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Level 3 Wellbeing Coach Programme

Apprenticeship standard: Community Health and Wellbeing (Level 3)

Make a meaningful impact in the workplace and beyond. You will develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to respond to wellbeing needs, champion good mental health and promote positive lifestyle change across your organisation.

Blended learning, combining online activities, videos, self-directed study and live virtual classrooms - hosted on the state-of-the-art b-Hive platform
Support from a workplace training supervisor and dedicated Buttercups tutors - all registered healthcare professionals
Flexible delivery model balancing work and learning - and no need to travel

Apprenticeship overview

Accredited by the Personalised Care Institute (PCI), the Level 3 Wellbeing Coach Programme offers a structured, non-clinical apprenticeship qualification that aligns with the NHS England 10-Year Health Plan's shift towards community-focused, preventative and empowering care.

Suitable for both new and existing staff who promote wellbeing across a range of settings, you will develop the skills and confidence needed to advise and support employees, connecting them with personalised, practical care and useful resources.

Who is the programme for?

This programme is suitable for individuals working as Wellbeing Coaches, as well as those with comparable roles or similar responsibilities. It is ideal for any role which involves behaviour change, lifestyle support, mental health awareness and early intervention, service navigation and signposting. These may include:

  • Employee Wellbeing Practitioner

  • Employee Wellbeing Coordinator

  • Workplace Wellbeing Specialist

  • Mental Health Champion

Learners may be employed in a wide range of settings, including primary care networks (PCNs), NHS trusts, corporate organisations and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs).

How this apprenticeship is delivered

We offer blended learning, combining online activities, videos, self‑directed study and live virtual classrooms. Online learning is hosted on the Buttercups b-Hive platform.

Apprenticeship information

Duration
15 months in total, which includes 12 months of training delivery, followed by a 3-month window to complete an end-point assessment (EPA) which is delivered by an external organisation
Start Dates
Monthly
Application deadline
6 weeks before start date
Study modes
Blended learning (online activities, videos, self‑directed study and live virtual classrooms via the b‑Hive)
Cost
£7,000levy funded
Freefor Learners
95% government funded for non-levy payers.

Apprenticeship standard

Community Health and Wellbeing (Level 3)

Course structure

Unit 1

Introduction to the Community Health and Wellbeing Worker Apprenticeship

Provides a foundation for learners beginning the Community Health and Wellbeing Worker apprenticeship standard.

  • The purpose of the programme

  • Structure of learning

  • Expectations throughout their journey

  • Roles and responsibilities

  • Teaching and learning methods

  • Effective use of the e-portfolio to evidence progress

By the end of the unit, learners will understand how to navigate the programme and identify their next steps to get started confidently.

Unit 2

Working with the Public

This unit focuses on safe, ethical and effective practice when working directly with the public.

  • Understanding of confidentiality and consent

  • Responsibilities for protecting individuals and communities

  • Effective ways of working with communities, recognising diversity, promoting inclusion and supporting community engagement

By the end of the unit, learners will understand how to balance professional responsibilities with respectful, person-centred practice when supporting individuals and communities.

Unit 3

Health Promotion and Personalised Care

This unit focuses on developing communication and practical skills to promote good health and wellbeing.

  • Effective communication approaches to support engagement

  • Strategies for promoting positive health behaviours

  • How to access, use and share appropriate information and resources

  • Personalised and person-centred approaches to care

  • The role of volunteers in supporting community health and wellbeing initiatives

This unit consolidates knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to effective health promotion practice.

Unit 4

The Role of the Community Health and Wellbeing Worker

Introduces learners to the responsibilities and professional expectations of the role.

  • The role in practice

  • Professional standards, personal conduct and ethical practice

  • Working safely within role boundaries

  • Managing caseloads

  • Recognising risk and escalating concerns

  • Introduction to public services

  • Personalised care, evidence-based practice, Making Every Contact Count (MECC), service navigation and signposting

By the end of the unit, learners will have a clear understanding of their role within the wider health and care system.

Unit 5

Determinants of Health

This unit develops learners’ understanding of health and wellbeing and factors that influence health outcomes.

