Social Care
Introduction to T Levels
T Levels are a new, 2-year Level 3 qualification for 16- to 19-year-olds. Designed with employers from multiple sectors and combines classroom study with an industry placement.
Each T Level is equivalent to 3 A levels and helps young people develop the knowledge, attitude, and practical skills to progress into skilled employment or an apprenticeship.
Every T Level student must complete an industry placement that lasts a minimum 45 days. This provides learners the opportunity to put their learning, knowledge and skills into practice in a real workplace environment and prepares them for the world of work or further study like higher apprenticeships. Industry placements also gives employers a unique opportunity to develop new talent and help young people to become work ready and develop their career in the Social Care sector.
More information can be found in the social care training hub employers guide to T Levels. (Summer when I have finished the document I will send so it can sit under general resources but create a hyperlink to the document)
Benefits to Employers
- Attract motivated young people to your business, bringing in imaginative and new ideas
- Improve the recruitment pipeline for your business
- Address local and national skills gaps by helping young people develop the skills your industry needs
- Develop existing staff’s mentoring and management skills
- Build a more diverse and creative workforce
- Play an important role in the local community
- Build partnerships with local training and education providers
- Save recruitment costs by providing the opportunity to see what the young person can offer, on a no-obligation employment basis
Case Studies and Podcasts
(Coming Soon)
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College T Level Programme Information
Health (Adult Nursing) and Health (Allied Health Professionals T-Level
This technical qualification is suitable for post-16 students looking to develop both knowledge and practical skills in the health and care sector and supports students onto a range of progression routes including employment, higher education and higher apprenticeships.
Included within this programme are subjects such as:
- Health and wellbeing
- Consideration of additional and individual needs
- Health and social care values
- Communication and person-centred care Calibration and accurate use of equipment
- Use of mobility aids and tasks to support with daily living
- Supporting the referral process to external services
- Supporting discharge from primary care
- Human biology, including anatomy and physiology
- Physics including electromagnetism and types of radiation waves
- Chemistry including acid-base reactions and titration
Day release (Thursday + Friday)
B&FC apply for students’ DBS and fund its cost. As soon as DBS is received and any mandatory training of induction completed they can start with you! The placement often spans Year 1 and Year 2 of the programme.
T Level qualifications require students to complete a minimum of 315 – though this can be shared between you and another employer
- Health and Safety checks will be carried out by the B&FC placement team
- Students would benefit from a mentor in the workplace
- Induction on their first day
- Ideally an interview
If you are interested in providing a T Level placement or want to know more, B&FC will provide you with an Employer Handbook, which details the key responsibilities.
Exposure to the setting, to the sector, to the job role is vital. There are no specific placement learning outcomes prescribed by the qualification.
This will be determined by the setting’s own policies regarding those on a volunteer placement. The Duties can then be sense-checked and agreed with B&FC in line with risk assessments in place.
Not applicable for a health-related T Level
This is dependent on tasks required by you – however we have a key contact (our Industry Placement Co-ordinator) who will provide advice on what may / may not be suitable.
Risk Assessment required Yes/No
Yes, B&FC conduct and update all risk assessments for any student industry placement settings. We will liaise with you every step of the way. We will need your Public Liability insurance details as part of our risk assessment.
Any insurance required for the employer supporting a student?
Yes
DBS – Type e.g. Enhanced, transferrable – Adult/children
Yes – funded and applied for by B&FC
Progression (Apprenticeship programmes/Job Roles etc)
Yes – to higher and degree apprenticeships in related field
Funding – Yes/No – How to claim
Yes – please see link
Health T-Level
The Health T-Level is designed to provide students with the knowledge and understanding of contexts, concepts, theories and principles relevant to the health sector. This will ensure students are able to apply their skills in a variety of contexts and for a variety of different purposes to support and develop professional competencies.
