The FdSc Professional Practice in Health & Social Care degree in Health & Social Care provides a principal route for the training and education of Assistant Practitioners. NHS Employers (2015) identified the Assistant Practitioner as non-occupational specific role that has developed to assist organisations to deliver high quality and patient centred services in a variety of settings. An Assistant Practitioner is a worker who competently delivers health and social care to and for people. They are non-registered practitioners who have the required level of knowledge and skill beyond that of traditional healthcare assistant or support workers and expected to undertake more complex tasks (Skills for Health, 2009). Learners undertaking the programme will be required to complete 200 hours work-based experience in a relevant setting, which will greatly enhance their employability on completion of the programme. The programme will use a range of learning and teaching methods in line with our androgogical approach. These may include;
• Face to face taught modules combining tutor input with structured opportunities for discussion, reflection and planning for workplace application
• Use of the workplace as a site of learning
• Individual and group reflection on learning
• Facilitated group activities
• Individual tutor support to negotiate assessments
• Use of social learning tools to research assimilate and share knowledge