AHP Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a genuine job with an accompanying skills development programme. Apprentices gain the technical knowledge, practical experience and wider skills they need for their immediate job and future career, all while earning a wage.
An apprenticeship will give you the skills, knowledge and behaviours to deliver safe and effective care. There are many benefits when considering an apprenticeship; each programme will allow the apprentice to:
- Be recognised for the work you do
- Gain valuable work experience
- Develop job specific skills
- Study whilst you are working
- Further career potential
- Achieve nationally recognised qualifications
We offer a number of apprenticeships within the Allied Health Professions
Senior Healthcare Support Worker
This apprenticeship is available for existing members of staff and is delivered internally under our main employer provider status. Being a senior healthcare support worker involves providing high quality and compassionate specialist health and social care for a range of people, including children and young people. It is a good option for our Support Workers within our children and young people Care Delivery Service. This apprenticeship can be a step on the way to becoming an Occupational Therapist.
For more information on this apprenticeship opportunity, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Occupational Therapist
We provide a pathway of career development to enable support staff from within the Trust to progress and do an apprenticeship to achieve their HCPC Registration in Occupational Therapy. Occupational therapists work with individuals to enable them to participate in meaningful occupations and activities in everyday life.
The apprenticeship involves a wide mix of learning at Brighton University, in the workplace, formal off-the-job training and the opportunity to practice new skills in a real work environment. The occupational therapy apprenticeship programme is typically 4 years, usually starting in September.
The diagram below shows a potential career pathway for those interested in becoming an occupational therapist via an apprenticeship route. Depending on your existing qualifications, you may be eligible for an occupational therapist apprenticeship first, without first having to do a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification.
Please note all applicants will need to have approved level 2 qualification in English and maths, such as GCSEs/O Levels at a grade C or above. The Trust has an ESOL and Functional Skills programme to support staff members who don’t and require further support.
You can find more detailed information on the occupational therapy apprenticeship here
For more information on this apprenticeship opportunity, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Advanced Clinical Practitioners manage defined episodes of clinical care independently, from beginning to end, providing care and treatment. This is a Level 7 Apprenticeship.
Entry criteria include:
- Applicants must be registered with an appropriate professional healthcare body in the UK (for example, HCPC, NMC, RCOT) and should normally have a minimum of three years post-registration experience.
- Applicants must hold a degree qualification
Applications for this apprenticeship are supported by the Nurse Education Team. If you would like to discuss this opportunity in more detail and find out when the recruiting process begins, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
You can find more detailed information on advanced clinical practitioner apprenticeships here.
Preceptorship – Newly Qualified Practitioners
Supporting newly qualified occupational therapists and other Allied Health Professionals is crucial if we are to continute to deliver consistently high quality care to people who use our services. Making sure that newly registered professionals are supported through the transition from student to qualified practitioner is an important priority for our Trust.
As a newly qualified occupational therapist, when you start at Sussex Partnership you will be allocated a Preceptor to support you through the process of preceptorship and help you to further develop your practice. You will be given the time and space to consolidate your skills through a personally tailored development programme. You will also have the opportunity to meet up with other new graduates for peer support.
You will receive regular clinical, professional and managerial supervision, as well as being abe to access internal training and development opportunities to help you to grow in confidence and skills as a professional and further develop your professional identity. The programme helps to support you to grow in your role as an Allied Health Professional, in terms of your clinical and professional skills.
For more information on our preceptorship programme, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Professional Education
We currently take students on placement mainly from the University of Brighton, but also from Canterbury and Southampton. We have approximately 60 student placements each year, covering the full range from novice to competent, and across both the part time and full time routes to registration as an occupational therapist. Placements are provided across the full range of Trust service areas.
We also hold 2 open days each year for people interested in training as an occupational therapist.
Practice educator courses are held by local Universities throughout the year. A requirement for attending the course is that occupational therapist staff offer a placement and then attend a follow up day to focus on reflections, group discussions and additional learning related to the experience of taking students.
We provide a small number of placements to both physiotherapy and speech and language therapy trainees. These are predominately in our learning disability services.
Return to practice
We also offer return to practice placements on request. Return to practice provides the opportunity for Allied Health Professionals who have been away from the professions for some time to refresh their clinical and professional skills, and to reach the standard required to register with the HCPC.
For more information on any of our Professional Education placements, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Ask a champion
Our champions are on hand to answer your questions. They are individuals from within our services who have the most up to date knowledge and experience to make sure you get the information and guidance you need. Simply fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
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