FATP · an independent directoryApprenticeship data sourced from DfE, ESFA and IfATEUpdated daily · GB
L3Apprenticeship6593 approved providers
The Level 3 Community health and wellbeing worker, and the 3 providers delivering it.
To work in partnership with individuals and their communities to identify and address health and wellbeing needs, improve health, prevent ill-health and reduce inequalities.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn how social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors shape people's health, and how to work with individuals and communities to address those factors. The training covers health inequalities, long-term condition prevention, strengths-based approaches, and how statutory and voluntary services connect. Apprentices develop practical skills in community engagement, signposting, volunteer support, and service mapping, alongside the knowledge needed to identify barriers to good health and help people overcome them.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Working across community settings, apprentices spend their time meeting individuals to understand their health and wellbeing needs, connecting them with relevant local services, and keeping resource directories up to date. They attend partnership meetings with NHS teams, council services, and voluntary organisations, support or supervise volunteers, and follow up with people to check on progress. Case recording, local research, and flagging gaps or risks in local provision are all part of the regular workload.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship opens roles such as social prescribing link worker, health trainer, community connector, live well coach, and care navigator. Employers span NHS primary care networks, local authorities, housing associations, and VCSE organisations. With experience, progression into senior community health roles, health improvement coordination, or team leadership is common. The workforce is expanding, driven by NHS and local government investment in prevention and inequality reduction, so demand for qualified workers is growing across most regions.
3 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
Buttercups Training
Employer: 4.0
Buttercups Training is a specialist UK pharmacy training provider delivering apprenticeship and voca...
Acorn Training
Employer: 3.0
Acorn Training is a national training provider delivering apprenticeships, training, employability s...
Cheshire College – South & West
Employer: 2.0
Cheshire College – South & West offers apprenticeship and further education opportunities across its...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completers typically move into named roles such as Social Prescribing Link Worker, Health Trainer, Live Well Coach, Care Navigator, Community Connector, or Community Health Champion. These positions involve direct work with individuals and local populations: holding one-to-one appointments, connecting people to community services, supporting self-management of long-term conditions, and helping reduce demand on primary care and secondary health services.
Progression paths
With a few years' experience, workers often move into senior or specialist positions such as Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker, Community Development Officer, or Health Inequalities Coordinator. Those who take a leadership track may progress to Team Leader or Service Manager roles, overseeing caseloads and supervising volunteers or junior staff. The deep-specialist track tends toward public health programme work, community engagement strategy, or roles focused on specific populations such as older adults, mental health, or children and families.
Where these roles sit
Employers span the NHS (particularly primary care networks and integrated care boards), local authorities, and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. Housing associations, charities focused on mental health or older people, and community interest companies also commission these roles. The workforce sits predominantly in the public and VCSE sectors, with roles spread across urban and rural settings throughout England. Organisations range from large NHS trusts to small community organisations with just a handful of staff.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Learning takes place in the workplace, with off-the-job training built into the programme throughout. As the apprentice develops, they are expected to build competence across the knowledge, skills and behaviours defined for the occupation, covering areas such as social determinants of health, community partnership working, and strengths-based approaches to supporting individuals. Before final assessment, the apprentice and employer confirm readiness through a gateway review, which checks that the required competence has been reached. Final assessment then determines whether the apprentice can perform the role to the standard required. 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
Gathering workplace evidence from early in the programme is far easier than trying to reconstruct it later. Apprentices should keep records of real cases and community interactions as they happen, noting how they applied relevant knowledge and skills in practice. Regular check-ins with both the employer and training provider help ensure progress is on track and that any gaps are addressed well before the gateway review. Working across statutory and voluntary sector settings gives the strongest evidence base for demonstrating the range of competencies required.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with achievement rates above 65% on their FATP profile, and check both employer and apprentice satisfaction scores. Because this role sits across NHS, local authority and VCSE settings, a good provider will have active relationships with all three employer types, not just one. Ask whether tutors or assessors have direct experience in community health, social prescribing or public health, since the knowledge base is grounded in social determinants and asset-based approaches, not clinical care. Learner reviews mentioning real community placements, case-based learning and connections to local service networks are a positive sign.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious if a provider draws mostly from care or healthcare cohorts and has adapted a generic health and social care programme rather than building curriculum around community development and health inequalities. A high volume of learners paired with a declining or borderline achievement rate is a concern at this funding level. Vague answers about how apprentices are supported to map local assets or develop partnership working suggest limited curriculum depth. Providers unable to explain how the EPA is typically prepared for, or who cannot point to alumni working in roles like social prescribing link worker or health trainer, warrant scrutiny.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What proportion of your apprentices for this standard are employed in VCSE or NHS social prescribing settings, and do you have employer relationships across all three sectors?
- How do you teach asset-based and strengths-based approaches, and is this assessed through real community work or classroom scenarios?
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how has it changed over the last two years?
- How do apprentices build and maintain a local resource directory or asset map as part of the programme?
- What does your EPA preparation look like, and what is your typical gateway pass rate?
- How do you support apprentices whose employer is a small VCSE organisation with limited line management capacity?
- Can you connect me with an employer or a recent completer working in a role similar to the one I am recruiting for?
Common questions
What entry requirements does a candidate need to start this apprenticeship?
There are no nationally set academic entry requirements for this standard. Employers typically look for good literacy and numeracy, and the ability to communicate clearly with members of the public. Candidates must be in paid employment for the duration of the apprenticeship. Some employers ask for prior experience in a community, care, or public-facing role, but this varies. Check with individual training providers about any additional requirements they set.
How long does the apprenticeship take and how is learning balanced with work?
The typical duration is 12 months, though this can vary depending on the apprentice's prior learning and pace of progress. Throughout the programme, the apprentice remains employed and applies their learning directly in the workplace. A portion of contracted hours must be spent on off-the-job training, though the exact requirement is subject to ongoing reform under Skills England. Check the current specification on gov.uk for the latest figure before planning delivery.
How is the apprentice assessed at the end of the programme?
Before moving to end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through gateway, where the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has met all knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements set out in the standard. Assessment models for many standards are currently being reviewed as part of Skills England reforms. For the current end-point assessment method for this standard, refer to the published specification on gov.uk. The apprentice must demonstrate genuine occupational competence, not just completion of training hours.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £7,000, which is the maximum government contribution toward training and assessment costs. Levy-paying employers draw costs from their digital apprenticeship service account. Non-levy employers pay a co-investment contribution, currently 5%, with the government funding the remainder. Employers with fewer than 50 staff taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing. Funding does not cover the apprentice's wage, which the employer pays in full throughout.
What does a community health and wellbeing worker actually do day to day?
Day-to-day work involves meeting individuals to understand their health and social needs, then connecting them with appropriate local services, community groups or voluntary organisations. This can include social prescribing referrals, supporting people to manage long-term conditions, running community outreach sessions, and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of local provision. The role is largely non-clinical. Workers liaise with statutory agencies such as GP practices, housing teams and local authority services, as well as voluntary and community sector organisations.
What can an apprentice do after completing this apprenticeship?
Completers typically move into roles such as social prescribing link worker, community connector, health trainer or care navigator, depending on the employer. With experience, progression into team leader or service coordinator positions is common. Some go on to study health and social care, public health or community development at degree level. The broad knowledge of social determinants and cross-agency working also supports movement into wider public health, community development or voluntary sector management roles.
Not sure which provider fits?
Tell us a bit about your team and we'll send a shortlist.
Need help choosing a provider?
Tell us your requirements and we'll match you with the right training providers.
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: 659.
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.