  • Defining health and wellbeing

  • Examining health inequalities and analysing the underlying causes

  • Methods for measuring population health and monitoring health at local and individual levels

  • Barriers to health

By the end of this unit, learners will be able to understand and consider how determinants of health influence their role in improving health and wellbeing and reducing inequalities.

Unit 6

Promoting and Supporting Change

This unit develops learners’ understanding of how to support individuals making positive and sustainable changes to their health and wellbeing.

  • How behaviour change can be enabled and supported

  • Key theories and models of behaviour change

  • Practical tools and techniques

  • Delivering effective, person-centred consultations

  • The role of social prescribing in connecting individuals to appropriate community-based support

By the end of the unit, learners will be equipped to apply behaviour change principles confidently and appropriately.

Unit 7

Working with Communities

This unit focuses on working effectively with communities to identify and respond to individual and community needs.

  • Definitions of communities and how different structures, assets and networks influence health and wellbeing

  • The role of social prescribing and community-based approaches

  • Communicating information and engaging communities in a clear, inclusive and accessible way

By the end of the unit, learners will understand how to work collaboratively with communities to support health improvement and reduce inequalities.

Unit 8

Preparing for Gateway

This unit supports learners in preparing for Gateway and the End Point Assessment (EPA).

  • Learner responsibilities, the assessment process and how to prepare effectively

  • Requirements for Gateway, including readiness checks and evidence submission

  • Structure and purpose of the EPA, outlining what to expect and how performance will be assessed

By the end of the unit, learners will feel confident and informed about the steps required to successfully complete Gateway and demonstrate competence against the apprenticeship standard.

Unit 9

Service Development

This unit introduces the principles and practice of developing, delivering and evaluating health and wellbeing services.

  • How services are commissioned, designed and implemented to meet community needs

  • Service delivery models, monitoring quality and outcomes

  • Importance of evaluation and audit in demonstrating impact and driving improvement

By the end of the unit, learners will understand how health and wellbeing initiatives are planned, delivered and reviewed to ensure they are effective, sustainable and responsive to local needs.

Entry requirements

For learners

To join this apprenticeship, you must meet the eligibility criteria set out by the apprenticeship standard and Buttercups Training. These requirements ensure that you have the appropriate professional registration, workplace context and foundational knowledge needed to successfully complete the programme.

Learners must:

  • Be working as a Wellbeing Coach or in a comparable role

  • Be aged 16 or over

  • Be employed for at least 21 hours per week with capacity to complete off-the-job training, including online tutorials and workshops

  • Complete a declaration of good character or health

English & maths
Learners will undertake a screening assessment to confirm whether their current level of maths and English meets the following minimum education requirements:

  • English: GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent evidence

  • Maths: GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent evidence

Where these standards for maths and English cannot be evidenced and demonstrated, maths and English training and learning will be included on the learner's training plan. This training could include Functional Skills in maths and English courses or Access courses as required.


Employer responsibilities

Employers must meet specific criteria to support an apprentice on this programme. These requirements ensure that the learner has access to the appropriate supervision, clinical environment and protected training time needed to fulfil apprenticeship and government standards.

Employers must:

  • Have a workplace in England

  • Provide a suitable senior colleague working alongside and available to the apprentice to oversee and support the apprentice's training

  • Provide off-the-job (OTJ) training during the apprentice's normal paid working hours:

    • This will be approximately 350 hours over the apprenticeship which is the equivalent to 6-7 hours a week

    • Additional time must be given if the learner needs to undertake additional maths or English training, such as Functional Skills

  • Provide a workplace environment that allows the learner to:

    • Have regular client-facing experience (in person) during the programme

    • Have unrestricted access to freely available online sources of health data and health promotion information

    • Communicate freely with external organisations, including but not limited to the NHS and other health and wellbeing services, charities, community groups and local authorities

    • Work alongside other health and care professionals and have the opportunity to collaborate with peers

Formative assessments, including online activities and e-portfolio submissions
24/7 access to programme materials
Functional Skills included in the programme - develop your maths and English with a tailored training plan
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How to apply

To apply for this programme, please follow the link below.,

Get in touch