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Paramedic Science (Degree Apprenticeship) BSc(Hons)

2023-24 (also available for 2024-25, 2025-26)

Start date

18 September 2023

25 March 2024

Duration

3 years full-time

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. You’ll be taught by an experienced team of paramedic lecturers and practitioners who are all currently working in practice.
  2. You’ll gain real-world experience through work-based learning working as part of an emergency ambulance crew, as well as non-ambulance placements in a range of different clinical areas.
  3. You’ll hear first-hand experiences and viewpoints from guest lectures delivered by a comprehensive multidisciplinary network of healthcare professions.

Continue your career within the ambulance service whilst studying to become a paramedic. This apprenticeship course has been designed to enable Associate Ambulance Practitioners to become paramedics. The course provides an ideal opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and professional attributes to practice effectively as a paramedic working within a complex and changing environment.

This course is currently open to existing Yorkshire Ambulance Service staff who have successfully completed the Associate Ambulance Practitioner (AAP) programme. Holding the AAP qualification will enable you to commence your studies in Year 2 of the course. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be eligible to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration as a paramedic.

The course provides the opportunity to develop:

  • Skilled clinical professionals who are able to assess and manage service users across an age spectrum, who are committed to collaboration in health and social care.
  • Resourceful and adaptable clinicians who are able to establish safe environments and incorporate the necessary practical skills.
  • Reflective practitioners who are committed to continuing professional development and life-long learning, with the ability to appraise and analyse research, understand evidenced-based practice and their role in enhancing future developments of paramedic practice.

Whilst undertaking the course, you’ll remain employed by Yorkshire Ambulance Service. The course will be split between work-based learning and off the job theoretical training delivered at the University. Off the job training will be delivered through a blended approach including lectures, seminars, group work, simulation and guided independent study. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear the experiences and viewpoints from service users and carers, who also helped to design the programme. Work-based learning provides training through practice, where you’ll work as part of an emergency ambulance crew supported by a team of experienced paramedics. You’ll also undertake non-ambulance placements in a range of different clinical areas.

If you’re thinking of studying an apprenticeship course or are an employer looking for an apprenticeship for your employees, you’ll also find useful information on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.

Course detail

Core modules:

Introduction to Patient Assessment and Management

This module introduces systematic patient assessment and provides the opportunity for you to develop the knowledge and skills required to manage patients within paramedic practice. It will assist you in gaining an understanding of medical conditions and traumatic presentations, as well as apply appropriate assessment and management. You’ll also have the chance to develop an understanding of normal and altered physiological measurements and changing dynamic decision making, as well as scope of practice in patient management.

Law, Policy and Ethics for Paramedics

This module provides you with the opportunity to gain an understanding of relevant legal and ethical principles within paramedic practice. You’ll be provided with an overview of applied law and ethics to paramedic practice and the application to healthcare delivery. You’ll learn about the professional attributes and conduct expected of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) with a practical focus on the application to practice. You’ll also be introduced to relevant policies and procedures underpinning practice, including code of conduct, information governance, social media and health and safety.

Non-technical Skills for Paramedics

You’ll have the opportunity to develop the non-technical skills paramedics require including patient centred care, experience, communication and teamwork. You’ll demonstrate professional and passionate behaviour to emergency and urgent care situations, exhibiting a positive attitude in helping to improve patient care/experience. You’ll also explore the importance of being committed to the quality and care of service users and significant others, as well as learn from successes and mistakes in line with the NHS Constitution.

Paramedic Care across the Lifespan

You’ll have the opportunity to gain introductory knowledge and understanding in order to be responsive and provide care to people of all ages. You’ll learn how to provide care to individuals in a compassionate and supporting manner, as well as to patients and significant others with acute and critical presentations. The module will also assist you in gaining an understanding of the different approaches and considerations relevant within paramedic practice whilst acting in the interest of service users at all times.

Work Based Learning 1

This module introduces you to the necessary skills required for contemporary paramedic practice. It will assist you in gaining and refining your skills to care for, monitor, manage and support service users and their families during clinical practice. This practical module provides the opportunity to learn and develop skills through simulated and paramedic practice placements with the ambulance service and other healthcare environments.

Entry requirements

To apply for this course Yorkshire Ambulance Service employees must:

  • Have Associate Ambulance Practitioner (AAP) Level 4.
  • Have a minimum of 2 years’ experience accident and emergency experience.
  • Have Level 2 qualification in Functional skills in both Maths and English (or equivalent).
  • Be compliant with all trust Statutory and Mandatory training.

