ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills
The ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills is a nationally recognised qualification designed for individuals who want to build a strong foundation in health and social care. This Ofqual‑regulated program equips learners with essential knowledge and practical skills to provide effective support in a variety of care settings.
Whether you are starting your career in healthcare or looking to enhance your existing skills, this qualification offers a clear pathway to professional growth. The course covers key areas such as communication, safeguarding, equality and inclusion, health and safety, and supporting daily living needs. Learners gain valuable insights into person‑centred care, ethical responsibilities, and the importance of delivering compassionate support to vulnerable individuals.
By completing this award, you will be prepared to take on roles such as healthcare assistant, support worker, or social care practitioner. It also serves as a stepping stone to higher‑level qualifications, including diplomas in leadership and advanced healthcare studies. With a strong emphasis on practical application and professional standards, the ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills empowers learners to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives while advancing their career in the care sector.
Overview
Certifying Body
ProQual
Course Duration
6-12 Months
Evaluation
Assignments Based
Study Units
6-Units
Learning Mood
Online
Qualification Structure
To achieve the ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills:
Candidates must achieve 6 credits from Optional Units
Optional Units
- Work with babies and young children to promote their development and learning
- Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings
- Support individuals with multiple conditions and/or disabilities
- Support individuals who are bereaved
- Prepare for and carry out extended feeding techniques
- Provide support to continue recommended therapie
- Insert and secure nasogastric tubes4
- Develop positive relationships with children and young people
- Provide advice and information to enable parents to promote the health and well-being of their newborn babies
- Facilitate and monitor housing and accommodation services to support individuals with mental health needs
- Collaborate in the assessment of environmental and social support in the community
- Influencing Others at Work
- Care for the physical and nutritional needs of babies and young children
- Support families who have a child with a disability
- Support individuals to manage their finances
- Obtain venous blood samples
- Implement therapeutic group activities
- Collate and communicate health information to individuals
- Provide information and advice to individuals on eating to maintain optimum nutritional status
- Assist in the implementation of programmes to increase mobility, movement and functional independence
- Receive and handle clinical specimens within the sterile field
- Prepare anaesthetic environment and provide support for pre and post-operative anaesthesia and recovery
- Make recommendations for the use of physical resources in a health setting
- Maintaining quality standards in the health sector
- Understand Models of Disability
- Support individuals to access and use services and facilities
- Promote and implement health and safety in health and social care
- Support young people with a disability to make the transition into adulthood
- Understand mental well-being and mental health promotion
Carry out vision screening - Assist professionals to support individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to access speech and language therapy services
- Implement hydrotherapy programmes for individuals and groups
- Deliver exercise sessions to improve individuals’ health and wellbeing
- Provide support to the surgical team when preparing individuals for operative and invasive procedures
- Facilitate person centred assessment, planning, implementation and review
- Work in partnership with families to support individuals
- Support individuals to develop and run support groups
- Monitor own work practice in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings
- Perform first line calibration on clinical equipment to ensure it is fit for use
- Monitor and review individuals progress in relation to maintaining optimum nutritional status
- Give presentations to groups
- Support individuals in undertaking their chosen activities
- Control the use of physical resources in a health setting
- Support children and young people experiencing transitions
- Promote communication in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings
- Contribute to the prevention of aggressive and abusive behaviour of people
- Service improvement in the health sector
- Understand the process and experience of dementia
- Understand Physical Disability
- Support individuals with a learning disability to access healthcare
- Undertake urethral catheterisation processes
- Promote good practice in handling information in health and social care settings
- Understand mental health problems
- Perform routine Electrocardiograph (ECG) Procedures
- Undertake treatments and dressings of lesions and wounds
- Adapt and fit healthcare equipment, medical devices, assistive
- technology, or products, to meet individuals’ needs
- Administer oral nutritional products to individuals
- Promote effective communication with individuals with sensory loss
- Work with other professionals and agencies to support individuals with physical disability
- Support individuals to access housing and accommodation services
- Identify information requirements in a health context
- Prepare and reproduce permanent radiographic images
- Develop and prepare speech and language therapy resources for alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) use
- Carry out wound drainage care
- Prepare and provide surgical instrumentation and supplementary items for the surgical team
- Care for a newly born baby when the mother is unable to do so
- Understand Child and Young Person Development
- Provide support to maintain and develop skills for everyday life
- Facilitate learning and development activities to meet individual needs and preferences
- Enable individuals with behavioural difficulties to develop strategies to change their behaviour
- Reprocess endoscopy equipment
- Support individuals with cognition and learning difficulties
