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For Health Care Assistants: Delivering Care in the Community

Award

Certificate in Continuous Professional Development

Study option

Location

Centre for Health Innovation Stafford

Start dates available

September 2026

Apply now

Develop the relevant knowledge and skills to perform the Healthcare Assistant (HCA) role in primary care and/or the community in a confident, safe and patient-focused manner.

Your role as a Health care assistant will be enhanced in your current role such as Doctors surgery, Nursing Home, and any Community setting.

The competencies are linked to the care certificate and District and General Practice Nursing Service framework 2021.

The modules will give health care assistants an academic qualification equivalent to an A level, NVQ3, T-Level 3.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: Certificate in Continuous Professional Development For Health Care Assistants: Delivering Care in the Community

Duration

This course runs over 8 days spread over two terms (between September 2026-April 2027) This can be done as a standalone module, or part of the Award for Health Care Assistants.

Starts 29 September 2026

29 September 2026
13 October 2026
10, 24 November 2026
15 December 2026
12 January 2027
24 February 2027
16 March 2027

Course content

The Health Care Assistant’s role and the needs of general practice are constantly evolving, and this award has been developed to provide underpinning knowledge and skills to support and meet the needs of the developing workforce.

This course is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills gained whilst working within a community setting in a health or social care supportive role. It is aimed at students who are currently employed in a health or social care related role and can study part-time.

This course comprises of two core modules:

The role of the Healthcare Assistant in the community
Caring for people with long term conditions

The modules will provide fundamental knowledge and skills pertinent to the HCA role in primary and community care settings in a safe patient-focused way. It will provide practical ideas, hints and tips to support your practice. You will be able to demonstrate your practical skills within the workplace with your mentor/assessor.

As well as providing you with an overview of the patho-physiology and impact of the most common long term conditions identified either through Quality and Outcomes Framework or other government initiatives. It will enhance your clinical skills in monitoring long term conditions and there will be a strong emphasis on diseases prevention and promotion of self-care.

Applicants have the opportunity to achieve a Certificate of Credit after 20 credits have been completed or achieve a Certificate in Continuous Professional Development after 40 credits have been completed. This includes The Long-Term condition module.

The course will empower HCAs to undertake their role more effectively, having developed their self-confidence and self-awareness, and to attain a level of academic achievement that will provide a springboard for further study and development. It will also foster ownership of the role, developing an increased awareness of their accountability, vulnerability and limitations with the need for clear lines of delegation from a registered professional.

Enquire about this course

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module where available.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
The Role Of The Health Care Assistant In The Community	20 credits

Year 2 compulsory modules
Year 2 compulsory modules
Caring For People With Long Term Conditions	20 credits

Entry requirements

To undertake this course, you must be employed in a health or social care related role as you will need the support of your employer.

You will also need a mentor/assessor to support you in the workplace who must be identified before you start the course.

This needs to be a registered healthcare professional usually a nurse who holds a professional registration with a governing body such as the NMC.

All applicants must be 18 years of age at the start of the programme.

We understand that you might have experienced a challenging run up to higher education and may have not met the entry requirements as listed. If this is the case don’t worry, contact us and our team of expert advisors can guide you through the next stages of application, or help you find the perfect course for your needs.

Facilities

Stafford Library

Integrated library and computer lab with PCs containing specialist software, seating areas, group and silent study rooms.

Teaching and assessment

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include:

study skills such as reading, note-taking and presentation skills
written English, including punctuation and grammatical accuracy
academic writing and how to reference
research skills
critical thinking and understanding arguments
revision, assessment and examination skills
time management

Additional support

Our Student Inclusion Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Fees

For the course starting on 23 September 2026 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for Certificate in Continuous Professional Development-Part-time
Study option	UK / Channel Islands
Part-time	£1,045 per year of study

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. View our accommodation Read more about living costs

Sources of financial support

If you receive funding from Student Finance you may be eligible to apply for additional benefits. Details can be obtained by reading our additional funding web pages, or visiting www.gov.uk.

Scholarships and additional funding

As an undergraduate student at Staffordshire, you may be eligible for additional financial support through one of our scholarships and bursaries. You can visit our funding page to find out more and check your eligibility.

Apply now to For Health Care Assistants: Delivering Care in the Community

Location	Award	Study option	Start date	Apply Link
Centre for Health Innovation Stafford	Certificate in Continuous Professional Development	Part-time	23 September 2026	Applications are not currently open for this course.

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University of Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University of Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.