Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship In Health And Social Care
Health And Social Care Foundation Apprenticeship | Level 2 | 8 Months (Including End Point Assessment)
Programme Overview
The Health and Social Care Foundation Apprenticeship is designed for young people who are at the start of their journey into the health and social care sector. Foundation apprenticeships develop the individual's core employability skills, providing entry-level competence, and build both confidence and workplace-readiness. Supported by local authorities, care providers and care leaver schemes, this programme is an exciting stepping stone into health and social care, combining real work experience with classroom learning.
By the end of this eight-month apprenticeship, learners will have gained a strong foundation in the key aspects of care work, preparing them for further training or employment and informing their next career steps. They will understand their role and the responsibilities as a care worker, the health and safety procedures they must follow, duty of care principles, amongst many other key areas to their learning and development.
This apprenticeship provides a gentle and supportive introduction to the workplace, and the chance to try out the care sector without having to commit straight into a job or longer apprenticeship. Successful learners can progress onto further education or into direct employment in health and social care.
Foundation apprenticeships benefit employers as they get to see the apprentice in work-based settings while the apprentice receives extra support. Employers also benefit from accessing a broader talent pool of young learners.
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Who Is This Apprenticeship For?
The Health and Social Care Foundation Apprenticeship is designed for young people, aged 16 to 21, or up to 25 for those with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP).
This foundation apprenticeship is a valuable first step for aspiring carers, who are looking for a pathway into careers such as care assistants, support workers, or even nursing and social work. It is ideal for those coming out of school, who are looking for in-work, hands-on experience rather than purely academic study. The foundation apprenticeship helps provide practical skills and confidence, whilst providing a clear idea of what working in health and social care is really like.
The apprenticeship is also ideal for individuals who aren't quite sure what career they want, but wish to explore their options whilst learning valuable communication, teamwork and professional skills.
Some local councils have set up specific care leaver schemes to help young people who have been in the care system transition smoothly into adult life and lasting careers which make he most of their valuable life experiences. These programmes often provide access onto the Health and Social Care Foundation Apprenticeship, providing training and support to care leavers as they start their careers.
Typical Job Titles
Healthcare Support Worker
Adult Care Worker
Healthcare Assistant
Mental Health Support Worker
Nursing Assistant
Support Worker
Core Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, learners will have gained a strong foundation in key aspects of care work, preparing them for further training or employment.
Understand Person-Centred Care: Putting the individual at the heart of everything they do, respecting choices, and promoting dignity.
Understand Their Role and Responsibilities: including knowing their limits, when to seek help, and how to work as part of a care team.
Follow Health and Safety Procedures: Understanding safe practices to protect themselves and others in the workplace.
Recognise The Importance Of Personal Wellbeing: Including emotional resilience, mental health awareness, and self-care strategies.
Understand Signs Of Health Deterioration: Being able to notice and report changes in someone’s condition early.
Safeguard Vulnerable Individuals: Understanding different types of abuse, how to spot concerns, and the correct reporting procedures.
Apply Duty Of Care Principles: Knowing how to act in the best interest of those they support while maintaining safety and accountability.
Maintain Professional Boundaries: Recognising the importance of boundaries in building trust and avoiding over-involvement.
Explore Career Progression Options: Including understanding next steps into Adult Care Worker or specialist care roles.
Promote Equality and Inclusion: Understanding how to support people from different backgrounds with fairness and respect.
Use Safe Moving and Handling Techniques: To protect both the individual being supported and themselves from injury.
Apply Infection Prevention and Control Measures: Including good hand hygiene, use of PPE, and understanding how infections spread.
Functional Skills Information
Functional Skills are qualifications in English and maths, embedded within apprenticeships, ensuring learners develop practical skills in the workplace. For foundation apprenticeships, there are no mandatory functional skills assessments which are required in order to complete the apprenticeship. However, tests can be taken if deemed appropriate for the individual learner.
If an apprentice holds neither a level 1 or level 2 in English or maths, then the apprentice must continue to study the subjects during the foundation apprenticeship, however they are not required to sit and pass the tests.
These functional skills rules allow apprentices to start the programme and upskill, build their confidence and receive support, without English and maths assessments being a requirement.
