Employer course information

Welcome to our information page for employers of Specialist Community Public Health Nurse PgDip apprentices. If you require further information, please email the Apprenticeships Unit or call (+44) 0161 247 3720 (9:30am - 4:00pm Monday to Friday). 

You play a crucial role in supporting your apprentice’s learning and identifying opportunities for the development of their nursing skills. We are keen for you to play an active role in the apprenticeship, so please bookmark this page as it is regularly updated. 

Practice assessor and practice supervisor information 

We provide a number of workshops to help you understand your role in supporting an apprentice’s development, find out more about the course, and ask questions.

Our Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor Forums will be held on: 

  • Thursday 19 September 2024, 1:00pm – 3:30pm

  •  Monday 17 February 2025, 1:00pm – 3:30pm

Our Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor support session will be held on:

  • Wednesday 16 June 2025, 10:00am – 12:30pm

You will be sent information about these sessions by the Academic Assessors, Karen Hughes or Ruth Thomas, but if you have any questions, please contact us via email.

Progress reviews

Your apprentice’s enhanced skills coach will be contacting them to arrange regular tripartite review meetings. These are opportunities to discuss future development goals and reflect on past targets. Reviews require an employer representative; either the practice assessor, supervisor or both to attend and approve the reviews through the e-portfolio system. 

Skills Coaches for this programme are: 

Apprentice timetables

Your apprentices will access their timetables through their Virtual Learning Environment, once they have enrolled. 

Programme handbooks

Useful resources

  • Unit descriptions

    Advancing Practice Using Research 

    Provides the opportunity for learners to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the research process, apply related skills to an area of practice and make valid proposals regarding the value of knowledge gained.  

    Assessing Infants and Children (0–5 Years) - Health Visiting 

    Learners develop the knowledge and skills to undertake holistic assessments of infants and children, make accurate decisions and plan appropriate care.  

    Assessing Children and Young People (5-19 Years) - School Nursing 

    Learners to develop the knowledge and skills to undertake holistic assessments of children and young people, make accurate decisions and plan appropriate care.  

    Empowering Populations to Enhance Health and Well-Being 

    Considers how leaners can enhance the health of individuals and populations via public health approaches. As empowering populations is a key aspect of the school nurse, health visitor and district nurse role, the unit delivery will consist of joint teaching and learning for all three apprenticeships / pathways as well as role specific training.   

    Foundations of Health Visiting/Foundations of School Nursing  

    Learners explore the underpinning foundations of their pathway and develop their knowledge of their role and gain a grounding for their field of practice.  

    Independent Study Project in Specialist Practice* 

    For SCPHNs not undertaking the V300 Prescribing route, learners will undertake an individual project agreed between the learner and the Programme Lead. The learner will use this unit to critically explore specific issues related to their area of specialist practice, undertake in-depth analysis of the theoretical aspects and consider how specialist practice could be further developed.  

    Non Medical Prescribing* 

    For SCPHNs undertaking the Independent and Supplementary V300 Prescribing route, this unit prepares suitably qualified nurses (NMC registrants**) to become safe and competent independent/supplementary prescribers. It enables nurses to be recommended to the NMC for the V300 qualification. All elements of assessment must be passed in order to pass the unit.

    Quality Leadership in Action  

    Critically explores how specialist practitioners enhance their own practice, develop quality services and effectively lead. As leadership underpins all specialist practice, school nurses, health visitors and district nurses will be taught together. However, each pathway will be guided throughout the unit to focus on their own area of specialist practice.  

    Responding to Contemporary Health Needs in Health Visiting or School Nursing 

    Enables learners to explore how health visiting/school nursing practice can be developed. There will be an emphasis on contemporary issues, the effectiveness of interventions and working collaboratively with client groups and service providers.  

    Safeguarding in Public Health Nursing 

    Explores the issues relevant to protecting children and young people from harm in the home, and wider socio-environmental contexts. School nurses and health visitors will be taught together for this unit, to ensure sharing of knowledge and expertise.  

    Specialist Practice of Health Visiting or School Nursing 

    Allows learners to achieve the knowledge, skills and competencies to practice safely and effectively in their area of Specialist Community Public Health Nursing. In order for the learners’ practice placements to meet the NMC (2022) standards a wide range of practice experiences are required. Learners must be supported by appropriately qualified practice supervisors, practice assessors and academic assessors (NMC, 2019). Learners must be enrolled on the PgDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN): Health Visiting programme.  

    *The SCPHN route with either Non-Medical Prescribing (V300) OR with the Independent Study Unit in Specialist Practice, is decided by the employing Trust at the point of application. 

    **NMC registrants: all applicants must meet the admission and selection criteria in the NMC (2018) Standards for Prescribing Programmes.  

Apprentice standard and assessment information

The apprenticeship standard provides the building blocks of our District Nursing Apprenticeship and is the blueprint for the development of our apprentices across the duration of the course. The standard will help you to understand parts of the apprenticeship that may pose challenges for your apprentice’s development or provide opportunities for them to expand their horizons.   

The standard also provides information on the end-point assessment, which is where your apprentice’s grades will be ratified following completion of all units and consolidation. This will take place within a one moth period after the completion of the 12-month academic programme. For this reason, apprentices are required an employment contract until the 31 October of their year of completion. 

If you require any of the above documents in a different format, please email us.

Employer Resources

Information relevant for all courses, brochures and more.