Additional
| Apprenticeship | Nursing Associate |
|---|---|
| Education Provider | University of Salford |
| Location | Face-to-face |
Nursing Associate (Level 5)
Nursing Associates bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver hands-on, person-centred care as part of the nursing team. They work with people of all ages in a variety of settings in health and social care. The following videos highlight the role across different settings, practical examples of the duties carried out, and the benefits Nursing Associates bring to general practice.
NMC video – Nursing Associate
NHS video – Nursing Associate in General Practice
Employer Feedback
Feedback from Managers on the benefits the Nursing Associate apprenticeship has brought to the organisation:
”Our apprentice has grown in confidence and developed their clinical skills, especially around Asthma, which has freed up nurse time to deal with the more complex cases.”
“Additionality for cytology and going forward imms and vaccs. A positive learning environment within practice that numerous staff members were involved in. Career progression. New roles within practice and finding out the remit of that practice and how we can safely implement.”
”The apprentice’s knowledge in areas has improved massively along with their confidence. Key areas like learning disabilities and palliative care will be very beneficial to the practice and patients.”
”Given additional capacity for patients. Supported a staff member to develop whilst still working here.”
”Enhanced Services, Increased Capacity and New service delivery.”
”Increased skills, more diverse appointments and more confidence in seeing complex patients which in turn improves service to patients.”
”Member of staff has relieved pressure from the nursing team.”
Duration
25 months
25 months
Most Suitable For
Healthcare Support Workers/Assistants. Other roles and experience will be considered on an individual basis.
Healthcare Support Workers/Assistants. Other roles and experience will be considered on an individual basis.
Award
Level 5 Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship award and Foundation Degree in Nursing Associate. On successful completion, learners are able to register with the NMC.
Level 5 Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship award and Foundation Degree in Nursing Associate. On successful completion, learners are able to register with the NMC.
Programme Cost
£15,000
Tuition fee financial support options, and how to apply for most of these, are detailed in our Apprenticeships Process Employer Guide. Please note the following important changes to apprenticeship tuition fee funding options, for August 2026-July 2027 intakes:
- For non-levy paying employers (most SMEs): the tuition fee will now be 100% gov funded if the candidate is aged 16-24 (or turning 16 June-August 2026). The education provider will advise employer how to secure this during programme application stage. For level 2-6 programmes if candidate is aged 25 or over, both the levy transfer (100% funds) and co-investment (95% funds) options will continue to be available for employers to apply for.
- For levy-paying employers: for all level 2-6 programmes, for both apprentices already on programme and future intakes, the co-investment option has changed to 25% employer contribution and 75% gov contribution. However, for future applications, the levy transfer option (100% funds) will continue to be available for employers to apply for.
Additional Funding
- ARRS Funding: Includes reimbursing training time for Student Nursing Associates. Contact your PCN for eligibility, availability and to apply. Use the Training Hub ARRS webpage if you require further assistance.
- NHSE Nursing Associate Funding 2026-27: NHSE training grant of £4,161 per year for up to 2 years, for Nursing Associate apprenticeships intakes from 01 April 2026 – 31 March 2027. Employers do not need to apply for this.
- Employer incentives for apprenticeships starting between August 2026-July 2027 (see here for full details):
- £1,000 if apprentice is aged 16-18 (or turning 16 June-August 2026); or aged between 19-24 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.
- £2,000 for non-levy paying employers only (typically SMEs) if recruit person(s) aged 16-24 (or turning 16 June-August 2026) on to an apprenticeship programme from October 2026, as long as the employment only starts within 90 days before the intake start date.
- £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant - Employer may be able to apply for this if recruits an unemployed person(s) aged 18-24 who has been on universal credit for over 6 months. Full details are available here.
- Employer may not have to pay Class 1 Employer National Insurance if apprentice is under the age of 25. Full details are available here.
