EPA Standard
Senior Healthcare Support Worker
Level 3 
£5,000 18 months
1. What the role entails
Senior Healthcare Support Workers help registered practitioners deliver healthcare services to people. As an experienced support worker, you carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare or therapeutic tasks, under the direct or indirect supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner. As a Senior Healthcare Support Worker, you will provide high-quality, compassionate healthcare; follow standards, policies or protocols; and always act within the limits of your competence. You may work in a range of services, for example, a hospital, in the community, a health or day case unit, a birth centre or midwifery led unit, someone’s home, an operating theatre, a nursing or care home, an assessment centre, a hospice, a school, a prison, a GP surgery, a charity or voluntary organisation; working in partnership with individuals, families, carers and other service providers.
2. On-programme assessment
Before entering Gateway, the apprentice must complete the following on-programme assessment requirements:
- an induction which meets the 15 Standards as set out in the Care Certificate
- Level 2 English and maths
- Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support (RQF).
3. Gateway requirements
The employer, independent training provider (ITP) and apprentice make the decision to take the apprentice through Gateway. The apprentice must achieve all the required on-programme elements before they enter Gateway, including:
- collating a Portfolio of Evidence.
4. End-point assessment
The EPA for Senior Healthcare Support Worker contains three methods of assessment:
Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Test
This assessment features 60 MCQs. 40 questions will focus on the core knowledge requirements and 20 on your chosen option. Each question will carry one mark and the test will last for 90 minutes.
Grading: the Independent End-Point Assessor (IEPA) grades the MCQ Test as Fail, Pass or Distinction.
Observation of Practice
The Observation of Practice will last a minimum of 120 minutes (+/-10% at the IEPA’s discretion) and will take place during the course of the apprentice’s normal workday. This will assess skills and behaviours. The Observation of Practice will also consist of a 10-minute question and answer session (+/-10% at the IEPA’s discretion).
Grading: the IEPA grades the Observation of Practice as Fail or Pass.
Professional Discussion underpinned by Portfolio of Evidence
Professional Discussion is a two-way conversation between the apprentice and the IEPA. The Professional Discussion will last for 60 minutes (+/-10% at the IEPA’s discretion), synoptically assessing the knowledge skills and behaviour requirements of the standard. The submitted Portfolio of Evidence will be used by the IEPA to inform the Professional Discussion.
Grading: the IEPA grades the Professional Discussion as Fail, Pass or Distinction.
5. Grade aggregation table
| Observation of Practice | MCQ Test | Professional Discussion underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence | Overall Grade |
| Pass | Distinction | Pass | Pass |
| Pass | Pass | Distinction | Pass |
| Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Pass | Distinction | Distinction | Distinction |
If any assessment method is failed, the overall grade will be deemed a Fail.
6. Completion and certification
We’ll activate certification once the apprentice has successfully completed all EPAs, and the IEPA has verified this. Working with the apprenticeship certificate issuing authority, we’ll ensure the apprentice receives their certificate.
7. What next?
The apprentice could progress onto the Level 5 Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate apprenticeship standard or, providing the apprentice meets the entry requirements, apply to university to become a registered Healthcare Practitioner.
Why NCFE?
We’re an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) specialising in EPA delivery across health, education, early years, digital, social care, finance and business apprenticeship standards. We offer flexible and reliable EPA solutions supported by sector expertise, guidance documents and proactive service and support.