Qualification Structure

The ProQual Level 3 Certificate in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills is an Ofqual-regulated qualification accredited on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The qualification has a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 150 hours and 100 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Assessment is assignment-based only and is conducted on a Pass/Fail basis. Assignments are internally assessed and verified by centre staff, with external quality assurance provided by ProQual Verifiers to ensure the qualification meets the required quality and regulatory standards.

To achieve the qualification, learners must achieve a minimum of 13 credits.

Core Study Units

Candidates must achieve a minimum of 13 credits: a minimum of 8 credits must be from the
Level 3 units and the remaining 5 credits can be from any combination of units from the
Level 2 or Level 3 or Level 4 units

Level 2 Units

• Engage in Personal Development in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Support Individuals with Multiple Conditions and/or Disabilities
• Support Individuals Who Are Bereaved
• Provide Support to Continue Recommended Therapies
• Understand Models of Disability
• Promote and Implement Health and Safety in Health and Social Care
• Understand Mental Well-being and Mental Health Promotion
• Facilitate Person-Centred Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Review
• Work in Partnership with Families to Support Individuals
• Promote Communication in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Understand the Process and Experience of Dementia
• Understand Physical Disability
• Support Individuals with a Learning Disability to Access Healthcare
• Understand Mental Health Problems
• Promote Good Practice in Handling Information in Health and Social Care Settings
• Provide Support to Maintain and Develop Skills for Everyday Life
• Support Individuals with Cognition and Learning Difficulties
• Support Individuals to Manage Dysphagia
• Support Individuals at the End of Life
• Contribute to Effective Multidisciplinary Team Working
• Promote Equality and Inclusion in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Promote Person-Centred Approaches in Health and Social Care
• Support Individuals to Live at Home
• Administer Medication to Individuals, and Monitor the Effects
• Support Individuals with Communication and Interaction Difficulties
• Understand How to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Children and Young People
• Support Children and Young People’s Health and Safety
• Develop Positive Relationships with Children and Young People and Others Involved in Their Care