- Assist in testing individuals’ abilities prior to planning physical activities
- Support individuals to manage dysphagia
- Provide advice on foot care for individuals with diabetes
- Transport, transfer and position individuals and equipment within the perioperative environment
- Understand Sensory Loss
- Support families who are affected by Acquired Brain Injury
- Support individuals during a period of change
- Perform intravenous cannulation
- Care for individuals with urethral catheters
- Conduct routine maintenance on clinical equipment
- Assist and support individuals to use alternative and augmentative communication systems (AAC)
- Measure and record individuals’ body fluid balance in a perioperative environment
- Support parents/carers to interact with and care for their newborn baby
- Deliver training through demonstration and instruction
- Principles for implementing duty of care in health social care or children’s and young people’s settings
- Promote Child and Young Person Development
- Develop and sustain effective working relationships with staff in other agencies
- Undertake physiological measurements
- Undertake stoma care
- Assure the effective functioning of radiographic image processing equipment
- Operate equipment for intraoperative cell salvage blood collection
- Advise and inform individuals on managing their condition
- Assist others to monitor individuals’ progress in managing dysphagia
- Support carers to meet the care needs of individuals
- Maintain pharmaceutical stock
- Anatomy and Physiology for Maternity Support Workers
- Receive prescriptions from individuals
- Understand how to support individuals with autistic spectrum conditions
- Support Individuals with Specific Communication Needs
- Obtain and test capillary blood samples
- Support individuals at the end of life
- Contribute to effective multidisciplinary team working
- Analyse and present health related data and information
- Remove wound drains
- Develop activities and materials to enable individuals to reach specific communication goals
- Operate equipment for intraoperative cell salvage blood processing and complete intraoperative cell salvage blood process
- Support parents/carers and those in a parental role to care for babies during their first year
- Obtain a client history
- Manage the availability of physical resources to meet service delivery needs in a health setting
- Administer medication to individuals, and monitor the effects
- Undertake an in-process accuracy check of assembled prescribed items prior to the final accuracy check
- Promote equality and inclusion in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings
- Understand the impact of Acquired Brain Injury on individuals
- Support individuals to live at home
- Promote person centred approaches in health and social care
- interact with and support individuals using telecommunications
- Undertake tissue viability risk assessments
- Manufacture equipment or medical devices for individuals within healthcare
- Provide support for individuals with communication and interaction difficulties
- Monitor individuals’ progress in relation to managing their body weight and nutrition
- Assist in implementing treatment programmes for individuals with severely reduced movement/mobility
- Assist in the delivery of perioperative care and support to individuals
- Examine the feet of individuals with diabetes
- Communicate with individuals about promoting their health and wellbeing while working as a Health Trainer
- Understand How to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Children and Young People
- Support Children and Young People’s Health and Safety
- Develop Positive Relationship with Children, Young People and Others Involved in Their Care
- Working Together for the Benefit of Children and Young People
- Understand How to Support Positive Outcomes for Children and Young People
- Assessment and planning with children and young people
- Promote the wellbeing and resilience of children and young people
- Professional practice in children and young people’s social care
- Support individuals to prepare for and settle in to new home environments
- Promote positive behaviour
- Support use of medication in social care settings
- Provide information and advice to children and young people
- Support young people to move towards independence and manage their lives
- Work with children and young people in a residential care setting
- Support positive practice with children and young people with speech, language and communication needs
- Support children or young people in their own home
- Support positive attachments for children and young people
- Support individuals with autistic spectrum conditions
- Prepare, load and operate decontamination equipment
- Carry out sterilisation and product release of reuseable medical devices
- Understand how to monitor the decontamination process
- Monitor and solve customer service problems
- Plan, allocate and monitor work of a team
- Understand Stroke Care Management
- Conduct hearing assessment
- Conduct External Ear Examinations
- Carry out intravenous infusion
- Carry out blood collection from fixed or central lines
- Diabetes Awareness
- Introduction to the role and responsibilities of a Health Trainer
- Establishing and developing relationships with communities while working as a Health Trainer
- Enable individuals to change their behaviour to improve their health and wellbeing while working as a Health Trainer
- Clinical Imaging Support Worker: Anatomy and Terminology
- Clinical Imaging Support Worker: Fundamentals of Care
- Clinical Imaging Support Worker: Radiation Protection and Awareness
- The Use of Contrast Media in Clinical Imaging
- Speech and Language Support for 11-16s: From Theory into Practice
- Speech and Language Support for 5-11s: From Theory into Practice
- Communication Support for 0-25s with Severe and Complex Needs: From Theory into Practice
- Communication and relationships to promote thewellbeing and mental health of older people
Upon completion of the ProQual Level 3 Award in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills, learners will achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Effective Communication: Develop effective communication skills to establish positive and meaningful relationships with individuals receiving care and support. Enhance your ability to listen actively, provide clear information, and communicate empathetically.
