Potential occupational standard
Occupational standard in development
Approved occupational standard
Occupational standard without apprenticeship
Custom occupational card
Apprenticeship
Higher Technical Qualification
T Level
Technical Qualification
Career starter apprenticeship
Royal apprenticeship
Occupational progression
Technical education progression
Mid green occupation
Dark green occupation
Favourite occupation
View glossary of terms
home Health and science
Healthcare science associate

Healthcare science associate

Health and science

Level 4 - Higher Technical Occupation

Working in hospitals, primary care and other healthcare settings, carrying out routine technical and scientific procedures. Supporting healthcare science (HCS) practitioners and clinical scientists.

Print to PDF View occupation in map

Reference: OCC0220

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Average (median) salary: £24,083 per year

SOC 2020 code: 3111 Laboratory technicians

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 3111/99 Laboratory technicians n.e.c.

Technical Education Products

ST0220:

Healthcare science associate

(Level 4)

Approved for delivery

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust Employer, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire & Merseyside Healthcare Partnership, North-East and Yorkshire Genomic Laboratory Hub, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, STERIS Instrument Management Services, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS FT, NHS Blood and Transplant, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

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.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust Employer, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire & Merseyside Healthcare Partnership, North-East and Yorkshire Genomic Laboratory Hub, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, STERIS Instrument Management Services, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS FT, NHS Blood and Transplant, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

Typical job titles include:

Healthcare science associate

Keywords:

Laboratory Medicine
Scientific Procedures
Scientific Research
Scientific Testing
Technical Procedures

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: The legislation, standard operating procedures, codes of conduct and ways of working that apply to own role.
K2: The scope of own role, including the limitations of own competence and that of others in your team.
K3: The importance of probity, honesty and integrity in professional practice.
K4: The importance of mental health, wellbeing and resilience of yourself and your team.
K5: Underpinning healthcare science relevant to own role and services provided.
K6: The methods and techniques for resolving problems.
K7: The principles of equipment management.
K8: The importance of Standard Operating Procedures and the requirements for drafting them and keeping them up to date.
K9: The principles of critical evaluation of the evidence base that underpins own technical practice.
K10: A range of different data presentation methods appropriate for the audience or circumstances including digital considerations.
K11: The principles of person-centred care.
K12: The principles of a ‘duty of care’ and safeguarding.
K13: The rights of individuals and own role with regard to informed consent.
K14: Key factors influencing dignity, rights, privacy and confidentiality.
K15: Technical investigations appropriate to clinical conditions encountered within scope of own role.
K16: Technical information and appropriate ways to present it including the use of digital technology.
K17: The importance of active listening, observation, the use of language and feedback.
K18: Barriers to communication and techniques for addressing them.
K19: The importance of information governance and the legislation and protocols that apply to own role and your team members.
K20: Confidentiality of consultation/medical records and the limits of the concept of confidentiality.
K21: Best practice for presenting information including the use of digital resources.
K22: The policy and procedure for complaints and difficult situations.
K23: The importance of working within the wider healthcare team and how healthcare science impacts on the wider delivery of services.
K24: The principles for planning, agreeing and checking the work of the team in line with protocols.
K25: Where to go for help and support about anything related to own and the team’s work.
K26: The principles of leadership and teamworking.
K27: Why it is important to be aware of own strengths, limitations and behaviours and how these affect colleagues and the wider team.
K28: Legislation and policies relating to health and safety at work and own responsibilities.
K29: The meaning and implications of ‘risk’ and ‘risk assessment’, including the importance of disseminating findings and protocols for implementing outcomes.
K30: What to do in situations that could cause harm to self or others such as critical incidents.
K31: The principles of safe lifting and handling of individuals, equipment or other items.
K32: Infection prevention and control requirements relevant to own role.
K33: The hazardous materials and substances in own workplace and ways to manage them safely.
K34: The principles of training others in health, safety and security practices relevant to own role.
K35: Quality management, improvement, and audit within own area of practice.
K36: The governance and ethical framework applied to audit and its contribution to patient care.
K37: Audit or service outcomes and the importance of continuous improvements.
K38: The benefits of evidence, evaluation, innovation or research to healthcare science practice.
K39: The importance of developing and introducing innovation and sustainability into practice.
K40: The importance of critical reflection in helping maintain and support the quality and safety of patient care.
K41: The scope of own role and the importance of continuing personal and professional development.
K42: The principles of mentoring practice and the underpinning theories of mentoring.
K43: The importance of appraisal, performance review and preparing action plans.
K44: The principles underpinning the practical training of others in techniques and procedures.

