EPA Standard
Early Intervention Practitioner
Level 4 
£3,500 18 months
1. What the role entails
Early Intervention Practitioners (EIPs) support individuals across all age ranges, to help them overcome barriers impacting their daily lives, such as alcohol, drug or gambling misuse, behavioural issues, mobility issues and learning difficulties. They identify risks and provide intervention services at the right time in order to help prevent escalation to social care or other statutory partner thresholds. Support provided could involve a single agency input or require coordinating a multi-agency response. EIPs focus on the voice of the individual and build relationships with them and their wider network. They can also provide impartial information, support and guidance to others impacted by their circumstances, such as the individual’s family and friends. They adopt a collaborative, evidence-based approach to build on the capacity and resilience of individuals by supporting them to take responsibility and ownership for themselves, which may also involve input from the individual’s family, friends and other professionals.
2. On-programme assessment
The apprentice must achieve the following on-programme assessment requirements prior to Gateway:
- Level 2 English and maths
- a Portfolio of Evidence to underpin the Professional Discussion.
3. Gateway requirements
The decision to take an apprentice through Gateway is made between the employer, Independent Training Provider (ITP) and the apprentice. The apprentice should only enter Gateway once the employer is content that the apprentice is working at or above the level of the occupational standard. The apprentice must also have completed all the on-programme elements before they enter Gateway, including the Portfolio of Evidence to underpin the Professional Discussion. The Case Study title and scope will be agreed between the apprentice, the employer and NCFE at Gateway.
4. End-point assessment
The EPA for Early Intervention Practitioner contains two methods of assessment:
Professional Discussion Underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence
The Professional Discussion is a structured discussion designed to draw out the best of the apprentice’s competence and excellence and cover the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) assigned to this assessment method. It is a two-way discussion which involves both the Independent End Point Assessor (IEPA) and the apprentice actively listening and participating in a formal conversation. The assessment duration is 60 minutes (the IEPA has the discretion to increase the time of the Professional Discussion by up to 10% to allow the apprentice to complete their last answer). The Portfolio of Evidence will be completed during on-programme learning, covering the KSBs to be assessed by the Professional Discussion
Grading: the Professional Discussion will be measured as Fail, Pass or Distinction.
Case Study with Report and Presentation with Questioning
The Work-Based Case Study (Component 1) will be in the form of a written report and a video recording of the apprentice conducting a meeting with either the individual and or family they are working with, or with relevant professionals. The Case Study topic will be agreed by the employer and NCFE at Gateway and submitted after a maximum of nine weeks from passing Gateway. It requires the apprentice to complete a significant and defined piece of work that has a real organisational benefit and is based on a real-life work-based activity. It should enable the apprentice to demonstrate that they understand and can apply the relevant KSBs to the full cycle of work undertaken with an individual and/or family. The video recording will allow the IEPA to observe the apprentice’s interpersonal skills. Following the marking of the Work-Based Case Study, the Questioning assessment method (Component 2), will involve the IEPA asking the apprentice a minimum of five open questions to test and seek clarification regarding the content and/or depth of understanding of the Work-Based Study Report and video recording against the required KSBs.
Component 1: the Case Study Report will be 3,500 words (+/-10%) with NCFE’s approval of the Case Study’s scope and title. The accompanying video recording must not exceed 15 minutes and should be one continuous recording.
Component 2: the duration of the questioning should be fixed at 30 minutes and include a minimum of five open questions. The IEPA has the discretion to increase the duration by up to 10% to allow the apprentice to respond to a question.
Grading: the Case Study with Report and Presentation will be measured as Fail, Pass or Distinction.
5. Grade aggregation table
| Professional Discussion Underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence | Case Study with Report and Presentation with Questioning | Grading |
| Any grade | Fail | Fail |
| Fail | Any grade | Fail |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Pass | Distinction | Pass |
| Distinction | Pass | Pass |
| Distinction | Distinction | Distinction |
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?
Upon completing this apprenticeship, typical routes of progression into employment can be found in roles such as: Assistant Social Worker, Early Intervention Advisor, Pastoral and School Inclusion Officer, Family Support Worker, and various others.
NCFE also offer a range of complimentary Social Care apprenticeships that may provide suitable routes for further education and training at a higher level or in a more specialised capacity, including: Level 4 Lead Practitioner in Adult Care, Level 5 Leader in Adult Care, Level 4 Children, Young People and Families Practitioner, and Level 5 Children, Young People and Families Manager.
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.