- Health and Safety Awareness: Gain a comprehensive understanding of health and safety practices in healthcare and social care settings. Learn to identify potential hazards, promote a safe environment, and adhere to relevant protocols and regulations.
- Equality and Inclusion: Recognize and value the importance of equality and inclusion in healthcare and social care. Understand the diverse needs of individuals and develop strategies to promote equal opportunities, respect diversity, and foster an inclusive environment.
- Safeguarding: Acquire knowledge and skills related to safeguarding individuals in healthcare and social care settings. Learn to recognize signs of abuse, respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, and contribute to creating a safe and secure environment for vulnerable individuals.
- Support with Daily Living: Develop the necessary skills to provide support with daily living activities, such as personal hygiene, nutrition, mobility, and maintaining a comfortable living environment. Understand the importance of promoting independence and dignity while delivering care.
- Professionalism and Ethics: Explore the professional standards and ethical considerations relevant to healthcare and social care support. Learn about confidentiality, respect for privacy, maintaining professional boundaries, and the importance of upholding ethical principles in your practice.
- Person-Centered Approach: Embrace a person-centered approach to care and support. Understand the value of tailoring your approach to meet individual needs, preferences, and aspirations. Promote individual autonomy, choice, and involvement in decision-making.
- Teamwork and Collaboration: Develop teamwork and collaboration skills to effectively work with colleagues, multidisciplinary teams, and other professionals in healthcare and social care settings. Learn to contribute positively to team dynamics, communicate effectively, and foster a collaborative approach to care provision.
- Reflective Practice: Foster a culture of reflective practice to continuously improve your skills and knowledge. Develop the ability to reflect on your own practice, identify areas for improvement, and actively seek opportunities for professional development.
- Awareness of Legal and Ethical Responsibilities: Gain awareness of legal and ethical responsibilities within the healthcare and social care sector. Understand the importance of working within legal frameworks, respecting individuals’ rights, and maintaining confidentiality and data protection. supportive and inclusive work environment.

Inspire Institute of Technologies is Approved Satellite Centre of ProQual

Entry Requirements
- Learners must be 16 years of age or older at the time of registration.
- Applicants should ideally have a Level 2 qualification in Health and Social Care or a related field.
- It is recommended that learners are currently working or volunteering in a healthcare or social care setting
- Learners must have a good command of written and spoken English to complete assignments and assessments
What You Need to Know
This qualification is designed for individuals starting their career in healthcare or social care, as well as support workers and assistants who want to strengthen their skills and knowledge in providing person‑centred care.
The course equips learners with essential skills in communication, safeguarding, equality, and health and safety. It provides a solid foundation for delivering compassionate and effective support in diverse care environments.
- Ofqual‑regulated and widely recognised.
- Builds confidence in delivering person‑centred care.
- Covers practical and theoretical aspects of healthcare and social care.
- Enhances employability and prepares learners for advanced study.
Graduates can pursue roles such as healthcare assistant, support worker, care practitioner, or social care assistant in hospitals, residential homes, and community care settings.
Learners can progress to higher‑level qualifications, such as the ProQual Level 4 Certificate or Level 5 Diplomas in Leadership for Health and Social Care, opening pathways to supervisory and management roles.
Yes. The ProQual Level 3 Award is Ofqual‑regulated, making it recognised across the UK and internationally, which supports career mobility and global opportunities in the care sector.
