HCAs are usually not graduates but are typically educated to GCSE O Level or equivalent and will have probably left school at the age of 16. It is possible to enter work as a HCA or senior HCA through an apprenticeship at your local hospital or GP practice.
There are also increasing opportunities to work as an Assistant Practitioner and to work towards an appropriate foundation degree or similar. For some posts, assistant practitioners may need an NVQ III qualification and care experience – for others they may need a BTEC higher diploma or foundation degree in a subject relevant to their area of work (e.g. science or health and social care).
The Open University has a foundation degree programme in Healthcare Practice (and its Scottish equivalent, the Diploma of Higher Education (Dip HE) programme) – for healthcare support workers who are already working. It is open to healthcare support workers without any formal qualifications and is designed to be studied alongside their regular work. It has flexible a ’step on’ step off’ framework, which opens the door not only to healthcare but ultimately to nursing qualifications. The first step-on point is a Certificate of Higher Education in Healthcare Practice. Students can step off after they have done this, or go on to do a full foundation degree (or Dip HE in Scotland).
Another option for those HCAs who feel they could advance their career even further is secondment. Experienced HCAs, usually assistant practitioners or similar level, may be able to obtain a secondment from their current employer onto an appropriate pre-registration programme at university.
This would mean studying (usually on a part-time basis) for a programme leading to registration as an adult, child, mental health or learning disability nurse, midwife, physiotherapist, radiographer, speech & language therapist or podiatrist.
Staff seeking secondment must have the academic ability to cope with the course, and if seconded, will usually receive support from their employer. It is for NHS employers to decide whether or not they will second staff from their NHS organisation.
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