The ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills serves as a vital credential for those entering or consolidating their position within the care sector. By achieving this award, individuals validate their commitment to fundamental professional standards, enhancing both their employability and their ability to make a positive difference in the lives of those they support.
This foundational qualification is designed for individuals working or preparing to work in supportive roles across healthcare and social care settings. It focuses on developing the essential skills and knowledge required to provide compassionate, safe, and effective person-centred care. The award equips learners with a clear understanding of their responsibilities, professional boundaries, and the core principles that underpin quality care delivery.
Learners will explore key topics including safeguarding vulnerable individuals, promoting dignity and respect, effective communication strategies, and the importance of infection prevention and control. The learning is structured to be highly practical, ensuring that knowledge can be directly applied to real-world care environments to support the wellbeing and independence of service users in a professional manner.
Program Highlights
Study Units
To achieve the ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills: Candidates must achieve 6 credits from any combination of 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 therapie
- 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
- 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
- Carry out vision screening
- 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
- Assure the effective functioning of radiographic image processing equipment
- Operate equipment for intraoperative cell salvage blood collection
- Advise and inform individuals on managing their condition
- 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
- Assist in implementing treatment programmes for individuals with severely reduced movement/mobility
- Assist in the delivery of perioperative care and support to individuals
- Examine the feet of individuals with diabetes
- 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 Relationship with Children, Young People and Others Involved in Their Care
- Working Together for the Benefit of Children and Young People
- Understand How to Support Positive Outcomes for Children and Young People
- Assessment and planning with children and young people
- Promote the wellbeing and resilience of children and young people
- Professional practice in children and young people’s social care
- Support individuals to prepare for and settle in to new home environments
- Promote positive behaviour
- Support use of medication in social care settings
- Provide information and advice to children and young people
- Support young people to move towards independence and manage their lives
- Work with children and young people in a residential care setting
- Support positive practice with children and young people with speech, language and communication needs
- Support children or young people in their own home
- Support positive attachments for children and young people
- Support individuals with autistic spectrum conditions
- Prepare, load and operate decontamination equipment
- Carry out sterilisation and product release of reuseable medical devices
- Understand how to monitor the decontamination process
- Monitor and solve customer service problems
- Plan, allocate and monitor work of a team
- Understand Stroke Care Management
- Conduct hearing assessments
- Conduct External Ear Examinations
- Carry out intravenous infusion
- Carry out blood collection from fixed or central lines
- Diabetes Awareness
- Introduction to the role and responsibilities of a Health Trainer
- Establishing and developing relationships with communities while working as a Health Trainer
- Enable individuals to change their behaviour to improve their health and wellbeing while working as a Health Trainer
- Clinical Imaging Support Worker: Anatomy and Terminology
- Clinical Imaging Support Worker: Fundamentals of Care
- Clinical Imaging Support Worker: Radiation Protection and Awareness
- The Use of Contrast Media in Clinical Imaging
- Speech and Language Support for 11-16s: From Theory into Practice
- Speech and Language Support for 5-11s: From Theory into Practice
- Communication Support for 0-25s with Severe and Complex Needs: From Theory into Practice
- Communication and relationships to promote thewellbeing and mental health of older people
Entry Requirements
To enrol in the ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills, candidates must meet the following core criteria:
- Age & Status: Applicants must be at least 16 years of age. While employment in a care setting is advantageous, it is not always mandatory, making this award suitable for both new entrants and existing support workers.
- Educational Background: No formal academic qualifications are required. However, prior learning, such as a Level 2 Certificate in Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care or related vocational experience, provides a beneficial foundation for the course content.
- Language Proficiency: Candidates must have a good standard of English to comprehend course materials, contribute to discussions, and complete any required written assignments or assessments clearly and effectively.
- Work Experience: Direct experience in a care role is not an absolute prerequisite, but a genuine interest in and understanding of the healthcare or social care sector is essential for engaging successfully with the course material.
Prospective learners are encouraged to discuss their personal circumstances and career goals with a course advisor to ensure this award aligns with their aspirations in the care profession.
Learning Outcomes
learners will be able to:
- Understand and apply the principles of person-centred care
- Communicate effectively in healthcare and social care environments
- Promote health, safety, and well-being of service users
- Recognize and act upon safeguarding concerns
- Reflect on their practice to improve performance
- Operate within legal and ethical frameworks
Target Audience
This qualification is designed for individuals seeking to establish or confirm a professional foundation within the healthcare and social care sectors. It is ideal for both new entrants and those already in support roles who wish to formalise their skills and understanding of core care principles. Specifically, this award is for:
- New entrants looking to start a career as a Care Assistant, Support Worker, or Healthcare Assistant in settings like residential homes, hospitals, or community care.
- Existing care staff without formal qualifications who want to gain recognized certification of their skills and improve their professional practice.
- Individuals considering a career change into the care sector, seeking essential knowledge before applying for roles.
- Volunteers in health and social care environments who want to enhance their understanding and contribution.
- Family members or personal assistants providing structured support, aiming to learn best practices in care delivery.
In essence, this award is a crucial first step for anyone dedicated to providing safe, compassionate, and effective support, ensuring they possess the validated foundational knowledge required in these vital professions.
