PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visting), PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health Nursing), PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing)
Page last updated 26 September 2024
On our Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) apprenticeship, choose one of three specialist pathways in Occupational Health Nursing, School Nursing or Health Visiting. Gain professional registration on Part Three of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register while you work.
Our SCPHN apprenticeship is an innovative, future-focused course with three specialist pathways for health visitors, occupational health nurses and school nurses. This apprenticeship meets a continuing demand for SCPHN practitioners in the UK, who can work autonomously and inclusively with children, employees and families within different settings.
This Level 7 apprenticeship is aligned to the Public Health Knowledge and Skills Framework, supporting you to articulate your specialist skills within the wider public health workforce. You’ll achieve the competencies set out in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards of Proficiency for SCPHN (2022).
UWE Bristol has established a respected reputation as a trailblazer in this field, offering strong connections with professional practice. Our SCPHN apprenticeship closely aligns with the University's Research Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing, with many members of the teaching team active in research.
The apprenticeship is led and supported by experienced academics from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including public health, social sciences, and environmental health. You’ll be taught through flexible blended learning, combining face-to-face and online teaching, where you’ll study alongside practitioners from different fields in a multi-professional learning environment.
Through our apprenticeship, you’ll achieve professional registration on the third part of the NMC register as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse. This will enable you to progress or change your career by becoming a registered health visitor, occupational health nurse or school nurse.
By investing in your professional development, your employer will grow their own Specialist Community Public Health Nurses, without needing to recruit new talent.
Designed in line with the latest NMC Standards of Proficiency, you’ll gain the competencies needed to become a knowledgeable and skilled SCPHN practitioner. This will enable your employer to benefit from your expertise from the outset.
Your employer will upskill you, retaining your talents while addressing skills gaps within the organisation. You’ll develop in-demand skills, from evidence-based practice and health promotion to compassionate leadership and project management.
The underpinning biological, psychological, social and ecological approach will equip you to apply your knowledge to embed lasting and sustainable change within your organisation.
Our award-winning careers service can help you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity, plus support for entrepreneurial activity, and access to employer events.
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*These modules begin in Year 1 and end in Year 2.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we’ll inform you.
Designed to meet the diverse needs of learners, teaching and learning on the SCPHN apprenticeship is flexible and focused on your individual learning needs as an adult learner.
Throughout the course, you’ll take a critical view and consider a wide range of evidence, theory and perspectives in your application of knowledge to practice. You’ll also be encouraged to think critically and reflect on your professional practice in a supportive and safe environment. Where possible, you’ll work collaboratively and draw on the lived experience of service users.
You’ll engage in a range of interactive learning methods, such as large and small group teaching, case study discussions, debates, e-learning packages, simulation and self-directed study. You’ll also receive personalised study skills support, including a bespoke academic skills package for SCPHN learners before and during your studies.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
During your 18-month SCPHN apprenticeship, you’ll spend approximately 60% of your time applying your knowledge to practice in a professional setting. You’ll spend the other 40% of your time learning theory through online and in-person teaching, as well as self-directed study and protected learning time in practice. You’ll be able to plan your learning experiences and opportunities in collaboration with your practice and academic assessors.
Our formative and summative assessments enable you to demonstrate your skills development and knowledge application. The assessment tasks are co-designed with SCPHN practitioners and are workplace focused to assess your ability to apply knowledge to contemporary professional practice.
Your assessments will build on the skills and knowledge you’ve developed from your modules and the experience you’ll gain in SCPHN practice. You’ll be able to tailor your assessments for your chosen modules to best suit your strengths and learning needs and engage in dialogic feedback and critical reflection. You’ll also receive frequent feedback from peers, teaching staff and academic assessors on your work.
Assessment methods range from case studies, presentations, peer- and self-assessment activities and designing digital health promotion materials. You’ll also need to complete an End Point Assessment and a portfolio of evidence in practice. Your portfolio will contain structured reviews of your progress and tools such as practice assessments.
Learn more about assessments at UWE Bristol.
After successfully completing the apprenticeship and End Point Assessment, you’ll achieve a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN). This provides eligibility to be admitted to Part Three of the NMC register as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse in your chosen specialism.
You'll benefit from student support and opportunities throughout the apprenticeship, such as tripartite meetings and an annual careers and employment conference. You'll also have 24/7 access to IT support, whether you're on campus or at your workplace.
If local to UWE Bristol, you'll have the opportunity to use our industry-standard facilities for practical skill building.
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You must have:
You'll be required to pass an interview with a UWE Bristol representative and your employer to be offered a place. Interviews will be face-to-face or online. Your interview would take place with your employer and UWE Bristol before you submit an application to the University.
To study an apprenticeship, you need to:
More information about eligibility for apprenticeship funding can be found in the Education and Skills Funding Agency Apprenticeship Funding Rules.
If you’re interested in applying and have the support from your employer, speak to your line manager and/or HR team in the first instance for approval. Your employer will contact us so we can send you an application link.
If you’re not employed, you can use the following tools to find an apprenticeship vacancy with an employer:
Deadline for applications: 4 July 2024.
Read more about higher and degree apprenticeship applications.
For course-specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Leader.
For all other enquiries, please contact higher and degree apprenticeship hub apprenticeships@uwe.ac.uk or call +44 (0)117 32 84888.
Read more about Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.