Additional
| Apprenticeship | Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner |
|---|---|
| Training Provider | University of Lancashire |
| Location | Face-to-face |
Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (NMC 2022) (Level 7)
Community Nurse Specialist Practitioners provide health care at an advanced level of practice to people of all ages and communities. They work across different organisations and settings; for example, Primary Care, Social Care, third-sector organisations, hospitals (including mental health), hospices, prisons, schools and other community services.
Duration
21 months
21 months
Most Suitable For
Registered Nurses wanting to develop specialist Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours in General Practice.
Registered Nurses wanting to develop specialist Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours in General Practice.
Award
Level 7 Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (NMC 2022) Apprenticeship Award and Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner; General Practice Nursing. Qualification also leads to annotation on NMC register.
Level 7 Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (NMC 2022) Apprenticeship Award and Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner; General Practice Nursing. Qualification also leads to annotation on NMC register.
Programme Cost
£14,000.
The Government have announced that for any Level 7 apprenticeship intakes starting 1st January 2026 onwards, employers can not use Levy or Government Co-investment to pay for the tuition fee. Employers will therefore need to finance 100% of the tuition fee. The only exceptions will be if the apprentice is aged 16 to 21, or Under 25 and either a care leaver or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) at the start of their apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship tuition fee is paid using employer levy. Levy Paying Employers and Non-Levy Paying Employers, please read the DAS and Tuition steps within our Apprenticeships Process – Employer Guide for more information and instructions.
Additional Funding
- NHSE CSP Training Grant Sep 2025: *Expressions of Interest must be received on or before 13 June 2025*. NHSE have confirmed a training grant is available for CSP-GPN programmes starting September 2025 (either on traditional route or apprenticeship route). To find out more please refer to the training grant document . For the apprenticeship route, the training grant will provide salary contributions of £2,904 per month (pro rata for a maximum of 12 months / 52 weeks). Depending on the size of the organisation, the employer may also be able to apply for financial support to cover 100% of the tuition fee. New apprenticeship interest for September 2025 intakes can still apply to either University of Lancashire or University of Greater Manchester. Please find programme details here. To express interest in this training grant (for either the traditional route or apprenticeship route) please contact [email protected] as soon as possible, but no later than 5pm on Friday 13 June 2025. When emailing, please confirm the official organisation name and address, route (traditional or apprenticeship), university, and the name and email address of your GPN candidate/s. The Training Hub will then notify NHSE of your expression of interest and will also provide you with further instructions on how to apply for the programme.
- If apprentice is under the age of 25, Employer may not have to pay Class 1 Employer National Insurance. Full details and criteria are found here.
- For apprenticeships starting between 1 August 2024 - 31 July 2026, employer may be eligible for £1,000 if apprentice is aged 16 - 18 years old (or 15 years of age if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August); or aged between 19 and 24 years old and has either an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provided by their local authority and / or has been, or are, in the care of their local authority. Full details and criteria are found within the relevant DfE Funding Rules.
- Some Councils are providing incentive payments to local small employers who recruit and employ young apprentices. To find out more, including eligibility and how to apply for an incentive, please visit Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub (details within the GRANT presentation)
- Lancashire County Council incentive is £3,000 for 100 Lancashire employers
- Chorley Council incentive is £1,500 for Chorley employers
- Fylde Borough Council incentive is £5,000 for Fylde employers recruiting a new apprentice who is a Fylde resident.
Start Date
September
September
Teaching Delivery
Face-to-face (Preston Campus)
Face-to-face (Preston Campus)
Key Learning Requirements
Apprenticeships require learners to achieve specific new knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs), which are detailed in the Apprenticeship Standard. These are achieved by;
1) Programme Teaching; frequency tbc. This programme includes 4 modules on V300 throughout the programme. If a candidate has evidence of completing V300 at level 7 already they are able to: either choose alternative learning from the UCLan CDP framework, or reduce their apprenticeship duration. If a candidate has evidence of completing V300 at level 6 already, they will need to complete a top-up assignmnet.
2) Independent study; such as assignment/project research and write up. The project for this progamme is a Service Improvement Project.
3) Learning in the workplace; shadowing colleagues, completing programme assigned work based projects, new learning and development whilst completing working duties, reflections with mentor, relevant training sessions.
4) External placements are not required for this programme, although learners are encouraged to consider some practice learning opportunities outside of their place of work/setting in agreement with their Practice Assessor (if agreed, supervision during this time must be within the SSSA standards where professional boundaries are exceeded).
Modules
This programme has profession route pathways, this description relates to the CSP General Practice Nurse route. For information on other routes please see the university webpage.