The T Level Health is a technical study programme which prepares young people for progression into employment, further academic study or higher-level apprenticeships; with a focus on progression into health-related careers. The course is compiled of an approved technical qualification (TQ), which includes the opportunity to specialise in a health-related work role in the second year of the course. Within the technical qualification learners develop knowledge of not only health care related concepts but also contextualised scientific content, prudent to a future working role within the health sector. Alongside academic study, learners engage with a programme of employability, enrichment and pastoral support that enriches the technical knowledge of learners and facilitates the application of theory to practical experience. Through simulated activities within our state-of-the-art SIM ward, engagement with employers and health professionals, work related training roles and enrichment trips and visits, learners are given the opportunity to bring their learning to life; developing the knowledge skills and behaviours they require to become the future health workforce.
Learners are assessed via exams, synoptic assessment and an employer set project which includes simulated role plays, presentations, and professional discussions.
Learners are also required to complete a minimum of 315 practice placement hours within a health-related industry placement. During this placement, learners will contextualise their learning and synthesise this into their practice
Year 1 :
- Working within the health and science sector
- The healthcare sector
- Health, safety and environmental regulations in the health and science sector
- Health and safety regulations applicable in the healthcare sector
- Managing information and data within the health and science sector
- Managing personal information
- Good scientific and clinical practice
- Providing person-centred care
- Health and wellbeing
- Infection prevention and control in health specific settings
- Safeguarding
- Core science concepts
- Further science concepts
Year 2 performance outcomes to be achieved:
- Carry out a range of therapeutic techniques to support allied health professionals
- Assist with the therapy support process and provide advice to help individuals develop and improve their health and/or develop or maintain skills for daily living
- Prepare and maintain the therapeutic environment, equipment and resource for use
Mixed – predominantly day release
January Y12 onwards
315 hours 1 placement provider at one time Can only have 2 providers over the course of the T-level
- Induction – A full health, safety and work place induction as per any employed member of staff
- H&S mandatory training related to the work role (Moving and handling and Basic Life support)
- Mentors – An allocated mentor to be a direct line of contact for college to communicate with regarding student progress and to provide learners with a main point of contact for queries, to access support and to provide learners with relevant learning opportunities.
- liability insurance
- Opportunities for learners to not only observe practice but to be involved in direct tasks that solidify and build learners health related knowledge and skills.
- To review the professional development portfolio to secure opportunities for learners to demonstrate identified competencies in practice.
- To review with learners The Care Certificate core competencies workbook and sign off any skills that learners have successfully demonstrated
- To provide learners with preparation for placement sessions to ensure that learners are work ready.
- To ensure learners have completed an appropriate DBS check.
- To ensure learners have the appropriate student industrial placement uniform prior to start of placement.
- To deliver a sequenced curriculum that enables learners to have engaged with key knowledge to be ready to contribute effectively within the placement setting and with associated work tasks when the placement begins.
- To liaise with employers to maintain a rigours quality assurance process and to ensure the placement meets employer and learner needs.
- To visit learners to triangulate the quality assurance of placement with college, the learner and the employer.
- To communicate requirements of placement settings (mentors) in supporting learners to meet required competencies and to support in suggesting opportunities for learners to apply technical knowledge in practice.
Placement provides an opportunity for students to develop the practical and technical skills required to work in the healthcare environment.
The industry placement aims to ensure that learners have opportunities to contextualise their learning and apply this in a real-life health setting.
Learners are to be supported to become a member of the staff team, supporting the direct care of patients within the scope of the training provided to them during induction and further training on placement. Learners will not deliver care unless they have been given appropriate training to do so.
They will be supervised by a workplace mentor and have opportunities to engage with tasks that link to the aforementioned learning modules and care certificate standards – noted in the professional development portfolio
Students will work through their Professional Development Portfolio which outlines competencies that students should be able to evidence throughout their placement. Upon entering their placement, providers will be given a list of Dos and Don’ts that students can participate in
Students will work through their Professional Development Portfolio during their placement which is used to guide students and their mentors on objectives, tasks and competencies that they should be carrying out and completing. Students will receive 3 visits by the Placement Offices who will complete assessments. Learners will seek professional feedback from mentors and colleagues to reflect upon and use to improve practice.
