Programme design and development

Programmes normally follow a modular structure, where competencies are delivered through teaching and practical experience, and assessed using a range of assessment methods. There are gateways between levels of study, where learners needed to pass certain elements of the programme before progressing, as is the normative expectation in education.

Education providers map their programmes to our requirements for registration, namely the profession-specific standards of proficiency, and the standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Normally, education providers link specific standards to learning outcomes, through module descriptors. These include detailed information about the competencies delivered, the methods for delivering competence, and assessment methods used.

Education providers consider the teaching and learning methods needed to deliver their curricula, tailored to specific curriculum content, which often include traditional lectures, group sessions, practical skills sessions and independent learning. These learning and teaching methods are normally clearly explained within programme specification and module descriptors. Education providers ensure that learners developing autonomous and reflective thinking through use of various methods of teaching and learning.

Some education providers use a spiral curriculum, where each layer of teaching becomes deeper to encourage integration of theory and practice to ensure learning outcomes are achieved. This is intended to develop learner knowledge and capabilities over the course of a programme, and contributes to autonomous and reflective thinking and integration of theory and practice.

As most programmes are at bachelors or masters level, there is a requirement to undertake research in some form, to inform activities like a dissertation. Education providers make clear links through programmes to evidence informing practice, and are clear with learners that evidence bases change over time. This enables learners to understand how to remain evidence informed when they transition to practice.

When proposing new programmes, many education providers developed new programmes for professions they already delivered via a different model of delivery. For example, education providers developed apprenticeship or masters programmes when they already delivered a direct entry or undergraduate route. In these cases, education providers use modular content from existing programmes, and consider and adapt its delivery based on the new model or level of learning.

Practice-based learning is a key component of programmes and used to develop learner competence using underpinning academic learning. Practice-based learning is structured through programmes to enable learners to gain practical experience of the theoretical concepts they learn in the academic setting.

Practice-based learning and academic learning are normally woven together through the duration of programmes. This ensures timely introduction of academic theory and learning into the practice-based learning environment. Often this information is contained through handbooks, module descriptors, programme specifications and practice assessment documents. When proposing new programmes, some education providers outlined how they would utilise existing policies or processes from existing HCPC-approved programmes.

We do not set specific requirements to be adhered to, like the number of practice hours, or the range of settings. Instead, we ask that education providers are able to demonstrate how the structure, duration and range of practice-based learning is able to support learners to progress through the programme and meet our expectations for registration.

Education providers set out the number, duration, and range of practice-based learning that was required by the programme, and how this would be integrated into programme delivery. This was normally contained within programme handbooks and module descriptors for practice-based learning modules.

Many education providers reflected relevant professional body guidance in terms of range and duration of practice-based learning. For example, some professional bodies recommend a certain number of hours is required to demonstrate competence in a particular area or over the duration of the programme. Professional bodies also often recommend areas in which practice-based learning should be undertaken. We do consider the expectations of other organisations, such as professional bodies, but similarly to our approach for other standards, do not hold education providers to these requirements.

Programmes include a wide range of practice-based learning opportunities, including:

• NHS settings relevant to the profession;
• emerging areas for the profession, such as non-ambulance placements for paramedics;
• private, independent or voluntary organisations; and
• particularly for degree apprenticeship programmes, employment sites and opportunities in different departments.

For degree apprenticeship programmes, education providers consider how the model of delivery ensured practice-based learning was integral to the programme. For these programmes, 20 per cent of the programme is academic learning via the education provider and 80 per cent is based at the learner’s employer. This means that work-based, and practice-based learning occurred while in employment and is fundamental to the delivery model.

For degree apprenticeship programmes, employers are the main practice education providers and therefore learners are employees. These programmes define the difference between work-based, and practice-based learning in relation to how they benefit the learner on the programme. They also define how they would ensure a range of practice-based learning, to ensure experience was gained outside of the employer of the learner or apprentice where this is required. This is often important to ensure learners can access the range of practice-based learning required to meet our requirements for registration.

Consideration of current practice informs programme design, which is enabled by education providers developing their curricula with stakeholder input, to meet regulatory requirements and normally professional body expectations. Mechanisms are inbuilt into quality assurance processes, to ensure currency of programmes is continually considered, which normally includes stakeholder input and active review of changing requirements and expectations of other bodies.
 
Education providers are aware of the importance of professional bodies when reviewing the curriculum to ensure currency. They do this through either regular engagement with professional bodies through seeking advice and feedback; and / or through reviewing updates to professional body guidance. Changes to professional body guidance are the main reason for making significant changes to curricula.
 
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, with initiatives such as decolonising curricula, and the revised HCPC standards of proficiency also trigger and influence reviews and changes. We often see that that training is provided to staff with regards to these areas ensure that the changes are fully embedded across education providers.

Education providers have policies and mechanisms in place to ensure that education providers identify and communicate to learners the parts of programmes where attendance is mandatory, and that associated monitoring processes are in place. This ensures that all learners who complete programmes meet our requirements for registration, by being fully involved in the parts of the programme which are essential to achieving them. Learners are normally informed of attendance requirements through programme handbooks, and education providers have processes in place to monitor learner attendance and intervene when there are potential attendance issues.