S1: Act in line with legislation, standard operating procedures, codes of conduct and ways of working that apply to own role.
S2: Work within the scope of the role, the limits of own knowledge and skills and support others to do the same.
S3: Act in line with probity requirements and support others to do the same.
S4: Promote mental health, wellbeing and resilience in the workplace.
S5: Provide technical healthcare-science-based services relevant to own role.
S6: Recognise problems and seek technical solutions to them and support others to do the same.
S7: Perform a range of equipment management activities appropriate to own role including fault-finding, preventative maintenance, calibration or repair.
S8: Contribute to the drafting or revising of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
S9: Support decisions made to initiate, continue, modify or cease using techniques or procedures.
S10: Analyse, interpret, record and present healthcare science technical data.
S11: Provide or support the provision of person-centred care.
S12: Take responsibility for any care provided by yourself and your team members including adhering to duty of care and safeguarding requirements.
S13: Apply policy and protocols that relate to informed consent.
S14: Protect the dignity, rights, privacy and confidentiality of individuals and support others to do the same.
S15: Deliver or support the delivery of high quality technical clinical procedures in the investigation or management of individuals.
S16: Convey information using appropriate techniques.
S17: Give and receive feedback that informs your own practice and that of others in the team.
S18: Use techniques to reduce communication barriers and support others to do the same.
S19: Keep accurate, confidential records and produce reliable data, inputting and retrieving information within required governance processes and checking that others do the same.
S20: Share information correctly as part of the healthcare science team and the multi-professional team.
S21: Use technology to present information.
S22: Follow protocols for dealing with or reporting difficult situations and complaints.
S23: Work as part of the healthcare science team and the wider healthcare team to provide healthcare science services.
S24: Plan, review and report on the work of a team and individuals within it.
S25: Follow delegation, reporting and escalation protocols appropriate to own role.
S26: Demonstrate leadership skills appropriate to own role and work in partnership with the healthcare science and wider healthcare team.
S27: Help create the conditions that assist the team in providing a supportive environment for colleagues.
S28: Maintain and check that others maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
S29: Participate in the management of risk, supporting others to do the same.
S30: Take appropriate action in response to incidents or emergencies, reporting or escalating as required by the situation.
S31: Move and transport items safely for example individuals or equipment and items.
S32: Adhere to protocols for infection prevention and control and support others to do the same.
S33: Follow guidelines and procedures for handling hazardous materials and substances.
S34: Demonstrate relevant health, safety or security practices to others in the team.
S35: Take part in quality management technical audit processes relevant to own role.
S36: Participate in audit or service improvement programmes.
S37: Share the outcome of audit or service improvement with others.
S38: Support the improvement of healthcare science practice by taking part in innovation or research or service improvement activities.
S39: Undertake audit, research or other activities which support quality improvement, innovation and sustainability in healthcare science.
S40: Critically reflect on your technical and non-technical practice and how it impacts on the quality and safety of patient care.
S41: Work within the limits of your personal competence, keeping up-to-date by engaging in continuing personal and professional development.
S42: Take part in mentoring processes with colleagues and students.
S43: Respond to appraisal or performance review and feedback in relation to your own development and action plans.
S44: Supervise and demonstrate practical skills to others.

B1: Treat people with dignity.
B2: Champion equality and diversity.
B3: Show compassion, respect and empathy.
B4: Be honest, conscientious and committed.
B5: Committed to continuously developing their own professional practice.
B6: Committed to working to the standards of good scientific practice for the Healthcare science professions.

Duties

Duty D1

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

Duty D2

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

Duty D3

Support the provision of clinical care.

Duty D4

Use communication techniques to facilitate understanding and provide feedback.

Duty D5

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

Duty D6

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

Duty D7

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

Duty D8

Contribute to innovation or research within scope of own role.

Duty D9

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

Duty D10

Promote information governance and maintain confidentiality.

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

Technical Occupations

Levels 2-3

Higher Technical Occupations

Levels 4-5

Professional Occupations

Levels 6-7

Progression link into focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 2

This is the focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 4

Progression link from focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 6

Progression link from focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 6

Progression link from focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 6

Progression link from focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 6

Progression link from focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 7

Health and science