Level 3 Units

• Work with Babies and Young Children to Promote Their Development and Learning
• Engage in Personal Development in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Support Individuals with Multiple Conditions and/or Disabilities
• Support Individuals Who Are Bereaved
• Prepare for and Carry Out Extended Feeding Techniques
• Provide Support to Continue Recommended Therapies
• Insert and Secure Nasogastric Tubes
• Develop Positive Relationships with Children and Young People
• Provide Advice and Information to Enable Parents to Promote the Health and Well-being of Their Newborn Babies
• Facilitate and Monitor Housing and Accommodation Services to Support Individuals with Mental Health Needs
• Collaborate in the Assessment of Environmental and Social Support in the Community
• Influencing Others at Work
• Care for the Physical and Nutritional Needs of Babies and Young Children
• Support Families Who Have a Child with a Disability
• Support Individuals to Manage Their Finances
• Obtain Venous Blood Samples
• Implement Therapeutic Group Activities
• Collate and Communicate Health Information to Individuals
• Provide Information and Advice to Individuals on Eating to Maintain Optimum Nutritional Status
• Assist in the Implementation of Programmes to Increase Mobility, Movement and Functional Independence
• Receive and Handle Clinical Specimens Within the Sterile Field
• Prepare Anaesthetic Environment and Provide Support for Pre and Post-operative Anaesthesia and Recovery
• Make Recommendations for the Use of Physical Resources in a Health Setting
• Maintaining Quality Standards in the Health Sector
• Understand Models of Disability
• Support Individuals to Access and Use Services and Facilities
• Carry Out Vision Screening
• Promote and Implement Health and Safety in Health and Social Care
• Support Young People with a Disability to Make the Transition into Adulthood
• Understand Mental Well-being and Mental Health Promotion
• Assist Professionals to Support Individuals from Diverse Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds to Access Speech and Language Therapy Services
• Implement Hydrotherapy Programmes for Individuals and Groups
• Deliver Exercise Sessions to Improve Individuals’ Health and Wellbeing
• Provide Support to the Surgical Team When Preparing Individuals for Operative and Invasive Procedures
• Facilitate Person Centred Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Review
• Work in Partnership with Families to Support Individuals
• Support Individuals to Develop and Run Support Groups
• Monitor Own Work Practice in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Perform First Line Calibration on Clinical Equipment to Ensure It Is Fit for Use
• Monitor and Review Individuals’ Progress in Relation to Maintaining Optimum Nutritional Status
• Give Presentations to Groups
• Support Individuals in Undertaking Their Chosen Activities
• Control the Use of Physical Resources in a Health Setting
• Support Children and Young People Experiencing Transitions
• Promote Communication in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Contribute to the Prevention of Aggressive and Abusive Behaviour of People
• Service Improvement in the Health Sector
• Understand the Process and Experience of Dementia
• Understand Physical Disability
• Support Individuals with a Learning Disability to Access Healthcare
• Undertake Urethral Catheterisation Processes
• Promote Good Practice in Handling Information in Health and Social Care Settings
• Understand Mental Health Problems
• Perform Routine Electrocardiograph (ECG) Procedures
• Undertake Treatments and Dressings of Lesions and Wounds
• Adapt and Fit Healthcare Equipment, Medical Devices, Assistive Technology, or Products to Meet Individuals’ Needs
• Administer Oral Nutritional Products to Individuals
• Promote Effective Communication with Individuals with Sensory Loss
• Work with Other Professionals and Agencies to Support Individuals with Physical Disability
• Support Individuals to Access Housing and Accommodation Services
• Identify Information Requirements in a Health Context
• Prepare and Reproduce Permanent Radiographic Images
• Develop and Prepare Speech and Language Therapy Resources for Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Use
• Carry Out Wound Drainage Care
• Prepare and Provide Surgical Instrumentation and Supplementary Items for the Surgical Team
• Care for a Newly Born Baby When the Mother Is Unable to Do So
• Understand Child and Young Person Development
• Provide Support to Maintain and Develop Skills for Everyday Life
• Facilitate Learning and Development Activities to Meet Individual Needs and Preferences
• Enable Individuals with Behavioural Difficulties to Develop Strategies to Change Their Behaviour
• Reprocess Endoscopy Equipment
• Support Individuals with Cognition and Learning Difficulties
• Assist in Testing Individuals’ Abilities Prior to Planning Physical Activities
• Support Individuals to Manage Dysphagia
• Provide Advice on Foot Care for Individuals with Diabetes
• Transport, Transfer and Position Individuals and Equipment Within the Perioperative Environment
• Understand Sensory Loss
• Support Families Who Are Affected by Acquired Brain Injury
• Support Individuals During a Period of Change
• Perform Intravenous Cannulation
• Care for Individuals with Urethral Catheters
• Conduct Routine Maintenance on Clinical Equipment
• Assist and Support Individuals to Use Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems (AAC)
• Measure and Record Individuals’ Body Fluid Balance in a Perioperative Environment
• Support Parents/Carers to Interact with and Care for Their Newborn Baby
• Deliver Training Through Demonstration and Instruction
• Principles for Implementing Duty of Care in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Promote Child and Young Person Development
• Develop and Sustain Effective Working Relationships with Staff in Other Agencies
• Undertake Physiological Measurements
• Undertake Stoma Care
• Advise and Inform Individuals on Managing Their Condition
• Assure the Effective Functioning of Radiographic Image Processing Equipment
• Operate Equipment for Intraoperative Cell Salvage Blood Collection
• Assist Others to Monitor Individuals’ Progress in Managing Dysphagia
• Support Carers to Meet the Care Needs of Individuals
• Maintain Pharmaceutical Stock
• Anatomy and Physiology for Maternity Support Workers
• Receive Prescriptions from Individuals
• Understand How to Support Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Conditions
• Support Individuals with Specific Communication Needs
• Obtain and Test Capillary Blood Samples
• Support Individuals at the End of Life
• Contribute to Effective Multidisciplinary Team Working
• Analyse and Present Health Related Data and Information
• Remove Wound Drains
• Develop Activities and Materials to Enable Individuals to Reach Specific Communication Goals
• Operate Equipment for Intraoperative Cell Salvage Blood Processing and Complete Intraoperative Cell Salvage Blood Process
• Support Parents/Carers and Those in a Parental Role to Care for Babies During Their First Year
• Obtain a Client History
• Manage the Availability of Physical Resources to Meet Service Delivery Needs in a Health Setting
• Administer Medication to Individuals, and Monitor the Effects
• Undertake an In-process Accuracy Check of Assembled Prescribed Items Prior to the Final Accuracy Check
• Promote Equality and Inclusion in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings
• Understand the Impact of Acquired Brain Injury on Individuals
• Support Individuals to Live at Home
• Promote Person Centred Approaches in Health and Social Care
• Interact with and Support Individuals Using Telecommunications
• Undertake Tissue Viability Risk Assessments
• Manufacture Equipment or Medical Devices for Individuals Within Healthcare
• Provide Support for Individuals with Communication and Interaction Difficulties
• Monitor Individuals’ Progress in Relation to Managing Their Body Weight and Nutrition
• Examine the Feet of Individuals with Diabetes
• Assist in Implementing Treatment Programmes for Individuals with Severely Reduced Movement/Mobility
• Assist in the Delivery of Perioperative Care and Support to Individuals
• Communicate with Individuals About Promoting Their Health and Wellbeing While Working as a Health Trainer
• Understand How to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Children and Young People
• Support Children and Young People’s Health and Safety
• Develop Positive Relationships with Children and Young People and Others Involved in Their Care

