• Undergraduate

Assistant Practitioner FdSc

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Overview

Overview

This 2-year Foundation Degree Science (FdSc) Assistant Practitioner course has been designed for Band 2/3 healthcare assistant/support workers who want to advance their career.

What is an Assistant Practitioner? Assistant Practitioners are experienced staff working in support roles, alongside registered healthcare professionals. They work in settings, such as hospitals, clinics or in the community (eg GP surgeries) and in a range of health and care services for example diagnostic services, rehabilitation, orthopaedics, oncology, end-of-life care, mental health and learning disabilities.

Assistant Practitioner roles often cross traditional occupational boundaries, offering a diverse and fulfilling career. 

On successful completion of this FdSc course, you will: 

  • gain a formal qualification that directly relates to your knowledge and skill in providing high quality person-centred, compassionate health/social care.  
  • you will be eligible to apply for a Band 4 Assistant Practitioner post. 
  • you will be eligible to apply for a range of higher education pre-registration healthcare courses, leading to professional registration.  
  • you will be eligible to apply for the pre-registration nursing course at UWL (BNursing (Hons)), entering directly into year 2, in recognition of your prior learning.

On this assistant practitioner course, you will attend university one day a week and undertake your job in a health/social care setting for the remainder of the time, helping you to apply the theory you learn, to the care you deliver.

We welcome students from a range of backgrounds, including but not limited to, those who work in: 

  • wards or outpatient areas supporting a nurse. 
  • maternity support 
  • physiotherapy 
  • operating department 
  • occupational therapy 
  • speech and language 
  • GP practice 
  • radiotherapy 
  • diagnostic radiology 
  • pharmacology 

This course is run at the Berkshire Institute for Health in Fountain House, our campus based in the heart of Reading, but it is also offered at our West London campus.

A female student nurse at a hospital reception

Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Locations this course is taught at:
Berkshire Institute for Health
West London Campus (also offered in Reading)
Why study Assistant Practitioner with us?

Why study Assistant Practitioner with us?

A collage of students

What our students say…

I hope that my story inspires others to push to the limits of what’s possible within their practice and study. I believe innovation and quality improvement are key to the continued evolution and future of healthcare. I am grateful to have been supported so well by UWL throughout my two years.

Joe Maslen
Next
This course has simulation centres in London and Reading
Top modern university London for nursing Times and Sunday Times 2023
Industry focused teaching
Lifelong careers support from the UWL Careers Service.
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

On this assistant practitioner course, you will learn how to:

  • work effectively and safely within your area of practice in a health/social care environment, within the limits of your own competence
  • support the care, protection and wellbeing of patients and service users
  • develop effective communication skills, including the use of verbal written and interpersonal skills, IT skills and accurate record-keeping
  • understand the importance of promoting effective teamwork
  • develop skills of critical, analytical, and reflective thinking to question your own practice and seek solutions to potential problems and identify best practice opportunities
  • develop the skills to access, retrieve, analyse, and evaluate evidence to decide the extent to which it should inform or influence your practice.

At UWL, we understand how important support is to your success. On this FdSc course we offer: 

  • teaching staff who are highly committed and specialists in their subjects
  • a variety of teaching and learning and assessment strategies, which will increase your confidence and capacity to learn as you progress through the course, helping you to fulfil your potential
  • a personal tutor to guide you through your course and offer personalised feedback on your progress
  • access to the extensive range of UWL’s student support services [please can you insert a link to the relevant page]
  • study support and a dedicated librarian
  • access to state-of-the-art simulation facilities helping you to practice your skills in a safe environment

In your workplace, you will have a named clinical mentor. Your mentor will hold a registered qualification, relevant to your work area (i.e. registered nurse/physiotherapist/midwife). They will support your learning by:  

  • identifying learning opportunities with you
  • supporting and facilitating the development of your clinical skills
  • monitoring and reviewing your progress
  • assessing your course competencies and specialist competencies related to your area of practice
  • ensuring you are working within your scope of practice.

