Planning and commissioning care for people with complex health and social care needs.
The apprenticeship trains practitioners to assess individuals for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility under the National Framework, related legislation, and policy. Apprentices learn to analyse evidence from multiple health and social care professionals, plan and commission care packages, and manage caseloads of people with complex needs. They also develop knowledge of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) structure, the appeals and disputes process, contract monitoring with service providers, and the legal context, including the role of claims companies and solicitors.
Week to week, an apprentice in this role screens referrals, gathers and evaluates clinical and social care evidence, and participates in CHC assessments, often alongside nurses, social workers, and occupational therapists. They manage a caseload of eligible individuals, conducting reviews to check care packages still meet assessed needs. Work involves writing reports, liaising with finance and procurement colleagues, communicating with individuals and their families at difficult points in their care, and keeping records in line with NHS policy. Some visits take place in care homes or individuals' own homes.
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to roles such as Continuing Healthcare Practitioner, CHC Case Manager, or Care Coordinator within NHS Integrated Care Boards, Clinical Commissioning Groups, or local authority health and social care commissioning teams. Experienced practitioners can progress to senior CHC practitioner or team leader positions, or move into broader NHS commissioning and care management roles. The qualification is relevant wherever CHC functions sit, including community healthcare trusts and specialist commissioning teams across England.
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Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to roles such as Associate Continuing Healthcare Practitioner, Continuing Healthcare Coordinator, or Case Manager within NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) teams. Some completers move into CHC Assessor roles, taking on independent caseloads from the outset. Those with prior health or social care experience may step into slightly more senior coordinator positions, particularly where they already hold a professional registration alongside the apprenticeship qualification.
Within three to five years, practitioners commonly progress to Continuing Healthcare Assessor, Senior CHC Practitioner, or CHC Team Leader, taking on more complex cases and formal supervisory responsibilities. The longer-term split tends to follow two tracks: a leadership route moving into CHC Service Manager or Commissioning Manager positions, and a specialist route focusing on complex case management, appeals and dispute resolution, or transitions work supporting young adults moving from children's services into adult CHC.
Most roles are within NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and their predecessor Clinical Commissioning Group structures, which hold primary responsibility for CHC funding and assessment across England. Local authorities and community healthcare providers also employ practitioners in related continuing care roles. The work sits almost entirely within the public sector, with occasional roles in organisations contracted to support CHC assessment or case management on behalf of NHS commissioners.
Learning takes place in the workplace, with the apprentice building knowledge, skills and behaviours alongside their day-to-day role in a continuing healthcare team. Before moving to final assessment, the apprentice and their employer or training provider confirm readiness through a gateway review, which checks that the required competence has been demonstrated across the standard. Final assessment then confirms whether the apprentice can perform the role to the level expected, including applying the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare, managing complex caseloads and working within multi-disciplinary teams. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Building a strong body of workplace evidence throughout the apprenticeship, rather than near the end, makes the readiness review much more straightforward. This means keeping records of real casework, assessments, and interactions with colleagues across health and social care settings as they occur. Working closely with a line manager and training provider to track progress against the standard's knowledge, skills and behaviours helps identify any gaps early. Consistent documentation of day-to-day practice, including handling reviews, supporting carers, and contributing to multi-disciplinary assessments, provides the clearest evidence of genuine competence.
Look for providers with direct experience delivering healthcare commissioning or NHS pathway programmes, not just generic health and social care qualifications. On FATP, an achievement rate above 65% is a reasonable baseline; above 75% indicates a provider managing learner progress well across a 24-month programme. Because this role requires applied knowledge of the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare, ask whether tutors or assessors have worked in CHC teams themselves. Employer satisfaction scores matter here: providers who engage actively with NHS and social care commissioners tend to produce apprentices who can handle caseload management from day one.
Be cautious of providers with high learner volumes but declining achievement rates, which can signal overstretched delivery teams. Vague answers about how they teach the National Framework, eligibility assessment processes, or the appeals and claims landscape are a concern given these are core to the role. Providers who cannot point to alumni currently working in CHC or NHS continuing care commissioning teams offer little evidence their programme translates into job-ready practitioners. Opaque cohort sizes or an inability to name their supervisory model should also give pause.
There are no fixed national entry requirements set by the standard, so employers set their own. In practice, most employers look for candidates who already work in a health or social care setting and have some experience dealing with complex cases or assessments. A good standard of written English is important given the volume of case documentation involved. Check with individual training providers and your organisation's HR team for the specific criteria they apply.
The typical duration is 24 months. The apprentice remains employed throughout and learns on the job, combining workplace practice with off-the-job training. The proportion of time dedicated to off-the-job learning is subject to current reforms under Skills England, so check the latest specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) page for this standard before planning rotas or study leave.
Before moving to end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, at which point the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has met the required knowledge, skills and behaviours. The specific assessment methods for this standard may be subject to revision, so refer to the current specification on gov.uk for the most accurate picture of what the end-point assessment involves and who delivers it.
The funding band for this standard is £10,000, which is the maximum government contribution towards training costs. Levy-paying employers draw down funding through their Digital Apprenticeship Service account. Smaller employers who do not pay the levy co-invest with the government, typically contributing 5% of the training cost. Employers with fewer than 50 staff taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing, with the government covering the full cost.
Day-to-day work centres on managing a caseload of people with complex health and social care needs. This includes screening referrals, gathering and evaluating evidence from multidisciplinary teams, and assessing eligibility against the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare. The role involves planning and reviewing care packages, liaising with finance and procurement colleagues, and acting as a first point of contact for individuals and their families, including those transitioning from children's continuing care services. Some shifts may cover evenings or weekends.
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into senior continuing healthcare roles, including positions with greater caseload responsibility or team leadership duties. Some completers go on to study for registered professional qualifications in nursing, social work or occupational therapy. Others move into commissioning, contract management or policy roles within NHS or local authority settings. The standard explicitly supports continuing professional development, so progression tends to depend on individual ambition and the opportunities available within the employing organisation.
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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: 483.
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.