Advanced practice apprenticeships: standard for final assessments approved

^{Sally Gosling: the ACP apprenticeship should be a real opportunity for employers to invest in physio workforce development}

It was signed off at the end of March by the Institute for Apprenticeships, an independent public body which works with employers to develop apprenticeship standards and assessment plans.

This is the latest step along the path to launching the MSc level apprenticeship. The standard for the overall degree programme was approved in November 2017.

ACP apprenticeships will enable experienced clinicians to progress to advanced practice roles through part-time apprenticeships. Funding will come from employers via the apprenticeship levy.

Sally Gosling, CSP assistant director, said the ACP apprenticeship has been designed to be relevant to all registered health and care professions.

The CSP has worked in partnership with other allied health professions’ organisations to make sure the apprenticeship is inclusive of roles in all sectors and settings and that it is responsive to changing workforce needs.

One way in which it could be used is to provide routes for members to progress into first-contact physiotherapy roles in general practice, said Dr Gosling.

The CSP is helping higher education institutions to ensure their ACP MSc provision includes the breadth of postgraduate modules that relate to the apprenticeship standard.

This work is necessary because some ACP MScs have been designed primarily to meet advanced practice needs in nursing.

Dr Gosling said the society is also producing guidance for physiotherapy teams in universities and colleges.

The CSP recommends that members who want more information about delivering or undertaking the ACP apprenticeship should contact their managers, local apprenticeship leads, or higher education institutions.

Meanwhile, the CSP will be updating its web pages on apprenticeships with the latest guidance, as this is finalised.

‘The ACP apprenticeship should provide a real opportunity for employers to invest in physiotherapy workforce development and provide members with support to develop into advanced practice roles,’ said Dr Gosling.

‘It’s important that physiotherapy services consider how they can use the apprenticeship for skills development, and how they make the case for the value and impact of using the apprenticeship levy to develop ACP capacity within physiotherapy.’