Allied Health Professionals

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are essential to patient care, working in areas like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, radiography, and speech and language therapy. Through NHS apprenticeships in Lincolnshire, you can earn while you learn and build a rewarding clinical career.

Available Levels:

  • Level 2 – New to Care Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship
  • Level 3 – Senior Healthcare Support Worker (AHP Support)
  • Level 5 – Assistant Practitioner (Health)
  • Level 6 – Degree Apprenticeships in AHP roles such as Physiotherapist, Radiographer, or Occupational Therapist
  • Level 7 – Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) Degree Apprenticeship

Who Are They Suitable For?

  • School leavers (16+) seeking hands-on healthcare experience
  • Existing NHS staff looking to upskill
  • Career changers passionate about patient care
  • Anyone with strong communication skills and a commitment to learning
  • Case Study
  • Entry Requirements

Meet Sam – Physiotherapy Degree Apprentice (AHP Route)

  • Background: Sam previously worked frontline in the Ambulance Service before transitioning to a Rehabilitation Support Worker role at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. His own journey through physiotherapy following a personal injury inspired him to pursue a career in Allied Health.
  • Apprenticeship Journey: He’s currently in his third year of a Physiotherapy Degree Apprenticeship; a Level 6 route combining on-the-job learning with academic study. His role includes supporting patient assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation across hospitals, clinics, and community services.
  • Education and Training: Alongside workplace experience, Sam is studying anatomy, physiology, and clinical reasoning. He has completed rotations across musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiorespiratory specialties and has undertaken related CPD such as a Sports Massage Level 4 qualification.
  • Key Reflection: “Being able to support patients through their recovery journey whilst constantly learning myself. It’s incredibly rewarding seeing people regain movement, manage pain, or feel more confident.”
Level 2
Functional Skills
  • Must be 16+ and employed in a relevant healthcare support role, including LCHG’s New to Care roles
Employee Rights

All apprentices will undertake a unit of study focused on employee rights and responsibilities

Core Units
  • Duty of care and safeguarding
  • Person-centred approaches
  • Communication in care settings
  • Health and safety and infection prevention
  • Basic physiological measurements
  • Equality, diversity, and inclusion
  • Handling information and confidentiality

 

Options Units

 

  • Supporting physiotherapy or occupational therapy sessions
  • Assisting with speech and language therapy activities
  • Preparing and maintaining therapy equipment
  • Supporting diagnostic imaging procedures

 

Level 3 AHP Support (Senior Healthcare Support Worker)
Functional Skills
  • Must be 16+ and employed in a relevant healthcare support role
  • Work experience in clinical support is typically required
Employee Rights

All apprentices will undertake a unit of study focused on employee rights and responsibilities

Core Units
  • The role of the health and social care worker
  • Principles of infection prevention and control
  • Causes and spread of infection
  • Safeguarding and protection in health and social care
  • Cleaning, decontamination and waste management
  • Promote communication, equality, inclusion
  • Health, safety and risk management
  • Person-centred approaches
  • Handling information
  • Duty of care in health and social care
Options Units

Apprentices must take at least 20 credits from optional units, with a minimum of 16 credits at Level 3 or above, chosen from pathways like:

  • Allied Health Profession Therapy Support (e.g. physiotherapy, OT, SLT, podiatry)
  • Diagnostic Imaging Support
  • Adult Nursing Support, Maternity, Theatre, Mental Health or Children and Young People Support

For AHP-specific roles, common options include:

  • Understanding mental health
  • Understanding dementia
  • Therapy-related competence units tailored to physiotherapy, occupational therapy etc.
Level 5 Assistant Practitioner (AHP pathway)
Functional Skills
  • Must be employed in a relevant Allied Health Professional support role (e.g., physiotherapy, radiography, mental health)
  • English and maths: GCSEs at grade C/4 or equivalent
  • Typically equivalent to or progressing from Level 3 (Senior Healthcare Support Worker) qualification
Employee Rights

All apprentices will undertake a unit of study focused on employee rights and responsibilities

Core Units
  • Acting within competence under professional standards
  • Supporting holistic patient assessment
  • Delivering clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions
  • Working in multi-disciplinary teams
  • Maintaining professional development and ethical conduct
  • Supervising support staff, mentoring, and teaching
  • Promoting health, wellbeing, and public health awareness
  • Managing clinical risk and maintaining safety
  • Participating in service improvement and evidence-based practice
Options Units

As part of the Foundation Degree structure (typically 240 credits over two years), apprentices choose one Level 4 core “Theory of Patient-Centred Assessment” unit, plus two specialist units (each approx. 20 credits) aligned with their AHP role. Common pathways include:

  • Diagnostic Radiography: physics, positioning, interventional skills
  • Therapeutic Radiography: radiotherapy fundamentals
  • Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy support modules when applicable
Level 6 Allied Health Professional Degree Apprenticeship
Functional Skills
  • Must be employed in a relevant Allied Health Professional development role
  • Typically 3 A-levels (including at least one science) or equivalent Level 3 qualifications (e.g., BTEC, T-level)
  • GCSE English and Maths at grade 4–9 (A–C) or equivalent
Employee Rights

All apprentices will undertake a unit of study focused on employee rights and responsibilities

Core Units
  • Anatomy, physiology, and clinical reasoning across specialties
  • Assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions relevant to the AHP profession
  • Professional skills: ethics, communication (complex/sensitive), teamwork, record-keeping, and patient safety
  • Simulated and real-life clinical placements, supported by mentors, across diverse care settings
Options Units
  • Operating Department Practice: perioperative care, specialist equipment handling
  • Radiography/Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy: imaging techniques, functional assessment, rehabilitation interventions
Level 7 Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) Degree Apprenticeship
Functional Skills
  • Must be employed in a relevant Advanced Clinical Practitioner development role
  • Be able to complete a Master’s Degree in Advanced Clinical Practice (Level 7) via a funded Degree Apprenticeship route as a part of the role
  • Combines workplace training and academic learning over approximately 2-3 years, culminating in both academic award and completion of the apprenticeship standard’s End-Point Assessment (EPA)

 

Employee Rights

All apprentices will undertake a unit of study focused on employee rights and responsibilities

Core Units

Clinical Practice

  • Independently manage full episodes of patient care, including history-taking, physical assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring, and discharge in diverse settings

Leadership and Management

  • Drive service improvements, manage care pathways, and make autonomous clinical decisions within professional boundaries

Education and Training

  • Educate colleagues, mentor students, contribute to best practice, and facilitate learning in multi-disciplinary teams

Research and Evidence-Based Practice

  • Engage in clinical audits, research activities, and apply critical appraisal and scholarly methods to clinical decision-making

Supporting Knowledge and Skills include:

  • Advanced clinical reasoning and pathophysiology interpretation
  • Professional autonomy, ethics, and regulatory scope
  • Complex communication and therapeutic patient engagement
  • Diagnostic test selection and interpretation
  • Prescribing fundamentals, where aligned with role and regulation
Options Units
  • Non-medical prescribing
  • Sector-specific assessment and clinical procedures
  • Advanced diagnostics, paediatrics, mental health, urgent/emergency care pathways

 

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