Risk Assessment required Yes/No
Yes
Any insurance required for the employer supporting a student?
Public Liability Insurance
DBS – Type e.g. Enhanced, transferrable – Adult/children
Enhanced
Progression (Apprenticeship programmes/Job Roles etc)
Higher level apprenticeship/ University / direct progression into health care work roles at level 3.
Funding – Yes/No – How to claim
No
Health T-Level
This course develops the skills and knowledge required for those who wish to pursue a career in Health and Social care. Students will enjoy industry experience in carefully selected placements and study units covering different aspects within this field.
Units Year 1
- Working the Health Care Sector
- Managing Personal Information
- Health & Safety
- Person-Centred Care
- Core Science
- ESP (Employer Set Project)
Units Year 2
- Comfort and wellbeing
- Therapeutic tasks and interventions
- Physiological measurements
- Clinical tasks
- Activities of daily living
- Skin integrity assessments
Year 1 – February
Year 2 – September
*Dates could change if requested by the NHS or college.
315 minimum. It can be shared with one other employer only.
- Induction
- Assign a mentor
- Assign duties & tasks
- Expectations / conduct i.e. use of mobile phones
- Breaks / Lunch – facilities and times
- Dress Code
- Process if not able to attend, in addition to informing the college
- Have employers’ liability insurance (ELI)
- Complete H&S appraisal
- Identify a safeguarding point of contact
- Sign students’ attendance log
- Attend review meetings and provide feedback for T-Level documentation
- To ensure the employer has ELI
- Ensure H&S checklist completed by employer
- To obtain consent from student, parent / guardian and employer – clearly outlining the students’ duties while on placement
- Conduct x4 on site visits
- Completion of all T-Level documentation
- Keeping in regular contact with employer
The T Level qualification is designed to give a unique blend of both classroom and workplace education that you will not find anywhere else. The content of the course is split into a core component, which is standard across all T-Levels, and an occupational specialism in adult nursing. The core component of the T Level Health will support the understanding of the health industry and covers a range of topics including: working within the health & science sector; principles of good scientific & clinical practice; providing person-centred care, supporting health &wellbeing; infection and prevention control; and core science concepts including the structure of cells, tissues and large molecules, genetics, microbiology and immunology. The occupational specialism in adult nursing will allow you to develop the relevant skills in preparation for your career in health. The adult nursing specialism will cover topics specific to supporting the adult nursing team.
To be discussed with an employer and tailored to their setting / aligned to learning goals and spec.
An assigned staff member at the NHS will provide feedback to the college on an on-going basis. There will also be x4 onsite visits by the college throughout the placement.
Risk Assessment required Yes/No
Yes
Any insurance required for the employer supporting a student?
Yes
DBS – Type e.g. Enhanced, transferrable – Adult/children
Enhanced
Progression (Apprenticeship programmes/Job Roles etc)
Yes, but may be with another provider, if Runshaw do not offer the programme
Funding – Yes/No – How to claim
Yes, but this is only available this academic year and there is a cap on the fund. Employers must also meet eligibility criteria with regards to costs they will incur.
T Level in Health (Adult Nursing)
The Level 3 technical qualification provides learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to progress into skilled employment or higher-level technical training or study in the health and science sector. The core knowledge and understanding are assessed through an examination and core skills through a practical employer-set project. In addition to this, maths, English, and general digital skills will be integrated within the qualification in occupationally relevant contexts
The core content for the T Level will cover the following areas:
- Working within health and science
- Human health
- Safety and environmental regulations
- Managing information and data
- Good scientific and clinical practice
- Core science concepts.
Occupational specialism: Supporting the Adult Nursing Team:
- Performance outcome 1: Assist the adult nursing team with clinical skills.
- Performance outcome 2: Support individuals to meet activities of daily living.
