Announcing our new Level 3 health and social care diploma
The Department for Education (DfE) has now concluded the Spring submission cycle of post-16 reforms approvals for Level 3 technical qualifications. We are delighted to announce that NCFE has a brand-new technical qualification approved in health and social care, designed primarily for 16-19 study programmes. It will be available for public funding from 1 August 2026.
The existing large Level 3 qualifications in health and social care are to be defunded at the same time:
|
QRN |
Title |
|
60161103 |
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care |
|
60184358 |
NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care |
|
60170621 |
OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Diploma in Health and Social Care |
|
60303815 |
OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care |
|
60171947 |
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Health and Social Care |
|
60171984 |
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care |
This means that from the academic year 2026/27, there will be two approved large Level 3 qualifications in this sector: The Health T Level, and our new diploma.
Our new qualification is called the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Social Care (Diploma). The phrase ‘technical occupational entry’ indicates that this qualification is approved by Skills England and has been designed in collaboration with employers, much like T Levels. Whilst it aims to address many of the skills needed for the adult social care workforce, the inclusion of units such as ‘anatomy and physiology’ means that it also provides excellent preparation for a career in health.
This qualification is equivalent to 3 A Levels and is designed for 16-19 study programmes. It is the natural successor to our current extended diplomas in health and social care (601/6110/3 and 601/8435/8) and is the perfect parallel offering to the Health T Level, catering to a slightly different type of learner.
It provides fantastic preparation for entry into the health and social care workforce, but due to the large number of UCAS points it holds, it also offers a route into degree courses such as social work or adult nursing.
|
Grade |
Pass |
Merit |
Distinction |
Distinction* |
|
UCAS points |
48 |
96 |
144 |
168 |
We’re very excited to be providing a vital route to higher education for learners who may not be able to sit a T Level and would be delighted to provide any further information about the qualification.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please get in touch with our team at [email protected].