This apprenticeship course has been designed to provide the opportunity to study whilst being employed in learning disability healthcare services. During this apprenticeship you’ll get the opportunity to develop the vital skills, values and confidence you need to work with people who have a range of learning disabilities, providing hands on care in relation to their complex physical, social and psychological needs. You'll also have the chance to develop a high level of personal and technical skills to help improve the quality of life of people with a learning disability and their ability to live as independently as possible.

• You’ll be supported by a team who really understand what it’s like to be a learning disability nurse and will learn through lectures, seminars, group work, simulation and role play.
• You'll practice and develop your skills through a variety of clinical placements in a range of statutory, private and voluntary services, in order to prepare you to pursue your career.
• You'll learn how to work in partnership with service users, their families, carers and other professionals to promote health and wellbeing.
• You’ll have the opportunity to hear the experiences and viewpoints from service users and carers, who are part of the Public Partnership Group.
• You’ll also learn how to respond to the physical, cognitive and mental health care needs of all patients and service users across their lifespan.

In line with the apprenticeship model, the course is designed to support a training in practice approach. Whilst undertaking the course you’ll remain employed by your host organisation and may spend 20% of your time in your current workplace. The remaining 80% will be spent at the University undertaking theory work and clinical placements. The course culminates in an End Point Assessment (EPA) which is independently assessed outside of the Higher Education Institution (Skills Funding Agency, 2018). The course is designed to be progressively demanding and once qualified you’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and work as a Registered Nurse for Learning Disabilities.

Nothing can really replicate working in the real-world, which is why practice placements are essential and a compulsory part of the course. The Nursing and Midwifery Council require you to complete the minimum of 2,300 hours across the course in order to obtain registration.

You'll have the opportunity to complete your practice learning experiences in a diverse range of health and social care settings, reflecting the diversity of the services accessed by people with a learning disability. This may include community teams, nursing and residential homes, supported living service, schools, short break services, day opportunities or hospitals and clinics. You may also have the opportunity to work within forensic services, prisons, palliative care and youth offending services.

In order to provide you with the broadest professional experience possible, practice experiences are generally offered across West Yorkshire and beyond, covering 24 hour care including evening, weekend and occasional night shifts.

Whilst on placement you will be supported by trained supervisors and assessors, as well as by members of the academic team who will meet with you and your practice support team every 12 weeks. You'll be required to travel to and during your placements.

Your Career

Possible career opportunities include working as nurses in local healthcare trusts, charities and short-term care providers, as well as high profile leadership roles supporting people with learning disabilities and specialist needs or roles within specialist assessment and treatment areas.

After qualification there is also an extensive range of training and career opportunities, which include becoming a manager for local service providers, epilepsy nurse, safeguarding nurse, behavioural specialist or forensic care nurse. Other opportunities include working in dual diagnosis services or specialist services for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, specialist nurse for drug management, consultant nurse specialist or nurse lecturer, as well as a policy maker and advisor at a national or local level.