All the information provided in support of your application may be checked and must be verifiable as a true record. Every person who applies for this course and meets the minimum entry requirement will be given the same opportunity in the selection process. A joint selection will be held between the University of Huddersfield and Yorkshire Ambulance Service. You must have approval from your operational line manager.

Offers will be subject to Occupational Health clearance and references from your employer. You also need satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) completed within the 6 months prior to starting the course.

You need to be able to meet the physical demands of a variety of placement settings. As per Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) (2014) ‘Standards of Proficiency’, you must be able to ‘understand and be able to apply appropriate moving and handling techniques’. Having a disability should not be seen as a barrier to becoming a health and care professional. As such the University will consider reasonable adjustments, in line with any disclosed application. Further guidance relating to becoming a health and care professional is found in the HCPC (2015) ‘Health, disability and becoming a health and care professional’ guidance.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

Ofsted Outstanding courses


The University’s apprenticeship provision was awarded an outstanding rating by Ofsted in a recent inspection.

Huddersfield is only the second university to be awarded Ofsted’s outstanding rating for its apprenticeship provision in the last four years.

It is also the only university in the Yorkshire and Humber region and the north-west of England to have both an outstanding Ofsted rating for apprenticeships and to be a TEF Gold-rated university.

The University was awarded outstanding in all five categories:

  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Leadership and management
  • Apprenticeships

The apprenticeship provision was praised by Ofsted for the positive experiences of the apprentices, the research-informed knowledge of teaching staff, and for the strong relationships between the University’s leaders and employers.

Placements


Work based learning is a compulsory element of the course and you’ll this will be mainly undertaken in blocks. As well as working as part of an emergency ambulance crew supported by a team of experienced paramedics, you’ll also undertake non-ambulance placements in a range of different clinical areas. These may include acute mental health, emergency departments, minor injuries and illness, maternity and theatres.

“The non-ambulance placements are insightful, inspiring and empowering. Its insightful to see behind the scenes in various settings. Its inspiring to watch multidisciplinary teams treating patients. Its also empowering as it provides background knowledge for when patients ask questions."

0

Darrel Bedford, Currently studying Paramedic Science (Degree Apprenticeship) BSc(Hons)

Your career


Successful completion of the course and passing the End Point Assessment will provide the opportunity for learners to gain a BSc(Hons) in Paramedic Science, and eligibility to apply for entry to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register.

The role of the paramedic and the areas in which they work have become increasingly varied within clinical, management, education and research areas. The course provides the gateway to the profession and many future opportunities within Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

A wide range of resources are also offered within the School of Human and Health Sciences, which provides you with support in a variety of areas. These include:

Student Hub: a one stop shop for students, studying within the School. Their services include offering advice on extenuating circumstances, extension requests, course progression, suspension and welfare support, organising appointments with academic staff and signposting to other support networks.

Academic Skills Development Team: support students to develop their academic skills and build their confidence in order to improve their grades. The team provide support with academic skills including essay writing, being critical, reflective writing, numeracy, research skills, presentations and group work skills; as well as personal development for example time management.

Learning Technology Support Unit: helps students with any problems they experience with the University’s Brightspace Learning System, including logging on or difficulties experienced when accessing and using modules, and with the PebblePad platform, which is used by students when they go out on placements.

Support services will also be available from your Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Important information

When you enrol as an apprentice learner of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and our disciplinary procedure. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

Changes to a course you have applied for but not yet started

If we propose to make a major change to an apprenticeship course that you have applied for, then we will tell you and your employer as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Although we always try and run all the courses we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or delay your course start date if we consider this reasonably necessary, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you and your employer as soon as reasonably possible. In such instances, we will work with you and your employer to agree a deferred start date, or cancel your application and, if appropriate, provide information regarding other local apprenticeship providers.

Changes to your course after you enrol as an apprentice

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that materially changes the services available to you, or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days, classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the requirements of an updated version of the apprenticeship standard relevant to your course; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.

If a major change affects your course, we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible and will carry out suitable consultation with affected apprentices. If you and your employer reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment we will work with both of you to try to find an appropriate solution. Where one cannot be found we will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring your remaining apprenticeship learning to another training provider if you and your employer wish to do so.

Termination of employment

As your employer is funding your apprenticeship course, you must remain in relevant employment for the duration of the course until you have completed your end point assessment. Under the apprenticeship rules, if you are made redundant and you have completed 75% of the practical period or have less than 6 months left, then you may complete the course. Otherwise, unless you find alternative relevant employment within 12 weeks of the date you are made redundant, then you will be withdrawn from the course.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University. The ESFA is the principal regulator for your apprenticeship course.

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