Key information

  1. Reference: ST0220
  2. Date updated: 14/02/2024
  3. Level: 4
  4. Route: Health and science
  5. Regulated occupation: No
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Details of the occupational standard

Information Symbol

Higher Technical Qualification

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are designed to be delivered within a course of education. Some Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours may be more safely and reliably delivered in workplace settings, so may not be fully covered by the HTQ. Some qualifications will deliver additional content or added depth and breadth through, for example, use of specialist learning environments, work placements or innovative teaching methods. Check with the qualification provider if you require further information on coverage.

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in hospitals, general practice and other settings in the health sector.

Employers can vary in size from a large national organisation such as the NHS through to a private practice.

 

Healthcare Science Associates work in Life Sciences, Physiological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Clinical Engineering, Clinical Bioinformatics in environments such as outpatient departments laboratories and engineering workshops.

 

The individual environment they work in determines the full scope of their role and the range of tests and activities they carry out.

 

Healthcare Science Associates are part of a wider team contributing to safe patient care across all care pathways from conception to end of life across all areas of healthcare science.

 

The broad purpose of the occupation is to perform a range of technical and scientific procedures and support the work of Healthcare Science Practitioners and Clinical Scientists.

 

The Healthcare Science Associate performs routine healthcare science investigations and communicates their results.

 

Healthcare Science Associates are likely to support the development and maintenance of healthcare science standards and protocols. They may contribute to the functioning of clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic services. They might help with quality controlling the technical processing of samples or tests. They may also manage medical equipment.

The Healthcare Science Associate follows specific procedures in accordance with health, safety, governance and ethical requirements.

 

In their daily work, an employee typically interacts with Healthcare Science professionals, the wider multi-disciplinary healthcare team, patients and the public.

They also support other members of the multi-disciplinary team with procedures from conception through to completion.

 

A Healthcare Science Associate will be responsible for performing diagnostic tests and tasks. They will also record and escalate adverse incidents or any results requiring urgent action to senior staff. They will deliver training and guidance to others.

 

They will support others on performing investigations and the appropriate use of equipment. They will plan their own workload and supervise that of others. They will ensure the effective use of stock and physical resources.

 

The Healthcare Science Associate follows specific procedures in accordance with health, safety, governance and ethical requirements.

 

A Healthcare Science Associate will contribute to multi-professional teamwork and to the day-to-day supervision of the service and its staff. They will ensure the accuracy of data recorded and collected. They will also take part in quality improvement, research and improvement as required by the role.

Typical job titles include:

Healthcare science associate

Occupation duties

Duty KSBs

Duty 1 Practice professionally and within the limits of own competence and the role, adhering to the standards, policies and protocols used in the workplace.

K1 K2 K3 K4

S1 S2 S3 S4

B1 B2 B3 B4 B6

Duty 2 Provide technical scientific services and use problem solving skills to recognise and address issues.

K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10

S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10

B1 B2 B3 B4 B6

Duty 3 Support the provision of clinical care.

K11 K12 K13 K14 K15

S11 S12 S13 S14 S15

B1 B2 B3 B4 B6

Duty 4 Use communication techniques to facilitate understanding and provide feedback.

K16 K17 K18 K21 K22

S16 S17 S18 S21 S22

B1 B2 B3 B4

Duty 5 Provide leadership to colleagues and work in partnership with the wider healthcare team.

K23 K24 K25 K26 K27

S23 S24 S25 S26 S27

B1 B2 B3 B4

Duty 6 Maintain a healthy, safe and secure workplace and support others to do the same.

K28 K29 K30 K31 K32 K33 K34

S28 S29 S30 S31 S32 S33 S34

B1 B2 B3 B4 B6

Duty 7 Adhere to quality procedures relevant to own role and take part in audit or service improvement programmes that contribute to patient care.

K35 K36 K37

S35 S36 S37

B1 B2 B3 B4 B6

Duty 8 Contribute to innovation or research within scope of own role.

K38 K39

S38 S39

B1 B2 B3 B4 B6

Duty 9 Maintain and develop own competence and that of others by taking part in personal and professional development.

K40 K41 K42 K43 K44

S40 S41 S42 S43 S44

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5

Duty 10 Promote information governance and maintain confidentiality.