- Performance outcome 3: Assist with skin integrity assessments and with · the care and treatment of skin conditions
Day release
Cohort 1 (start September 23):
Year 1 – January 2024
Year 2 – September 2025
Minimum 315 hours excluding absences.
Two employers are optional.
35 hours can be utilised preparing learners for their Industry Placement, for example First aid, Care Qualification, etc.
Please refer to the NCG Employer Guide.
Please refer to the NCG Employer Guide.
Please see attached the Progress Indicators and an example of objectives.
Please see attached the Progress Indicators and an example of objectives.
Students receive three monitoring reviews focusing on the progress indicators, a mid-point review and end of placement review (appraisal).
In addition to assigning a line manager, it is recommended that Employers also assign a workplace mentor.
Risk Assessment required Yes/No
Yes
Any insurance required for the employer supporting a student?
Please refer to the NCG Pre-Placement Assurance Checklist.
DBS – Type e.g. Enhanced, transferrable – Adult/children
Students will have a college DBS.
Progression (Apprenticeship programmes/Job Roles etc)
Students who achieve this qualification could progress to the following, depending on their chosen occupational specialism:
- employment: Ambulance care assistant, Emergency care assistant, Healthcare assistant, Care worker, Palliative care assistant.
- higher education: Degree options may include adult nursing, child nursing, mental health nursing, midwifery
- apprenticeship: examples may include Level 3 Ambulance Support Worker, Level 4 Lead Practitioner in Adult Care, Level 5 Nursing Associate, Level 6 Enhanced Clinical Practitioner.
Funding – Yes/No – How to claim
The employer support fund is a one-year fund covering academic year 2023/24 only. It provides support for legitimate costs incurred whilst delivering high-quality T Level industry placements. Its main purpose is to support the development of long-term relationships and create a pipeline of placements for next year and beyond.
These are split into 3 main types (table 1) and are defined as:
- Administrative – the direct costs incurred in setting up of systems to deliver the industry placement.
- Training – direct costs of training existing staff to develop their knowledge and build confidence in offering high quality placements.
- Tangible – employers’ operating costs directly related to the industry placement.
Funding available is approximately £280 per student. We are responsible for making a payment to employers once we have agreed:
- the legitimate costs they’re claiming for
- when we will make the payment
Payments will require approval via the College Finance lead in advance of confirming any reimbursement to employers.
Resources
This section is to provide a variety of helpful and valuable resources to support in the apprenticeship journey.
General
FAQ's
This section displays a range of frequently asked questions.
As with any new starter, there will be some planning and paperwork, however providers will support you with the practical and administrative tasks to help make the process as streamlined as possible. This will include organising the student selection process, arranging the review meetings, guiding you through the relevant paperwork and advising on reasonable adjustments. Providers will look to you for your industry expertise when planning the structure and content of the placement to ensure you, and the student, gets the maximum value from the experience. Providers will also make sure that you are complying with the health and safety guidelines prior to, and during, the placement.
Students will be suitably prepared for the workplace by undergoing appropriate work preparation training as part of their course prior to starting their placements. All students will bring a good level of technical knowledge and skills they have learnt in the classroom, to apply in the workplace. For some students this will be their first experience of being in the workplace, so as a minimum, providers will make sure they have the right work ethic and a good understanding of the professional behaviours that employers expect in the workplace.
T Levels have longer teaching time and more occupationally focused skills and knowledge which have been set by employers as essential for employment. The aim of the industry placement is to help students to apply and develop the skills and knowledge that they have learnt in the classroom when they go out on their placement, which will help them to become ‘work ready’.
Work experience has previously involved a student being with an employer for one or two weeks with time spent mainly following and observing. Industry placements are for a minimum of 45-days (depending upon occupational specialism), and are for students on a relevant course who will have the technical skills, knowledge and time to add value to your business.
Industry placements bring great benefits both short and long term. Short term benefits include raising the profile of the care sector as an employer, extra support with projects or services. You also contribute to the development of a young person. Placements are an excellent way of creating a recruitment pool for apprenticeships or other types of employment. Organisations are now exploring new avenues to attract talent and ensure they have a workforce to deliver their services. T Levels are a crucial part of achieving this.
