End Point Assessor

End Point Assessor - Apprenticeship - Senior Healthcare Support Worker - Mental Health Support (Level 3) 2020

Reference: EPA/MHS/2020

**Independent end-point assessor for Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Mental Health Support) (Level 3) End Point Assessments**

**Overview of the independent end-point assessor role**

Government has introduced a requirement that all apprenticeships contain an end-point assessment (EPA) which is a holistic assessment of the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviour (KSBs) that have been learnt throughout the apprenticeship. This is to make surethat apprentices meet the rigorous standard set by employers and are fully competent in the relevant occupation. Pearson must provide employers with the confidence that completing an apprenticeship means an individual is fully job-ready and that all apprentices,following the same standard, are assessed consistently, regardless of where they are undertaking their apprenticeship or who they are doing it with.

An independent EPA means that those making a decision on the competency of the apprentice have nothing to gain from the outcome of the assessment. To maintain independence within the scope of this EPA, an independent end-point assessor (IEA) can only undertakeend-point assessments of apprentices, with whom they have no conflict of interest. This means they must be independent of the registered apprenticeship training provider at which the apprentice completed their on-programme element, and must not have been involvedin the on-programme training, assessment, or line management of such apprentices.

The end-point assessments will be conducted onsite, or remotely, on dates agreed with employers. Independent end-point assessors will record and submit the EPA outcomes, with clear justifications for the grading decisions. EPA activities will be qualityassured by Pearson quality assurance representatives.

IEAs will meet the occupational profile of the apprentices they are assessing and will be trained, standardised and approved to operate as IEAs. The IEAs will undertake EPAs in line with the associated apprenticeship assessment plan, and the materials providedby Pearson. Please see the below Key Accountabilities and Person Specification sections for further details.

**Key Accountabilities**:
The IEA will:

- Take part in regular training and standardisation activities, associated with the role of IEA for this EPA
- Maintain and provide evidence of ongoing, relevant Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
- Follow the protocols set out in Pearson’s specifications, assessment materials and quality assurance protocols, relating to the EPAs
- Maintain service-level agreements with regards to responding to EPA planning, operational activities, reports and submissions of assessment outcomes
- Report all risks and issues encountered during the end-point assessment to Pearson, including any suspected malpractice/maladministration
- Ensure all EPA reports and assessment evidence are high quality and recorded accurately
- Support Pearson, if necessary, with any appeals from apprentices, regarding assessment decisions
- Allow additional time for travel, when making EPA arrangements
- Raise any conflicts of interest, including in relation to the independence of assessment
- Ensure that any personal actions are completed, as required by Pearson
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of Pearson’s end-point assessment activities
- Contribute to the external quality assurance activities undertaken by Ofqual.

**Person Specification**

**Occupational Profile**:
Senior Healthcare Support Workers (SHCSW) help registered practitioners deliver healthcare services to people. As an experienced support worker, they carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare or therapeutic tasks, under the direct or indirectsupervision of the registered healthcare practitioner. SHCSWs provide high quality, compassionate healthcare, following standards, policies or protocols and always acting within the limits of their competence. SHCSWs may work in a range of services e.g. hospital,community, health or day case unit, birth centre or midwifery led unit, someone’s home, operating theatre, nursing or care home, assessment centre, hospice, school, prison, GP surgery, charity or voluntary organisation; working in partnership with individuals,families, carers and other service providers.

Duties are delegated to the SHCSW in line with care plans. Not all duties are routine and the SHCSW will need to use their knowledge, experience and understanding to take decisions within their area of responsibility. A SHCSW is accountable for their workand for reviewing the effectiveness of their actions. The role is undertaken following a period of experience in healthcare so they are able to demonstrate best practice and act as a role model. A SHCSW may supervise or guide the less experienced staff intheir team. SHCSWs follow the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers.

**Mental Health Support**

Mental Health Support Workers support individuals with mental ill health. They work as part of a multi-disciplinary team offering a range of mental health services. Mental Health Support Workers will support individuals, and their families, at differentstages of their illness or recovery by listening, providing emotional support, developing and reviewing plans to meet their needs; observing and reporting changes in their mental and physical well-being; encouraging independence and enabling them to managetheir condition and quality of life. Usually, a Mental Health Support Worker will have to work closely with carers and with other organisations e.g. housing or social care.

**Background and Experience (essential)**:

- Be occupationally competent in the mental health support field
- Be a registered healthcare professional or have completed a level 5 apprenticeship or regulated occupational competence qualification at level 5 or above
- Hold, or be working towards, a formal assessor qualification (e.g. A1, assessor component to TAQA etc)
- Have experience of working in a healthcare setting within the last 2 years
- Experience of leading meetings/structured interviews/discussions
- Experience of complying with quality assurance/regulatory requirements

Evidence of commitme