Start Date
September and March
September and March
Teaching Delivery
Mainly face-to-face (Salford campus) with some online teaching and resources
Mainly face-to-face (Salford campus) with some online teaching and resources
Key Learning Requirements
Learning must cover pre-conception to death, across all four nursing fields (Adult, Child, MH and LD) and home, close to home and hospital settings. NMC requires minimum 1,150 hours of Theory and 1,150 hours of Practical learning (of which minimum 460 hours must be in external settings) over the duration of the course.
Apprenticeships require learners to achieve specific new knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs). For this programme, in order to achieve the NMC requirements and KSBs, a minimum of 80% of the learner’s normal working hours (if working 30 hours per week) must be dedicated to the apprenticeship. This is achieved by;
1) Programme Teaching; usually 1 day a week on campus. The days mapped for teaching are fixed (example timetables are available).
2) Independent study; such as assignment/project research and write up.
3) Learning in the workplace; shadowing colleagues, completing programme assigned work based projects, day-to-day development within your current role duties/work activities, reflections with assessor, relevant training sessions.
4) External Placements; are required for this programme. The main external placements are usually arranged in block weeks averaging between 2 – 4 weeks in duration. External placements are to be facilitated by the employer, the training hub will help with the main arrangements.
Modules
This programme has fixed module delivery (you are unable to choose the modules studied). A list of modules is available on the course webpage or course materials.
This programme has fixed module delivery (you are unable to choose the modules studied). A list of modules is available on the course webpage or course materials.
Placements
Placements are required.
Placements are required.
Assessments
Apprentices will be assessed throughout the programme by assignments, observations/evaluations and End Point Assessment.
Apprentices will be assessed throughout the programme by assignments, observations/evaluations and End Point Assessment.
Key Candidate Entry Requirements
• Employed 30 hours or more per week for the duration of the apprenticeship
• English and Maths at GCSE grade C/4/Functional Skills Level 2/Equivalent or above are still required at application stage due to the nature and level of the programme. An initial diagnostic assessment will also be completed by the Training Provider at application stage. If the candidate does not have the required certificates for either Maths and/or English, please contact the Training Hub Apprenticeship Team for options.
• It is desirable to also have evidence of Level 3 study (or sufficient practical experience will be considered, such as minimum 2 years’ work experience and evidence of ongoing CPD).
• Recent Enhanced DBS and OH clearances (Employer’s responsibility)
Full requirements and details are found on the university course webpage.
Key Employer Entry Requirements
• Ensure Learner has the support and opportunities to achieve the requirements of the apprenticeship.
• The Practice will need 2 Practice Assessors (must be Registered Nurses or Registered Nursing Associates), an educational audit for Nursing students and an NMC partnership agreement with the Education Provider (Practices will be supported through these if not already in place).
Full requirements and details are found on the university course webpage.
Listed as an Approved Provider under an NHS Procurement
Yes
Yes
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.
Additional Training Hub Support
Primary Care employees have access to:
- All resources provided by the Training Hub such as Digital training, Health and Wellbeing support and events.
- Clinical CPD opportunities: via Locality Training Hub.
- Visit our Nursing Associate webpage for more information on the role in Primary Care, plus further training, support and resources.
- Audit (ULE) and Assessor Support via Local GPEFs.
- Placement Support: via Local GPEFs. Once on programme the GPEF will provide more details and is able to assist with queries.
Pathway
On successful completion of this apprenticeship, examples of further apprenticeship options include; Nursing Top-Up. Skills England has interactive occupational maps which show 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
15/05/2026
15/05/2026
Further Programme and Provider Information
If you would like to know anything further about the programme itself, please contact: Neil Holcroft, Apprenticeship Development Manager on [email protected]
How to Apply
If you would like to apply for an apprenticeship programme - either for yourself, a member of staff, or a vacancy position - please complete our apprenticeship form. This form is for Primary Care Employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria only.
By completing the 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 about the stages of applying for an apprenticeship within our Apprenticeships Process (Employer Guide).