K19 K20

S19 S20

B1 B2 B3 B6

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: The legislation, standard operating procedures, codes of conduct and ways of working that apply to own role. Back to Duty

K2: The scope of own role, including the limitations of own competence and that of others in your team. Back to Duty

K3: The importance of probity, honesty and integrity in professional practice. Back to Duty

K4: The importance of mental health, wellbeing and resilience of yourself and your team. Back to Duty

K5: Underpinning healthcare science relevant to own role and services provided. Back to Duty

K6: The methods and techniques for resolving problems. Back to Duty

K7: The principles of equipment management. Back to Duty

K8: The importance of Standard Operating Procedures and the requirements for drafting them and keeping them up to date. Back to Duty

K9: The principles of critical evaluation of the evidence base that underpins own technical practice. Back to Duty

K10: A range of different data presentation methods appropriate for the audience or circumstances including digital considerations. Back to Duty

K11: The principles of person-centred care. Back to Duty

K12: The principles of a ‘duty of care’ and safeguarding. Back to Duty

K13: The rights of individuals and own role with regard to informed consent. Back to Duty

K14: Key factors influencing dignity, rights, privacy and confidentiality. Back to Duty

K15: Technical investigations appropriate to clinical conditions encountered within scope of own role. Back to Duty

K16: Technical information and appropriate ways to present it including the use of digital technology. Back to Duty

K17: The importance of active listening, observation, the use of language and feedback. Back to Duty

K18: Barriers to communication and techniques for addressing them. Back to Duty

K19: The importance of information governance and the legislation and protocols that apply to own role and your team members. Back to Duty

K20: Confidentiality of consultation/medical records and the limits of the concept of confidentiality. Back to Duty

K21: Best practice for presenting information including the use of digital resources. Back to Duty

K22: The policy and procedure for complaints and difficult situations. Back to Duty

K23: The importance of working within the wider healthcare team and how healthcare science impacts on the wider delivery of services. Back to Duty

K24: The principles for planning, agreeing and checking the work of the team in line with protocols. Back to Duty

K25: Where to go for help and support about anything related to own and the team’s work. Back to Duty

K26: The principles of leadership and teamworking. Back to Duty

K27: Why it is important to be aware of own strengths, limitations and behaviours and how these affect colleagues and the wider team. Back to Duty

K28: Legislation and policies relating to health and safety at work and own responsibilities. Back to Duty

K29: The meaning and implications of ‘risk’ and ‘risk assessment’, including the importance of disseminating findings and protocols for implementing outcomes. Back to Duty

K30: What to do in situations that could cause harm to self or others such as critical incidents. Back to Duty

K31: The principles of safe lifting and handling of individuals, equipment or other items. Back to Duty

K32: Infection prevention and control requirements relevant to own role. Back to Duty

K33: The hazardous materials and substances in own workplace and ways to manage them safely. Back to Duty

K34: The principles of training others in health, safety and security practices relevant to own role. Back to Duty

K35: Quality management, improvement, and audit within own area of practice. Back to Duty

K36: The governance and ethical framework applied to audit and its contribution to patient care. Back to Duty

K37: Audit or service outcomes and the importance of continuous improvements. Back to Duty

K38: The benefits of evidence, evaluation, innovation or research to healthcare science practice. Back to Duty

K39: The importance of developing and introducing innovation and sustainability into practice. Back to Duty

K40: The importance of critical reflection in helping maintain and support the quality and safety of patient care. Back to Duty

K41: The scope of own role and the importance of continuing personal and professional development. Back to Duty

K42: The principles of mentoring practice and the underpinning theories of mentoring. Back to Duty

K43: The importance of appraisal, performance review and preparing action plans. Back to Duty

K44: The principles underpinning the practical training of others in techniques and procedures. Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Act in line with legislation, standard operating procedures, codes of conduct and ways of working that apply to own role. Back to Duty

S2: Work within the scope of the role, the limits of own knowledge and skills and support others to do the same. Back to Duty

S3: Act in line with probity requirements and support others to do the same. Back to Duty

S4: Promote mental health, wellbeing and resilience in the workplace. Back to Duty

S5: Provide technical healthcare-science-based services relevant to own role. Back to Duty

S6: Recognise problems and seek technical solutions to them and support others to do the same. Back to Duty

S7: Perform a range of equipment management activities appropriate to own role including fault-finding, preventative maintenance, calibration or repair. Back to Duty