These are the Level 3 units listed in the ProQual specification, not just a shortened selection. The qualification requires a minimum of 8 credits from Level 3 units, with the remaining credits permitted from Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4 units.

Level 4 Units

• Support disabled children and young people and those with specific requirements
• Enable children and young people to understand their health and well-being
• Develop and agree individualised care plans for babies and families
• Understand the needs of children and young people who are vulnerable and experiencing poverty and disadvantage
• Support individuals to access education, training or employment

Who Is This Qualification For?

The ProQual Level 3 Certificate in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills is designed for individuals working in, or preparing to work in, healthcare and social care environments where the role involves a defined or changing range of support responsibilities. The qualification is particularly relevant to roles where full healthcare or social care diploma requirements may not apply, but recognised competence and practical skills are required.

• Healthcare support workers seeking formal recognition of workplace skills
• Social care workers supporting individuals in care settings
• Care assistants working in residential or community environments
• Support workers providing person-centred care and assistance
• Community care workers supporting individuals in their own homes
• Individuals developing a career in healthcare and social care
• Workers undertaking a limited range of healthcare or social care tasks
• Existing care staff seeking to strengthen professional competence
• Individuals progressing towards higher-level healthcare or social care qualifications
• Staff who need to demonstrate competence against recognised occupational standards
• Workers supporting individuals with disabilities, mental health needs or other specific requirements
• Care professionals seeking broader knowledge across healthcare and social care support
• Individuals seeking professional development within the health and social care sector

Career Opportunities

The ProQual Level 3 Certificate in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills provides learners with the knowledge and practical skills required to pursue a range of roles within the healthcare, social care, community support, and care services sectors. As organisations place increasing importance on safe, person-centred care and high-quality support, qualified professionals with recognised healthcare and social care skills are valued across hospitals, residential care settings, community services, supported living environments, and other care-related organisations.

Future Progression

Upon successful completion of the ProQual Level 3 Certificate in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills, learner can progress to higher-level qualifications and more responsible roles within the healthcare and social care sectors. The qualification provides a strong foundation for developing professional competence in person-centred care, safeguarding, communication, health and safety, wellbeing, and specialist support.

Learner may choose to progress to higher-level healthcare and social care qualifications, undertake continuing professional development (CPD), or complete specialist training in areas such as dementia care, mental health support, disability support, medication, end-of-life care, and community-based care.

The qualification can also support progression into roles including Senior Care Assistant, Healthcare Support Worker, Social Care Worker, Community Support Worker, Learning Disability Support Worker, Mental Health Support Worker, and Care Coordinator Assistant. The knowledge and practical skills gained are valuable across hospitals, residential care homes, supported living services, community care, domiciliary care, and other health and social care environments.