Ambulance Support Worker (Emergency, Urgent and Non-urgent) - Level 3
Emergency Care
Ambulance Support Workers respond to emergency (999), urgent and or/unscheduled care calls from the public and/or wider health and social care communities to provide care and clinical support to individuals of all ages within an agreed scope of practice and outside of a multi-disciplinary hospital team, or provide scheduled non-urgent transport for people with specific health needs. You will transport them, as required, to (and from) specified treatment centres and other locations which may be very remote settings, driving safely and at progressively high speed as appropriate, and also have the responsibility of managing a vehicle. You will work as part of a double ambulance crew either alongside a more senior member of staff such as a Paramedic or Associate Ambulance Practitioner, or with another non-registered Ambulance Support Worker; for some non-urgent care you may work alone.
Skills and knowledge
To become a Student Paramedic you will need:
- Person centred care, treatment and support
- Duty of care and candour, safeguarding, equality and diversity
- Communication
- Assist with delegated clinical tasks and interventions
- Driving and electronic communication
Qualifications
Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language. Apprentices will need to complete an accredited level 3 Diploma in ambulance emergency and urgent care support or a level 3 Certificate in ambulance patient care and a level 3 in Ambulance Driving prior to completion of the Apprenticeship.
To apply for a student paramedic training programme or degree apprenticeship you must have the following qualifications:
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent
You must also have the following:
Full driving licence (must not exceed 3 points)
Provisional Category C on your driving licence or have submitted the application form and medical forms in order to apply for your provisional
Routes into this job
You can get into this role through a paramedic degree apprenticeship or training programme.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:
- 3 or 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
You must already hold a full GB driving licence for the class of vehicle being driven in accordance with DVLA requirements. Undertake a fitness test and organisational interview. There may be other additional employer requirements. Industry specific requirement: The apprentice must meet the 15 standards as set out in the Care Certificate: for more details see http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/care-certificate. The CQC expect that providers that employ healthcare assistants and social care support workers follow these standards to make sure new staff are supported
Entry to paramedic courses is very competitive and it may help you if you have some relevant experience or training. You could:
- volunteer as a first responder with a charity or social enterprise, like St John Ambulance
- volunteer with an NHS ambulance trust
- work at a residential care home or day care centre
- get a first aid certificate
- work in an office-based job for an ambulance service
Explore courses & training
Career progression
Associate Ambulance Practitioner - Level 4
The Associate Ambulance Practitioner (AAP) works as part of the wider Emergency & Urgent Care setting, having direct contact with service users or others, providing high quality and compassionate care. Day to day duties and tasks for an AAP would involve working as part of an ambulance crew responding to emergency (999) and urgent calls providing emergency and urgent assistance, driving safely and progressively at high speed. The AAP will assess, treat and manage service users at the scene (reducing the need for hospital admission), either referring service users to alternative care provisions or safely discharging them on scene. Other tasks involve working closely with other emergency services and the wider NHS.
Paramedic - Level 6
A career in paramedicine is a dynamic and exciting career with opportunities to work in a range of different roles as a Registered Paramedic. You will be a first-contact Allied Health Professional who works within the wider Urgent & Emergency Care setting. You will provide high quality and compassionate care, responding to the needs of service users and carers across the lifespan. You will work in a wide variety of settings, which may include a front-line ambulance, a GP surgery, a minor injury/illness centre, in remote medicine or a varied range of other environments. Responsibilities and duty of the role: At the point of registration, a paramedic is an autonomous practitioner who has the knowledge, skills and clinical expertise to assess, treat, diagnose, supply and administer medicines, manage, discharge and refer patients in a range of urgent, emergency, critical or out of hospital settings.
Enhanced Clinical Practitioner - Level 6
This occupation is found in the health and care sector. Enhanced Clinical Practitioners are qualified health and social care professionals who are working at an enhanced level of practice with specific knowledge and skills in a field of expertise. They manage a discrete aspect of a patient’s care within their current level of practice, which will be particular to a specific context, be it a client group, a skill set or an organisational context. This is in contrast to Advanced Clinical Practitioners who have developed their knowledge and skills to an advanced level of practice and would manage the whole episode of a patient’s clinical care, from the time they first present, through to the end of the episode.
Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Level 7
Advanced Clinical Practitioners are experienced clinicians who demonstrate expertise in their scope of practice. Advanced Clinical Practitioners manage defined episodes of clinical care independently, from beginning to end, providing care and treatment from the time an individual first presents through to the end of the episode, which may include admission, referral or discharge or care at home. They carry out their full range of duties in relation to individuals’ physical and mental healthcare and in acute, primary, urgent and emergency settings (including hospitals, general practice, individuals’ homes, schools and prisons, and in the public, independent, private and charity sectors). They combine expert clinical skills with research, education and clinical leadership within their scope of practice. Advanced Clinical Practitioners work innovatively on a one to one basis with individuals as well as part of a wider team. They work as part of the wider health and social care team and across traditional professional boundaries in health and social care.