Benefits For Employers
The foundation apprenticeship has been specifically designed to help address skills shortages and workforce gaps within the health and social care sectors. They to this by:
- Attracting young talent into the sector.
- Providing experience and understanding into young talent, before they have to commit to long-term careers and progression.
- Providing employers the opportunity to shape the workforce to meet the modern industry needs, from the very start or their career journey.
- Creating workforce which is skilled, motivated, confident and diverse.
Employer Incentives
Financial invectives are available to employers for foundation apprenticeships:
- Up to £2,000 per apprentice.
- Fully funded training and assessment for apprentices up to 21 years old, or aged 22 to 24 with an EHCP or care experience.
- £1,000 incentive payment for employing a 16 to 18 years old.
- National insurance contribution relief for apprentices earning under £50,270 per year.
The Apprenticeship Process
Apprentices are allocated a skills & development coach by a training provider such as Dynamic Training, who will support and guide them for the duration of their apprenticeship.
Training with the skills and development coach is delivered regularly throughout the length of the apprenticeship, both online and within the workplace itself. The training will always take place during the apprentice's normal working hours. The apprentice does not need to leave the workplace, or work additional hours, as part of their apprenticeship.
Apprentices will work to complete their portfolio of evidence for their apprenticeship, and submit assignments to the required standard, so that they can complete their apprenticeship and receive their qualification. The apprentice will also be learning and developing new knowledge, skills and behaviours within their workplace, and using this as evidence within their apprenticeship.
The skills and development coach will hold regular meetings with their learner and line manager, to see how the apprentice is developing and how much progress they are making with their portfolio of evidence. These meetings ensure that the learner is receiving the right support from both their employer and their training provider, and help move the apprentice forwards in their apprenticeship.
Being an apprentice requires access to a computer or other electronic device, as well a good internet connection, in order to complete their work and join online training sessions. Dynamic Training use Microsoft Teams for online meetings, and OneFile as our e-portfolio.
Frequently Asked Apprenticeship Questions
Apprenticeships are open to anyone aged 16 or over, entitled to live in England and who are no longer in full-time education.
Whether they are starting their working career or are already in the workplace looking to upskill or retrain, apprenticeships can provide an opportunity to increase skills and knowledge.
As there is no upper age limit, apprenticeships can be a great way for working professionals to help achieve career progression or for career changers to learn a new profession.
With an apprenticeship, employees have a fantastic opportunity to learn, gaining industry desired skills and knowledge and behaviours in the workplace.
Apprentices can be employed as a new apprentice on a fixed term contract or you they can be an existing member of staff who would like to upskill or retrain.
Once an apprentice starts their programme, they are allocated a Skills & Development Coach from Dynamic Training, who will support them for the duration of their training and ensure they are ready for end point assessment.
Additionally, employers are expected to provide apprentices with a workplace mentor who is normally a senior member of staff, but who is not the apprentices' direct manager.
Working hours vary depending on the employer, however the minimum duration of an apprenticeship (12 months) is based on an apprentice working 30 paid hours per week. For apprentices working less hours, the apprenticeship duration must be extended.
You can find out more about off-the-job training from the below page which fully breaks down how many hours an apprenticeship requires.
For existing staff members, their existing rate of pay will not be affected and you will not have to take a pay cut to become an apprentice.
For new entrant employed as an apprentice, you can view the minimum wages on the government's website.
You are able to search and apply for all apprenticeship vacancies using the National Apprenticeship Service website
Already Working: If you are looking to complete your apprenticeship with your current employer, first talk to your line manager about the opportunity to start an apprenticeship. We will gladly then talk to your employer about the options available to get you started.
Find out more about apprenticeships and answer your questions by exploring our comprehensive explanation of apprenticeships.
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How To Get In Touch...
Address:
Unit 7, Brook Business Centre,
Cowley Mill Road,
Uxbridge,
UB8 2FX
Phone: 020 8607 7850
Our Health And Social Care Foundation Apprenticeship Content Pack For Employers
The resources within our content pack have been provided for use by our partners and employers, to help promote our apprenticeship to their staff through your own communication systems, such as emails, intranets and social media platforms.
Feel free to use these systems as required, and link to our website from your own communication systems. If you require custom resources, please see the information on this page.
How do apprenticeships work? What is required from employers and the apprentices themselves during the apprenticeship process?
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