Health and Health Science update - January 2022

New Healthcare Engineering Apprenticeship Standards

We are pleased to confirm that we offer optional on programme qualifications to the new Level 3 Standard Healthcare Engineering Specialist Technician. This standard is for individuals who work in healthcare settings or in medical equipment manufacturers, setting up, commissioning, maintaining and replacing a variety of healthcare equipment including medical scanners, specialist operating equipment or healthcare property. Our Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Medical Engineering) (Development Technical Knowledge) has been written in conjunction with Health England and medical equipment manufacturers to ensure that it contains relevant underpinning knowledge and basic skills to enable an individual to effectively undertake these job roles and be able to progress to EPA (End Point Assessment).

We also offer the Pearson BTEC Level 4 Diploma in Healthcare Science as an alternative to the Engineering qualification offer in which units 103-114 relating to Equipment Management and Clinical Engineering specialism may also support this standard.

As part of the Apprenticeship Offer, Pearson are also reviewing the EPA requirements and are planning to submit an application to the EPAO (End Point Assessment Organisation) register shortly.

For more information on this standard and to register your interest in using Pearson for EPA, please contact either bryony.leonard@pearson.com or raman.gurnani@pearson.com.

Update on Skills for Health assessment principles- Flexible arrangements

Read the Skills for Health assessment principles - Flexible arrangements 

These support existing principles and approaches to unit/qualification assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. These adaptations were reviewed in December 2021 and remain in place until next reviewed in March 2022. See here for more details: 

Explore Assessment Principles for Qualifications that Assess Occupational Competence

Pharmacy Technician (Integrated) Level 3 EPA

We received an update from IFATE detailing a dispensation which can be applied for apprentices due to complete their EPA between February and April 2022. The dispensation removes the requirement for apprentices to undertake assessment post gateway. 

What does this mean?

For apprentices who are due to undertake end-point assessment during February and April 2022, until the new assessment plan is published, unit 22 and 23 of the EPA specification, i.e the observation and professional discussion does not need to occur. However, there is still a requirement that apprentices have:

• met the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the standard
• completed a GPhC recognised Pharmacy Technician qualification / programme - Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians (integrated apprenticeship). Qualification number: 603/6304/6 (Units 1-21)
• received notification of results after the units 1-22 have been sampled
• achieved Functional Skills level 2 in English and maths and 
• completed a portfolio signed off by the workplace and training provider supervisor/assessor.

What would happen after gateway for these learners?

• Once the gateway evidence has been submitted (on ACE360), the Independent Endpoint Assessor (IEA) will be allocated as before
• The IEA will check the gateway requirements and validate the EPA requirements.
• Once confirmed the learner will be notified of the result in ACE 360

For learners due to take EPA after 1 April 2022, the requirement of assessment components is still no longer a requirement but the further guidance on the process will be issued when the new assessment plan is published.

For apprentices undertaking end-point assessment, before February 2022, they will be required to undertake the professional discussion and observation component. We are ready to support this assessment if any apprentices require end-point assessment before February, we have made an amendment for first assessment to our Pharmacy Technician (Integrated) specification, indicating the first assessment date.

We are available to undertake end-point assessment, pending all required gateway evidence has been uploaded to ACE360 and the apprentice confirmed as being Approved for EPA.

The updated materials can be found within ACE360 knowledgebase.

Should you have any questions or queries, please feel free to email epadelivery@pearson.com