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L6Apprenticeship3911 approved provider
The Level 6 Occupational therapist, and the 1 provider delivering it.
Occupational therapists work with people of all ages and can look at all aspects of daily life in your home, school or workplace.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices train to become registered occupational therapists, working with individuals across all ages and a wide range of conditions, including physical and mental health, learning disabilities and palliative care needs. They develop skills in assessment, intervention planning and critical reflection, learning to reach collaborative solutions with service users, families and carers. The programme also covers professional regulation under the Health and Care Professions Council, safeguarding responsibilities, consent and capacity, and the leadership skills needed to supervise others and contribute to the development of the profession.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Week to week, an apprentice will carry out occupational assessments, set person-centred goals with service users, and deliver or support therapeutic interventions aimed at improving everyday function. This might involve helping someone return to work after injury, supporting a child with a learning disability to manage school routines, or working with an older adult on dressing and mobility. Apprentices will write case notes, attend multidisciplinary team meetings, seek supervision, and begin taking on a caseload with increasing autonomy as their practice develops.
Career outlook
Completion leads to registration as an occupational therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council, which is required to practise in the UK. Most graduates enter Band 5 roles within the NHS, local authority adult social care teams, children's services, or the independent sector. From there, progression typically moves through Band 6 and Band 7 positions into specialisms such as neurological rehabilitation, mental health, hand therapy or community services. Senior practitioners may move into team leadership, service management or advanced clinical roles.
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 leads to registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the title of Occupational Therapist. Most newly qualified practitioners take up Band 5 posts, typically as a Rotational Occupational Therapist, moving through placements across different clinical areas before settling into a specialist caseload. Some enter directly into a fixed-specialist Band 5 post in areas such as mental health, paediatrics, or community rehabilitation.
Progression paths
Within three to five years, many practitioners move into Band 6 roles such as Specialist Occupational Therapist or Senior Occupational Therapist, taking on more complex caseloads and beginning to supervise junior staff or students. Beyond that, two distinct tracks open up: a clinical specialist route, progressing to Highly Specialist or Consultant Occupational Therapist, or a leadership and management route toward Team Leader, Service Manager, or Head of Occupational Therapy. Some practitioners move into research, education, or policy roles.
Where these roles sit
The NHS is the largest employer, with posts across acute hospitals, community health teams, mental health trusts, and specialist rehabilitation units. Local authority social care departments, schools and specialist education settings, and hospices also employ occupational therapists directly. Private sector demand comes from independent hospitals, case management companies, and occupational health providers. The voluntary sector, including disability charities and housing associations, offers further opportunities, particularly in community-based and supported living services.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
The apprentice learns and practises occupational therapy in a real workplace setting throughout the programme, building competence across clinical reasoning, person-centred assessment, intervention planning and professional conduct. Before final assessment, the apprentice and their employer and training provider confirm readiness through a gateway review, which checks that the required knowledge, skills and behaviours have been demonstrated to the required standard. Final assessment then confirms the apprentice is competent to practise as a qualified occupational therapist. Because assessment models for many standards are being revised, check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification and approved assessment approach.
What learners need to prepare
Keeping records of real practice throughout the programme is essential rather than something to catch up on near the end. Each clinical placement, service user interaction and professional development activity can contribute evidence of competence, so documenting them promptly makes the gateway review far more straightforward. Working closely with the employer, practice supervisors and the training provider from early on helps identify any gaps in experience before they become a problem. Apprentices should treat every placement as an opportunity to gather concrete evidence against the standard's knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 75% on their FATP profile; completion across a 48-month programme at this level demands sustained pastoral and academic support, so a strong finish rate is a meaningful signal. Because this apprenticeship leads to HCPC registration, providers should have clear evidence of supervised clinical placements across more than one setting, including NHS, social care and community or voluntary sector environments. High apprentice satisfaction scores matter here: learner experience in placement quality and practice education supervision directly shapes readiness for autonomous practice. Check that the provider holds Royal College of Occupational Therapists accreditation for the programme.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers who cannot clearly describe how practice placements are sourced, coordinated and quality-assured across different settings. A large cohort size paired with a declining achievement rate often signals that placement capacity or academic tutorial support is stretched. Vague answers about how practice educators are trained or how the apprentice's off-the-job hours are tracked across four years should prompt further questions. Providers who cannot point to recent graduates achieving HCPC registration and working in occupational therapy roles warrant scrutiny.
Questions to ask before you commit
- How many distinct placement settings do apprentices experience, and do these include physical health, mental health and community or social care environments?
- How are practice educators recruited, trained and supported, and what happens if a placement breaks down mid-programme?
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how does it compare with your rate two years ago?
- How do you support apprentices through the HCPC registration process and the end-point assessment?
- What is your apprentice satisfaction score on FATP, and what are the most common concerns raised in learner reviews?
- Do you cover the regions where our workforce is based, and can apprentices access face-to-face academic teaching without excessive travel?
- Can you share examples of the types of roles graduates have moved into after completing the programme and gaining registration?
Common questions
What entry requirements must a candidate meet before starting this apprenticeship?
Candidates typically need to meet the entry requirements set by the training provider and the employer, which usually include relevant academic qualifications at A-level or equivalent. Because this apprenticeship leads to registration as an occupational therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), providers will also check that applicants can meet the HCPC's standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Candidates must be employed in a suitable role for the duration of the programme.
How much time does an occupational therapist apprentice spend away from their day job?
Apprentices are employed throughout and carry out learning alongside their work. The split between workplace duties and off-the-job learning is subject to ongoing revision under current Skills England reforms, so check the latest specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page for this standard before planning rotas or cover arrangements. At 48 months, the programme is substantial, and employers should plan for consistent learning commitments across the full period.
How is the apprenticeship assessed, and what does gateway involve?
Before the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway. At gateway, the employer and training provider confirm that the apprentice has the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the standard and is ready to be assessed. Because assessment models for many standards are being reviewed, the current requirements are best confirmed on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education website. Completion and HCPC registration are both required before the apprentice can practise independently as an occupational therapist.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship, and what does it cost?
The funding band for this standard is £24,000. Levy-paying employers draw that amount from their Digital Apprenticeship Service account. Employers who do not pay the levy contribute 5% of the training cost and the government funds the remaining 95%, subject to eligibility. Employers with fewer than 50 staff who take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing; the government covers the full training cost. Fees are paid to the training provider, not as a salary supplement.
What does an occupational therapist apprentice actually do day to day?
Day-to-day work involves assessing service users across physical and mental health, social care, education or voluntary sector settings, then planning and delivering therapeutic interventions. Apprentices carry out home visits, write clinical notes, attend multidisciplinary team meetings, and adapt activities to help people manage dressing, eating, travel or work. They also supervise junior staff or students, reflect on the effectiveness of their practice, and maintain their continuing professional development in line with HCPC requirements.
Where can someone go after completing this apprenticeship?
Completing the apprenticeship and gaining HCPC registration allows the individual to practise as a qualified occupational therapist. From there, progression routes include specialising in areas such as mental health, paediatrics, neurological rehabilitation or hand therapy. Senior and advanced practitioner roles, team leader positions, and academic or research pathways are all realistic next steps. Some occupational therapists pursue postgraduate qualifications or independent prescribing routes to extend their scope of practice further.
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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: 391.
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.