Assessment Reform in Apprenticeships: What Health and Social Care Employers Need to Know

By Angela Kaine, Director of Health and Social Care, Realise

Over the past week, there has been increasing discussion around apprenticeship assessment reform. With so many competing priorities for employers right now, it’s understandable that the scale of these changes may not yet be fully visible.

For employers leading learning and development within health and social care, this is not a minor adjustment. Coupled with upcoming changes due with the growth and skills levy, this is one of the most substantial reforms we have seen since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2016.

At Realise, we want to ensure our partners are informed, prepared, and confident about what comes next.

What is changing?

The Department for Education is reforming how apprenticeship assessments are carried out.

End Point Assessment (EPA) is expected to be gradually phased out and replaced with on-programme assessment.

This means that instead of a final, separate assessment at the end of an apprenticeship, assessment will be embedded throughout the learning journey.

The transition will be phased, with EPA expected to disappear by the end of next year. For Health and Social Care, we are already starting to see this happen now.

Why is this happening?

The Department for Education has been reviewing the effectiveness of End Point Assessment, where key considerations have included:

• - Is EPA proportionate to the occupational level?
• - Does it create unnecessary cost or administrative burden?
• - Does it delay completion?
• - Is it too disconnected from the training delivered throughout the programme?

A consistent theme has been alignment. The reform aims to bring training and assessment closer together, reducing the “cliff edge” effect where learners move from training into a separate, high-stakes final assessment.

The core principles driving the reform are:

• - Assessment should be proportionate
• - Training and assessment should be aligned
• - Quality and consistency should be maintained throughout
• - Unnecessary cost and delay should be reduced
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How long has this been in motion?

Although this feels sudden for some, the reform has been developing over time.

Draft assessment plans have been developed and trialled across selected standards over the last year, acting as a structural trial to test what assessment plans could look like without End Point Assessment.

This work has been part of informing a wider policy shift.

The Institute for Apprenticeships transitioned into Skills England, now the national skills body responsible for standards and assessment plans. A new policy direction was set: End Point Assessment would be phased out and replaced with integrated, on-programme assessment.

What does this mean for Health and Social Care standards?

While full detail varies by standard, here is what we know at present:

Level 2 Adult Care Worker

This standard has already been part of the reform development process. The direction of travel is clear: assessment will move on-programme.

Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker

Currently in revision. We anticipate the new Level 3 Diploma that comes into effect from 1^st April will become the regulated qualification likely to form part of the assessment method.

Level 4 Lead Practitioner in Adult Care

Currently in revision. We anticipate the Level 4 Diploma will continue as the regulated qualification and likely form the assessment method.

Level 5 Leader in Adult Care

Also under revision. Again, the expectation is that the Level 5 Diploma that comes into effect from 1^st April will remain central to assessment.

We are currently working on the basis that further updates will be released in the coming weeks, though we are monitoring developments closely.

Level 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker

This standard is not currently listed for revision. No immediate changes are expected in the coming months, although it may be reviewed in a later phase.

What does this mean for employers?

For organisations running learning and development internally, these reforms have strategic implications.

You will need to consider:

• - How assessment is integrated into workforce planning
• - How learner progress is monitored and evidenced throughout the programme
• - How qualifications and diplomas align with service needs
• - How changes may impact completion timelines and funding profiles

The shift removes a single end-point gateway moment and replaces it with a more continuous model of competence confirmation. Done well, this could strengthen alignment between day-to-day practice and qualification outcomes.

But it also requires clarity, planning and provider expertise.

How Realise is supporting employers

At Realise, we have been actively tracking assessment reform developments from the outset.

We are:

• - Reviewing standards as updates are released
• - Mapping potential changes to delivery models
• - Preparing trainers and quality teams for on-programme assessment models
• - Monitoring Skills England announcements and policy updates
• - Advising partners on potential L&D implications

Our focus remains the same: ensuring quality, consistency and compliance while minimising disruption for employers and learners.

These reforms are significant. They will reshape how apprenticeships are assessed across sectors.

But they are not unexpected. And they are not unmanageable.

Realise is ready, informed and prepared to guide partners through the transition.

If you would like to discuss how assessment reform may impact your organisation’s apprenticeship strategy, please contact us.