This programme has profession route pathways, this description relates to the CSP General Practice Nurse route. For information on other routes please see the university webpage.
Placements
This programme does not require external placements to be completed, although varied experiences are beneficial.
This programme does not require external placements to be completed, although varied experiences are beneficial.
Assessments
Assessed throughout the programme by assignments, observations, evaluations and End Point Assessment.
Assessed throughout the programme by assignments, observations, evaluations and End Point Assessment.
Key Candidate Entry Requirements
• Employed minimum 30 hours a week in a suitable role for the duration of the apprenticeship
• Evidence of English and Maths at GCSE C/4/Functional Skills Level 2/Equivalent or above is required at application stage due to the nature and level of the programme. An initial diagnostic assessment will also be completed by the university at application stage.
• An Honours Degree (or equivalent) in Nursing. Applications will be considered where successful level 6 study within previous 5 years’ can be evidenced.
• Enhanced DBS (within 3 years of course start date)
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) may be considered for relevant prior learning, including for the V300 teaching.
Full requirements and details are found on the course webpage/information.
Key Employer Entry Requirements
- Ensure Learner has the support and opportunities to achieve the requirements of the apprenticeship
- Minimum 1 Practice Assessor and 1 Practice Supervisor to support the apprentice. The Assessor will need to have a specialist practitioner (GPN) qualification or significant experience within the field of practice. Plus a suitable assessor for the V300 element. Practical learning is integrated throughout the course and is supervised and assessed, utilising named sign off Practice Assessor / Practice Supervisor.
- Up-to-date Unified Learning Environment (for apprentice’s place/s of work where practical learning is to take place). Locality GPEF to support Employer with these checks (including any relevant training and paperwork approval).
- University’s NMC Employer Partner Approval:
- New Employers (who have not had an apprentice on this programme with this training provider before) are to complete UCLan’s NMC Checklist and submit return this to UCLan for UCLan to approve (along with ULE and evidencing assessors and supervisors). The University will provide the Checklist and will support with any questions. Employers are to also seek guidance from their Locality GPEF where relevant.
- Employers who have previously completed this paperwork will need to review this paperwork for each new application. This is required in order to ensure the previous details are still correct and answer any new questions. Employers are to also seek guidance from their Locality GPEF where relevant.
Full requirements and details are found on the university course webpage.
Listed as an Approved Provider under an NHS Procurement
TBC - Currently awaiting Higher Procurement award outcome from NHS Salisbury Procurement Service.
TBC - Currently awaiting Higher Procurement award outcome from NHS Salisbury Procurement Service.
Application Timescale
- It takes on average 3-4 months to complete all application stages for this programme.
- If recruiting to this position, additional time will be required for recruitment and advertising stages
Education Provider deadlines include:
- All September Intakes:
- ASAP but no later than early August – Employer must have submitted NMC Checklist to UCLan
- All March Intakes:
- ASAP but no later than early February – Employer must have submitted NMC Checklist to UCLan
Additional Training Hub Support
Primary Care employees have access to:
- All resources provided by the L&SC PC Training Hub such as Digital training, Health and Wellbeing support and events.
- Plus, visit our GPN webpage for more information on Nursing in Primary Care, training, support and resources for qualified professionals (some training is available for trainees).
- Plus, the Non-clinical Training and Resources. This webpage lists training and resources for non-clinical roles, which may compliment the apprenticeship (always check suitability with your apprenticeship education provider).
- Clinical CPD opportunities will also be available via Locality Training Hub.
- Audit and Assessor Support: via Local GPEFs.
Pathway
Skills England has an interactive occupational maps tool which shows the variety of progression pathways using apprenticeships.
Career progression does not have to be linear. Entry criteria may differ per provider and even more varied routes may be available depending on the individuals prior learning and experience.
Information Last Updated
10/06/2025
10/06/2025
Programme Resources
If you would like to know anything further about the programme itself, please contact: Lisa Broadley, Course Lead on [email protected]
How to Apply
If you would like to apply for an apprenticeship (either for yourself, a member of staff or a vacancy position), please complete the Primary Care Expression of Interest Form. This is for Primary Care Employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria only. By completing the expression of interest form, the Training Hub Apprenticeships team will be able to complete basic pre-checks, provide you with personalised guidance, and start the programme application process for you. If you would like to discuss anything first, please email [email protected] or call Olivia, Apprenticeships Manager, on 07735161775. You can find out more about the stages of applying for an apprenticeship within our Apprenticeships Process - Employer Guide.
Social Care Employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria, please contact Dawn on [email protected]
