Assistant Practitioner Health and Social Care

About this programme

A foundation degree that trains Assistant Practitioners, for anyone wanting to progress towards a professional degree in health and social care. The FdSc Assistant Practitioner Health and Social Care is a Foundation Degree designed for adults wanting to progress towards a professional degree within the health and social care sector. It has been designed in response to the rapidly changing workforce demands and policy initiatives aimed at modernising services and improving quality, productivity, and efficiency. It covers both the academic and work-based competencies that are relevant to a multitude of roles within health and social care settings. The Foundation Degree Assistant Practitioner Health and Social Care provides a principal route for the training and education of Assistant Practitioners. NHS Employers (2015) identified the Assistant Practitioner as non-occupational specific role that has developed to assist organisations to deliver high quality and patient centred services in a variety of settings. An Assistant Practitioner is a worker who competently delivers health and social care to and for people. They are non-registered practitioners who have the required level of knowledge and skill beyond that of traditional healthcare assistant or support workers and expected to undertake more complex tasks (Skills for Health, 2009). The programme is a recognised progression route onto the following Sheffield Hallam pre-registration courses: Adult Nursing, Diagnostic Radiography, Operating Department Practitioner, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.