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L5Apprenticeship1021 approved provider
The Level 5 Assistant practitioner (health), and the 1 provider delivering it.
Providing, supervising and coordinating high-quality and compassionate health and social care for a wide range of people.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to deliver person-centred care alongside registered healthcare professionals, taking on clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic activities within their defined scope of practice. The programme covers physiological, technical and psychological assessment, interpreting results, monitoring individuals for signs of deterioration, and updating care plans accordingly. It also addresses safeguarding, duty of care, nutrition and fluid management, equality and inclusion, and safe information handling. Apprentices develop the knowledge to recognise when to act independently and when to escalate to a registered professional.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Working under the direction of registered practitioners, an apprentice in this role carries out patient assessments, takes and monitors physiological measurements such as observations and diagnostic readings, and supports the coordination of care including referrals. They respond to changes in an individual's condition, assist with clinical or therapeutic interventions, and maintain accurate clinical records using digital and paper-based systems. Depending on the service area, this may involve ward-based work, community visits, outpatient clinics, or specialist settings such as oncology, mental health, or rehabilitation.
Career outlook
Completion leads to the qualified assistant practitioner role, sitting between healthcare support worker and registered practitioner on the career ladder. From this point, many move into band 4 NHS roles and use the qualification as a stepping stone towards registered nurse, allied health professional, or other degree-level programmes. Employers across NHS trusts, independent hospitals, GP networks, community health services, and social care providers recruit at this level. Specialist pathways in diagnostics, orthopaedics, learning disabilities, and end of life care are common progression directions.
1 approved provider
Sorted by achievement rate.
Anglia Ruskin University ARU
Employer: 3.0
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is an innovative UK university offering a wide portfolio of learning ...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to employment as an Assistant Practitioner, working alongside registered nurses, allied health professionals or diagnostic radiographers depending on the service area. Roles span clinical settings including acute wards, community health teams, outpatient departments and GP-based services. Graduates are equipped to carry out delegated clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic tasks independently within their defined scope, contributing directly to patient assessment and care coordination.
Progression paths
Many Assistant Practitioners move into Band 4 specialist roles within three to five years, taking on greater responsibility within a defined clinical area such as mental health, oncology, orthopaedics or community rehabilitation. From there, two paths are common: some progress into registered professional training, qualifying as a Registered Nurse, Diagnostic Radiographer or Allied Health Professional. Others deepen their specialist practice, moving into Senior Assistant Practitioner or technical specialist posts without pursuing full registration.
Where these roles sit
NHS trusts are the primary employer, hiring across acute hospitals, community NHS services, mental health trusts and primary care networks. Independent sector providers, including private hospital groups and care companies delivering NHS-funded services, also recruit at this level. Roles exist across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with particular demand in community health services where hybrid, cross-boundary working is central to local service models.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Learning takes place in the workplace, with the apprentice applying knowledge and skills in real clinical and care settings throughout the programme. Before moving to final assessment, the apprentice and employer must confirm readiness at a gateway point, providing evidence that the required knowledge, skills and behaviours have been demonstrated to the standard expected of the role. Final assessment then confirms the apprentice is occupationally competent, covering areas such as patient assessment, clinical and diagnostic interventions, safeguarding, and person-centred care. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Building a record of workplace evidence from the start of the programme makes the gateway process considerably more straightforward. Apprentices should keep documented examples of clinical activities, patient interactions and decision-making as they occur, rather than trying to reconstruct them later. Regular reviews with both the employer and training provider help track progress against the knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements and identify any gaps early enough to address them before the readiness check.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Providers worth considering will have an achievement rate above 65% for this standard, though given its clinical demands, anything above 75% is a meaningful signal. Check employer and apprentice satisfaction scores on the FATP profile. Because much of the learning must happen in real clinical settings, look for providers with established relationships with NHS trusts, community health services or GP networks in your region. Strong providers can describe exactly how off-the-job training maps onto clinical placement activity, including how delegated assessments are supervised and signed off by registered practitioners.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers with high learner volumes but falling achievement rates, or those who cannot clearly explain how they support apprentices across the range of clinical contexts this standard covers, from diagnostics to mental health to end of life care. Providers who give vague answers about how supervisors are trained to oversee delegated clinical tasks are a concern. If a provider cannot show that their curriculum is updated in line with current NHS policies, safeguarding frameworks and clinical governance requirements, that is a serious gap.
Questions to ask before you commit
- How do you match the off-the-job learning to the specific clinical area or service pathway the apprentice is working in?
- What experience do your supervisors and assessors have as registered healthcare professionals, and how current is that experience?
- How do you ensure apprentices are assessed on clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic skills across a genuine range of patient presentations, not just one ward or service type?
- What is your achievement rate for this standard, and what are the most common reasons apprentices do not complete?
- How do you support apprentices when they need to escalate a clinical concern, and how is that reflected in your training?
- Which NHS trusts, community providers or primary care networks do you currently work with, and are any in my region?
- How often do you review your curriculum against updated national policies, NICE guidance and safeguarding legislation?
Common questions
What entry requirements does an applicant need to start this apprenticeship?
There are no nationally fixed entry requirements, so employers set their own criteria. In practice, most providers expect applicants to already be working in a healthcare support role, such as a healthcare assistant or support worker. A good standard of English and maths is expected, and some employers ask for relevant qualifications or prior learning at level 3. Applicants must be employed in a suitable health or care setting for the duration of the programme.
How long does the apprenticeship take, and how does the learning fit around work?
The typical duration is 24 months, though the current off-the-job training requirements are subject to revision under ongoing Skills England reforms. Check the current funding rules on gov.uk for the up-to-date specification. Learning takes place alongside paid employment: the apprentice works in their normal role while completing training, knowledge development and assessments. They must remain employed throughout and their workplace must be able to support the full range of clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic activities the standard covers.
How is the apprentice assessed at the end?
Before moving to end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, where the employer and training provider confirm that all knowledge, skills and behaviours have been demonstrated to the required standard. Assessment models for many standards are being reviewed, so check the current specification on gov.uk for the exact end-point assessment methods. At a minimum, the apprentice will need to demonstrate clinical competence, professional judgement and the ability to work within their defined scope of practice.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £14,000, which is the maximum amount of apprenticeship funding that can be applied. Larger employers with a levy account use those funds directly. SMEs without a levy account pay 5% of the training cost and the government covers the remaining 95%. If the apprentice is aged 16 to 18, very small employers with fewer than 50 staff pay nothing at all. Funding covers training and assessment costs only, not the apprentice's wage.
What does an assistant practitioner in this role actually do day to day?
The role sits between healthcare support worker and registered professional. Day to day, an assistant practitioner takes physiological, technical and psychological measurements, supports total patient assessment, and carries out clinical, diagnostic or therapeutic interventions delegated by a registered professional. They monitor individuals for changes in health or wellbeing, support nutrition and fluid management, maintain accurate records, and contribute to care coordination including referrals. The specific tasks vary by setting, whether hospital ward, community clinic, GP surgery or residential care.
What can an apprentice do after completing this apprenticeship?
Completing this apprenticeship at level 5 positions someone well for progression into registered healthcare professions. Many completers go on to apply for nursing, operating department practice, radiography, or other allied health professional degree programmes, sometimes with credit for prior learning. Others move into more specialist assistant practitioner roles or take on supervisory responsibilities within their team. The route taken usually depends on the clinical area the individual has been working in and the workforce needs of their employer.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 102.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.