S8: Contribute to the drafting or revising of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Back to Duty

S9: Support decisions made to initiate, continue, modify or cease using techniques or procedures. Back to Duty

S10: Analyse, interpret, record and present healthcare science technical data. Back to Duty

S11: Provide or support the provision of person-centred care. Back to Duty

S12: Take responsibility for any care provided by yourself and your team members including adhering to duty of care and safeguarding requirements. Back to Duty

S13: Apply policy and protocols that relate to informed consent. Back to Duty

S14: Protect the dignity, rights, privacy and confidentiality of individuals and support others to do the same. Back to Duty

S15: Deliver or support the delivery of high quality technical clinical procedures in the investigation or management of individuals. Back to Duty

S16: Convey information using appropriate techniques. Back to Duty

S17: Give and receive feedback that informs your own practice and that of others in the team. Back to Duty

S18: Use techniques to reduce communication barriers and support others to do the same. Back to Duty

S19: Keep accurate, confidential records and produce reliable data, inputting and retrieving information within required governance processes and checking that others do the same. Back to Duty

S20: Share information correctly as part of the healthcare science team and the multi-professional team. Back to Duty

S21: Use technology to present information. Back to Duty

S22: Follow protocols for dealing with or reporting difficult situations and complaints. Back to Duty

S23: Work as part of the healthcare science team and the wider healthcare team to provide healthcare science services. Back to Duty

S24: Plan, review and report on the work of a team and individuals within it. Back to Duty

S25: Follow delegation, reporting and escalation protocols appropriate to own role. Back to Duty

S26: Demonstrate leadership skills appropriate to own role and work in partnership with the healthcare science and wider healthcare team. Back to Duty

S27: Help create the conditions that assist the team in providing a supportive environment for colleagues. Back to Duty

S28: Maintain and check that others maintain a safe and healthy working environment. Back to Duty

S29: Participate in the management of risk, supporting others to do the same. Back to Duty

S30: Take appropriate action in response to incidents or emergencies, reporting or escalating as required by the situation. Back to Duty

S31: Move and transport items safely for example individuals or equipment and items. Back to Duty

S32: Adhere to protocols for infection prevention and control and support others to do the same. Back to Duty

S33: Follow guidelines and procedures for handling hazardous materials and substances. Back to Duty

S34: Demonstrate relevant health, safety or security practices to others in the team. Back to Duty

S35: Take part in quality management technical audit processes relevant to own role. Back to Duty

S36: Participate in audit or service improvement programmes. Back to Duty

S37: Share the outcome of audit or service improvement with others. Back to Duty

S38: Support the improvement of healthcare science practice by taking part in innovation or research or service improvement activities. Back to Duty

S39: Undertake audit, research or other activities which support quality improvement, innovation and sustainability in healthcare science. Back to Duty

S40: Critically reflect on your technical and non-technical practice and how it impacts on the quality and safety of patient care. Back to Duty

S41: Work within the limits of your personal competence, keeping up-to-date by engaging in continuing personal and professional development. Back to Duty

S42: Take part in mentoring processes with colleagues and students. Back to Duty

S43: Respond to appraisal or performance review and feedback in relation to your own development and action plans. Back to Duty

S44: Supervise and demonstrate practical skills to others. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Treat people with dignity. Back to Duty

B2: Champion equality and diversity. Back to Duty

B3: Show compassion, respect and empathy. Back to Duty

B4: Be honest, conscientious and committed. Back to Duty

B5: Committed to continuously developing their own professional practice. Back to Duty

B6: Committed to working to the standards of good scientific practice for the Healthcare science professions. Back to Duty

CertHE Healthcare Science Associate (Level 4)

Qualification type: HTQ

Qualification level: 5

Applicant: Birmingham City University

Awarding body: Birmingham City University

Approval date: 08/07/2022

Occupational pathway: Not applicable

Placement: Yes

Aligned occupational standards

ST0220 Healthcare science associate

Diploma: Healthcare Science Associate (Level 4)

Qualification type: HTQ

Qualification level: 4

Applicant: NCFE/CACHE

Awarding body: NCFE/CACHE

Approval date: 08/07/2022

Occupational pathway: Not applicable

Placement: No

Aligned occupational standards

ST0220 Healthcare science associate


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