level of practice, practice context, and professional experience.
  • Support others’ learning and development, including by providing constructive feedback and mentoring peers.
  • Apply practical approaches to business development, financial management and entrepreneurialism within osteopathic service delivery.
  • Engage in ethical business activity within personal scope of practice, including when developing, advertising, promoting and delivering osteopathic services.
  • Manage patients’ concerns and complaints when their expectations have not been met and learn from service user feedback.
  • Develop, apply and reflect on personal strategies to manage personal wellbeing and resilience.
  • Apply relevant digital communication tools and technologies safely and appropriately within osteopathic care and record-keeping, including to enhance patient access and service delivery, and maintain patient confidentiality and cyber-security vigilance.
  • Apply sustainability principles and practices within personal scope of practice and contributions to service delivery, review and development.

  Behaviours

  • Demonstrate kindness, empathy and compassion in delivering person-centred care.
  • Promote and protect the interests of service users, treating all people with respect and dignity.
  • Exercise self-awareness and self-management in practice, including in interactions with others and making independent decisions.
  • Act with professional integrity, honesty and openness, including when things go wrong.
  • Demonstrate engagement, curiosity and reflection within ongoing professional learning and development.
  • Demonstrate adaptability, resilience and responsiveness to changing needs.
  • Engage with and uphold the regulatory requirements of being an osteopath.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Health and science
• Qualification level: 6; Equal to degree
• Course duration: 48 months
• Funding: £27,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Osteopath

View more information about Osteopath (level 6) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.