The Foundation degree Framework for the Health Sector Providing clear guidance for developers of Foundation degrees better skills better jobs better health Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 Key Principles – Foundation degrees for the health sector 5 3 Design 8 3.1 Articulation of need 8 3.2 Working in Partnership 8 3.3 Links to Professional Bodies 9 3.4 Regulatory Bodies 9 3.5 Health Sector Foundation degree Model 10 3.6 Key features of the Model 11 4 Accessibility to and delivery of the Foundation degree 14 4.1 Accessibility 14 4.2 Delivery modes 14 4.3 Learning agreement 14 4.4 Work-based learning 14 4.5 Review of the workplace learning experience 16 4.6 Work-based (placement) supervisors 16 4.7 Assessment methods 16 5 Progression 17 6 Quality assurance 18 7 Marketing and Promotion 19 Appendices 19 1 Glossary of terms 20 2 Regulatory Bodies 20 3 Professional Bodies 20 4 QAA – Qualification descriptors 22 5 Checklist to assist in the development of a Foundation degree for the Health Sector 25 6 Respondents to the consultation 27 7 Members of the Fd Framework Project Strategy Group 29 1 1 Introduction 1.1 The Foundation degree in context Foundation degrees were introduced by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in 2000 as a way of providing the graduates needed to address the higher technical and associate professional level skills shortages within the labour market. Since that time key agencies and organisations in the education and training infrastructure have been actively involved in implementing the policy on a nationwide basis. The various roles, in the context of the Foundation degree, are described in figure 1 below. Figure 1 Roles of key agencies QAA DfES Position Fd within the HEFCE Policy on Fd and its’ role Framework for HE Determine core features of in the E&T infrastructure Qualifications Fd (Prospectus -2000) Funding of Fd prototypes QA of Quality and Standards Funding of Fd delivery (ASN) www.dfes.org.uk in Higher Education www.hefce.org.uk www.qaa.ac.uk Trades Unions Regulatory Bodies Promote Fds to their members Requirements Provide a network of addressed within Fd support for members [Appendix 1] undertaking Fds FOUNDATION Degree FDF Professional Bodies Provide national network of Align Fd to membership Fd expertise to support routes and qualifications HEIs/FECs/SSCs in the where relevant development of Fds www.fdf.ac.uk Employers HEIs SSCs Identify need for skills, Design, validate, promote, Engage employers in the which Fd can address and deliver Fd based on sector Identify sector priorities Contribute to the design, clearly evidenced Position Fd within sector development, and delivery market need www.skillsforhealth.org.uk 2 Against this backdrop Skills for Health has been working with sector stakeholder representatives to develop the key principles that should inform the development of all Foundation degrees for the healthcare sector. Where appropriate, the Skills for Health Framework will interface with other SSC Foundation degree Framework developments, such as Skills for Care, SEMTA etc, in recognition of the multiple and overlapping roles of people working in health, healthcare and social care. 1.2 Aim of the Skills for Health Foundation degree Framework The need for flexible multi-skilled staff, the move towards competence based workforce planning, and the evaluation, extension and reconfiguring of job roles provide a strong case for Foundation degrees (Fds) in the sector. Fds can make an important contribution to meeting this need by providing broad-based knowledge, transferable skills, including life long learning and the capacity to adapt to changing job roles. The purpose of this Framework is to provide a robust and agreed structure at levels 4 and 5 within the qualifications framework for the Health sector. Further to inform and assist universities and colleges in the development of Fds that will attract and retain the support of employers. The Framework has been designed to meet the needs of existing and changing working practices within the sector. Identifying the right skill mixes for Fds will be crucial. Fds will need to appeal to those already in the sector who may wish to move into Assistant Practitioner or Associate Practitioner roles. Equally, Fds need to appeal to a broad range of younger people who may wish to pursue a career in the sector, but for whom a traditional degree or existing qualifications are neither attractive nor sufficiently aspirational. This Framework provides a structure to develop Fds that embrace the key themes and working practices in the sector. It is expected that the Fd Framework (Health) will underpin the development of Fds as credible, relevant and respected qualifications in the sector. This is a formative document and as such will be updated on an annual basis to take account of the feedback from both users of the Framework and any emergent external policies including review of regulations. An overall formal review of the Framework will be undertaken in 2008. 3 1.3 The role of Skills for Health (www.skillsforhealth.org.uk) As the Sector Skills Council for the Health Sector, Skills for Health represents the interests of two million people working within more than 70,000 organisations/employers. Our key role is to articulate and focus the development of skills across the NHS, the independent sector and voluntary sector. Our key objective is to ensure that the workforce is trained and developed to provide optimal patient and client services. As an SSC, we are responsible for developing a Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) in partnership with key stakeholders; the agreement will, incrementally, provide the vehicle from which the skills and training needs of the sector will be identified and addressed. The crux of this agreement will be to enable all employers in the sector to influence and shape the ‘supply side’ of education and training. This, together with the core function of the SSC to develop and provide National Occupational Standards, places the SSC in a unique position to influence this agenda. The SSA aims to ensure ‘the skills the sector wants are the skills the sector gets’ and will result in: employers shaping and endorsing learning provision skills demand more directly shaping supply individuals benefiting from high-quality learning linked to better job prospects employees experiencing career development and opportunities that fulfill their potential Information about National Occupational Standards, Qualification Frameworks and the Sector Skills Agreement can be found on our website. 4 2 Key Principles – Foundation degrees for the health sector A Foundation degree for the health sector should: 2.1 Be based on a valid assessment of market need, linked to clearly identified employment opportunities in terms of: Providing the evidential base for a Foundation degree i.e. the skills shortages and the employment opportunities that the Foundation degree will address at national, regional or local level 2.2 Be developed collaboratively by sector employers, institutions, and the professions in terms of: The active involvement of employers in defining and agreeing: • the learning outcomes, programmes and curriculum design • mechanisms to support learners in work based learning • procedures for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing programmes The active involvement of the appropriate professional bodies in aligning the Foundation degree to professional membership standards. 2.3 Have vocational relevance for the sector in terms of: Addressing needs within specific specialities and occupational areas and providing a contemporary occupational skills base that will enhance immediate performance and career prospects. Delivering specialist occupationally related knowledge and skills with a service user centered focus, informed by: • relevant National Occupational Standards [where they exist] • the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework core dimensions at the appropriate level • appropriate QAA subject benchmarks • appropriate Professional Body criteria [where they exist] Providing work experience integrated with assessed work-based learning, which: • is linked to learning outcomes • makes full use of the workplace as a key learning resource • is of sufficient duration to demonstrate fitness for practice. 5 2.4 Be designed to meet the needs of a diverse range of potential learners in terms of: Having admission processes which ensure fair access to potential learners from a wide variety of ethnic, social and academic backgrounds – both from outside and from within the sector, with diverse experiences, different qualifications [academic, vocational, occupational] and relevant work1 experience. Giving recognition, as appropriate, to a learner’s previous certificated learning and learning from past experience and achievements. Providing a range of programme delivery options and learning/ assessment approaches which take into account: • the work patterns and working environments of employed learners within the specialist area of the healthcare sector • different learning styles • different entry points • the work based components of the programme 2.5 Provide clear links to and from other qualifications in the healthcare education/skills infrastructure and specify career entry/progression opportunities within the healthcare sector in terms of providing: Clearly defined access routes to the Foundation degree from a range of entry points. Progression to a named honours degree and/or further study Progression to clearly defined outcomes in terms of employment entry and