What is Health Services Support (HSS)?
About HSS Course
The healthcare system is a complex network, and keeping it running smoothly requires a dedicated team behind the scenes. This is where Health Services Support (HSS) professionals come in.
Students taking HSS course go through the same training as caregivers / patient attendants / health care assistants / nurse aides.
Health Services Support (HSS) is offered in two levels:
- Level 4 – Which is designed for students who scored a D- (D minus) in their KCSE. This program takes 4 months coursework, and 2 months of attachment.
- Level 5 – Which is intended for students who scored D plain and above in their KCSE. This program takes 6 months coursework and 3 months of attachment.
As a TVET program, students are expected to sit for their TVET CDACC exams after completion of their studies.
Students who have successfully completed level 4 can advance to level 5. Subsequently, students who have successfully completed their level 5 in HSS can apply for a Healthcare Support Assistant License from the Kenya Health Professionals Oversight Authority (KHPOA). This will be advantageous to you when applying for work in government/county facilities.
What will you be doing?
A Level 5 Certificate in Health Services Support (HSS) consists of competencies that you require to provide services in the hospital departments, as well as provide services to patients in healthcare facilities, hospices and private homes.
It involves:
- Providing First Aid Services
- Applying medical-legal ethics
- Demonstrating knowledge of common diseases**
- Demonstrating knowledge of organization of health facilities
- Applying medical terminologies**
- Participating in infection prevention and control
- Performing hospital housekeeping procedures
- Performing outpatient and inpatient supportive services**
- Performing mortuary techniques**
- Supporting hospital store procedures
- Supporting hospital catering services**
- Supporting hospital store procedures.
Please Note that the units marked with ** are not offered in level 4 of HSS.
Course Details
Qualification for Health Services Support
An individual enrolling for Health Services Support (HSS) course should have any of the following minimum requirements:
- Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) mean grade D- (D minus)
Duration
The total duration of HSS is from 6 months to 1 year, which includes coursework, clinical rotation, and Industrial Attachment.
- HSS Level 4 takes 6 months (4 months coursework and 2 months attachment)
- HSS level 5 takes 1 year (6 months coursework and 3 months attachment).
Examinations
There will be:
- Continuous internal assessments coordinated by BCTI
- External Competence assessment at completion of course coordinated by TVET CDACC
Industrial Attachment
You must undergo an industrial attachment for a period of 2 – 3 months in a recognized healthcare facility.
Certification
A candidate will be issued with a Certificate of Competency for each core unit of competency.
To attain the National certificate for Health Services Support Level 4 or 5, the candidate must demonstrate competence in all the units of competency as given in
qualification pack.
TVET CDACC will issue these certificates in conjunction with Beta Care Training Institute.
License
Students who have successfully completed their HSS level 5 training and passed their TVET CDACC exams are eligible for licensing as Health Care Support Assistants with KHPOA (Kenya Health Professionals Oversight Authority).
This will attract a fee of 10,000 KShs. And the License must be renewed annually at a cost of 5k.
Application Fees
Your application will not be processed before the payment is received.
The 1,000/- registration fee should be paid through Direct Deposit to:
- Bank: Co-operative Bank
- Branch: Githunguri
- Account name: Beta Care Training Institute
- Account no: 1192538722900
You can also pay via Lipa na M-Pesa; Paybill
- Business number: 400222
- Account number: 7229#ID No