BTEC Healthcare Science Apprenticeship Level 4 | Decontamination & Sterilisation

This apprenticeship is aimed at experienced and supervisory personnel already working or starting in a more senior role within the Decontamination and Sterilisation sector. Apprentices working in a Decontamination and Sterilisation Department will learn fundamental and advanced techniques to use, maintain, calibrate and understand decontamination and sterilisation equipment as well as all policies and procedures of decontamination and sterilisation. The Apprentice Associate will also develop technical report writing skills in the management of technical data. The Level 4 Healthcare Science Apprenticeship | Decontamination & Sterilisation will last a minimum of 24 months and will provide an overarching insight into Decontamination & Sterilisation.

What is included in the Level 4 Healthcare Science Diploma?

Professional Practice and Person-centred Care

Maintain the highest standards of person centred care, treating every person with compassion, dignity and respect
Convey information to agreed protocols to the public, patients, carers, colleagues, including giving and receiving feedback
Use technology to present information orally

Personal and Professional Development

Critically reflect on your technical/non-technical practice

Health, Safety and Security

Maintain a safe and healthy working environment
Train junior staff in relevant health, safety/security practices, including infection control and participate in risk assessments

Quality

Lead quality management technical audit processes as required

Technical Scientific Services

Perform a range of equipment management skills, e.g. fault-finding/preventative maintenance/calibration/repair
Participate in drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Recognise problems and seek technical solutions to them
Analyse/interpret/record/present accurately Healthcare Science (HCS) technical data
Supervise/teach/assess practical skills to junior team members

Audit/Service Improvement

Participate in audit and/or service improvement programmes
Communicate the outcome of audit, service improvement

Research & Innovation

Undertake appropriate audit/research/innovation activities which support quality improvement in your area of work

Leadership

Plan/assess the work of a team and individuals within it
Lead where appropriate and work effectively within the HCS team

Unit Number	Units	Level	Credit	Guided Learning
1	Skills for Lifelong Learning	4	2	16
2	Professional Practice and Person Centred Care	4	5	40
3	Legal and Ethical Context of Practice	4	3	24
4	Health, Safety and Security in the Healthcare Science Environment	4	3	25
5	Technical Scientific Services	4	5	40
6	Effective Communication in Healthcare	4	4	35
7	Audit, Research, Development and Innovation	4	5	20
8	Leadership and Teamwork	4	3	24
9	Teaching, Learning and Assessing Practical Skills	4	4	32
10	Continuing Personal and Professional Development	4	3	20
39	Principles and Practice of Decontamination Science	4	5	26
40	Preparation of Medical Devices for the Cleaning and Disinfection Process	4	5	26
41	Cleaning and Disinfection of Medical Devices: Manual Processes	4	5	30
42	Cleaning and Disinfection of Medical Devices: Automated Processes	4	5	40
43	Inspection, Assembly, Packaging of Medical Devices in a Controlled Environment	4	10	76
44	Terminal Processing including Sterilisation and High Level Disinfection	4	5	36
45	Testing, Maintenance and Breakdown Management of Decontamination Equipment	4	5	40
46	Principles and Practice of Flexible Endoscope Decontamination	4	6	50
108	The Medical Equipment Lifecycle	4	6	48
109	Acceptance Testing of New Medical Equipment	4	6	48
112	Decommissioning and Disposal of Medical Equipment	4	6	48

Assessment

Regular, on-programme assessment in the workplace of the apprentice’s development of competency and performance in the workplace to ensure that there is full and sufficient evidence of the apprentice’s readiness to undertake the End Point Assessment.

Assessment Gateway

Achievement of Level 2 English and Level 2 Mathematics qualifications
Achievement of the Level 4 Diploma in Healthcare Science;
Evidence, usually recorded, for example in a log or portfolio and signed off by the employer or nominated training provider demonstrating that the apprentice has achieved the skills, knowledge and behaviours set out in the Standard;
Evidence that the apprentice has developed an insight into their personal and professional development as shown by the reflective self-assessment following the Multi Source Feedback exercises

End Point Assessment

Element 1 – Vocational Competence Observation
Element 2 – Professional Practice Test
Element 3 – Professional discussion informed by the evidence presented

Added Benefits

The level 4 Healthcare Science Diploma is cited in the Healthcare Science Associate Standard as the main qualification in the Healthcare Science Associate Apprenticeship.

Professional Recognition

On completion of the apprenticeship individuals will be eligible to join the Academy for HCS’s (AHCS) accredited Associate Register at Level 4