Apprenticeships

Who is this course for?

This qualification has been developed to equip individuals with the skills, knowledge and experience needed to work within Residential Children’s Homes.

During the course of this qualification, the route you will take will link directly to your current job role and assist you to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding and the behaviours required to carry out your job role in an efficient and effective manner.

 

 

Entry requirements

You could be working in a number of settings e.g. a children’s home, a residential special school or a secure children’s home. The children might be living on their own or in a larger group.

You will be required to undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result.

 

What you'll learn

Working with families, carers and children to devise, deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for the care and support of individual children and young people in residential care.

Knowledge and understanding:

The legislation and compliance requirements for residential care

The aspirations for a child in residential care

Group living and group dynamics

Legislation and the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and Disability

Skills:

Assumes the role of professional parent

Contributes to creating and reviewing placement plans based on individual need

Is able to support traumatised children and young people to live together and make progress

Work within a team to promote the ethos of the home

Knowledge and understanding:

The ethos of the home and how to create and promote it

Team dynamics and collaborative approach in residential environment

Skills

Develops and promotes the ethos of the home

Models collaborative team working and the ability to support and appropriately challenge each other

Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking their end- point assessment.

You will also complete the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare.

How you'll learn

Apprenticeships are delivered in the workplace and 20% of your working hours will be dedicated to ‘off the job training’. You will be allocated a Teaching & Learning Co-ordinator (TLC) and will have access to our online study area where you will find all your study materials. Your TLC will provide you with personal tutorial support and on-programme assessment at pre-arranged times.

How you'll be assessed

Assessment is through a variety of methods including observations in the workplace, witness testimonies, product evidence, professional discussions, assignments and project/case studies. All evidence will be logged to your electronic portfolio of evidence.

End-Point Assessment (EPA) by an independent assessment organisation and comprises of two activities – knowledge test and portfolio-based professional discussion.

Throughout the duration of this qualification, you will work closely with your allocated Teaching and Learning Coordinator to develop and establish a full portfolio of evidence to support assessment. End Point Assessment will consist of two elements:

Observation of Practice: 50%

An 80-90 minutes individual observation of the apprentice at work. This includes: 10 minute initial briefing session for the apprentice to outline the context of the work about to be undertaken

The actual observation period will be 55- 60 minutes then 15-20 minute clarification question and answer session at the end, for the assessor to gain a clearer understanding of the choices made, the outcomes achieved and to ask the apprentice to reflect on the work undertaken during the observation.

The observation must be designed to make sure that the apprentice demonstrates the required skills, knowledge and behaviours. The observation will consist of a live setting practical example, undertaken at the apprentice’s normal place of work. The practical example chosen must show that the needs of a specific child or young person are at the heart of this work. This will utilise the apprentice’s skills and link their theoretical knowledge to practical working.

The Competence Interview: 50%

The competence interview is a structured discussion of 55- 60 minutes duration between the apprentice and the independent assessor, focusing on the work covered in the portfolio. It will look at both the work the apprentice has undertaken, the strengths demonstrated and will consider any gaps or weaknesses in knowledge, skills or behaviours. There will be probing questions and discussion about the professional practice undertaken within the course of the apprentice’s work, based on the application of the core skills and knowledge and behaviours which will:

• confirm and validate judgements about the quality of work;
• provide evidence for any gaps or perceived weaknesses in skills and knowledge;
• explore aspects of the work, including how and why it was carried out

What you can do next

Achievement of this qualification will enable learners to access higher level jobs within the sector for example Senior Residential Childcare worker or Advanced Practitioner in Residential Childcare.