Yes, a placement can be split across 2 employers, where this is considered necessary for ‘breadth of content’ and/or is beneficial for students. You can discuss this with providers. More information about ‘sharing’ a placement with another employer.
You should identify an appropriate line manager and/or supervisor for the students, as well as additional support staff where appropriate. This should ideally be someone who has experience of training others within the specialist area. They must have the capacity to hold regular meetings with students to provide them with feedback, provide day-to-day supervision and attend the formal review meetings with the provider i.e. at the beginning, middle and end of the placement.
The industry placement component of the T Level is the unique selling point for students. Students understand the importance of using the placement to develop their skills and knowledge and show their potential to prospective employers, and as an important addition to their CV. T Level students must have demonstrated a firm commitment to completing their industry placement when enrolling on the course. In advance of the placement, students will have undertaken workplace preparation and have a clear understanding of the progress they must make towards their learning goals during their placement to complete it successfully, and therefore achieve their overall T Level. Prior to the placement commencing, all students are expected to sign an industry placement agreement, which acts as a formal agreement between students, the provider and employer and contains students’ roles and responsibilities. It outlines the expected standards relating to technical skills and work-based behaviours that students must display in order to complete their placement. Employers and providers are also expected to sign the agreement to show their commitment to their respective roles and responsibilities.
Placements should be organised in line with the normal requirements of the industry, which may be outside the academic timetable. Placement hours must align with the Working Time Regulations, particularly if students are undertaking a block placement, where they could be working the equivalent of full-time hours. Providers will plan placements to ensure students are not exceeding the maximum number of allowable daily hours and consider students’ independent and classroom-based study time as well as their outside responsibilities.
Students must:
- be limited to 8 hours of working time a day and 40 hours maximum per week
- not be permitted to work between 10pm and 6am, or employers can agree to change this to between 11pm and 7am
- have a 12-hour rest period between each working day
- have a 30-minute rest break if working for more than 4.5 hours
- have 2 days weekly rest
| Working Time Regulations |
You are under no obligation to pay students but can choose to do so if you wish. This is because T Level industry placements are about providing students with high quality, meaningful training, not work. You can refer to GOV.UK for guidance.
| Making-payments-to-industry-placement-students |
You can choose to contribute towards the cost of students’ travel, lunch, and clothing/equipment. This is entirely up to you. Providers can also cover these costs to ensure students are not financially disadvantaged by undertaking their placements.
You should speak to the provider about the tangible costs you are likely to incur, such as software, hardware, PPE, specialist equipment that students will use on their placement, and also the cost of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), because a lot of these costs can be covered by the provider. There should only be a minimal initial outlay for employers hosting a placement and the small investment in time is worth the tangible benefits.
Providers and employers must work together to ensure student safety during the industry placement. As part of their pre-placement checks, providers need to satisfy themselves that employers have up-to-date policies and sufficient risk management arrangements in place to ensure a safe working environment for students. Providers should also carry out standard due diligence checks on employers, keeping the checks proportionate to the level of risk. As an employer, you should follow the guidelines on the Health and Safety Executive website and also the legal compliance for industry placements that covers DBS, insurance and health and safety requirements.
Students should be treated with the same degree of professionalism and duty of care as regular employees. Legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 apply, including not using language or behaviours which could be discriminatory.
All employers are expected to:
- provide a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students
- have a zero-tolerance policy of bullying and harassment
- report all incidents to the provider
- be alert to the possibility of physical/emotional abuse among employees and students
- ensure that any agreed reasonable adjustments have been put in place
In some industries, students may be exposed to commercially sensitive or confidential information during their placement. If it is normal practice to put clauses in place to protect the business, then it is recommended that you follow the same principles for students, as you do with employees. You can draw up a confidentiality statement for students to sign. Although not legally binding, it could give you peace of mind and confirm to students how important confidentiality is to your business.