Mentors are given support and training to undertake the role that includes: 

  • understanding the role of an assistant practitioner
  • knowledge and understanding of the course competencies
  • the role of the mentor and how to support students
  • how to complete the competency documentation
  • knowledge and understanding of the scope of practice within the clinical area.

Compulsory modules

  • Learning Skills Development

    During this module you will improve your study skills, including essay and report writing, gathering information, note taking and summarising.

  • Assistant Practitioner: Introduction to the Role

    This module will introduce you to the role of assistant practitioner. You will explore how this role has developed to ensure quality and safety in healthcare.

  • Anatomy and Physiology for Healthcare

    During this module you will gain knowledge and understanding of the structure and function of the major body systems and how they interact.

  • Skills for Practice

    This module will help you to develop the capability to care for a person effectively. Through simulation sessions and study you will cover a range of skills, including risk assessments, infection control and communication.

  • Safe Practice in Healthcare

    As you undertake this module you will explore the healthcare environment and consider how the patient, relatives and staff can be protected from actual and potential risks.

Compulsory modules

  • Introduction to Research

    You will learn what research and evidence-based practice is, and why it is important in healthcare.

  • Pathophysiology for Healthcare

    You will learn what happens when the normal function of the body systems is disrupted due to illness or disease. You will consider the risk factors that can lead to disease, treatments, care delivery, and the impact this may have on a patient’s life.

  • Enhanced Skills for Practice

    This module will help you to build on the skills you learnt at level 4. You will examine the care of a deteriorating patient and will learn about pharmacology and medication management. The principles of health promotion will also be studied, providing insight into how you can help people improve their health and wellbeing. 

  • Improving the Quality of Care

    This modules explore how we can maintain a high quality of care and how we can improve the care a patient receives.
     

  • Assistant Practitioner: Developing the Role

    On this module you will prepare for the transition from your role as healthcare assistant to assistant practitioner.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You will:

  • usually hold GCSE English Language and Mathematics Grade 9-4/A*-C or Level 2 equivalents, on entry to the course

OR

  • you will be supported to undertake Functional Skills Level 2 English and maths whilst on the course, with the aim of normally achieving this by the end of year 1 (level 4) or by the end of the course. This requires an additional 57 hours of study for each subject (there is no additional cost).

Employment information

You must:

  • Be employed in a health or social care setting, in a role that involves providing care to service users. 

  • Be employed for a minimum of 20 hours a week. 

  • Have support from your manager to ensure you can attend the x1 study day per week 

  • Have an identified mentor who will assess you in practice and support you to complete the clinical competency document. 

Change of Employment

Change of employment during the course could impact your studies and any plan to do so should be discussed with the course leader first. Where change of employment is unavoidable support will be given to ensure the new employer is aware of the support needed and course requirements. If no immediate supportive employer is found, the student will need to defer their place on the course.

Selection Process

All applicants will be required to successfully pass a value-based interview.

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

This intensive course qualifies for a full-time student loan for eligible students. 

Our Student Services teams can also offer advice on managing student finances, working while you study, and more. View full details, including conditions and eligibility.

Help with funding
Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Lyndsey Mears Profile Photo

Lyndsey Mears

I am a Senior Lecturer at the College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare. I am also a member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Royal College of Nursing.

I am a Senior Lecturer at the College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare. I am also a member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Royal College of Nursing.

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

A team of student surgeons performing operation in operation theatre

There are a range of roles and jobs for assistant practitioners across the NHS.

On successful completion of the assistant practitioner course, you will be eligible to apply for: 

  • a Band 4 Assistant Practitioner post/equivalent post i.e. healthcare science associate
  • a range of higher education pre-registration healthcare courses, leading to professional registration
  • the pre-registration nursing course at UWL (BNursing (Hons)), entering directly into year 2, in recognition of your prior learning.
How to apply

How to apply

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Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.