The HDA aims to equip support workers with the skills, techniques, tools, and knowledge to improve their personal confidence and capability, unlock leadership skills, enhance functional and digital skills, and improve the experiences and outcomes of patients, service users and families.
Working with NHS England, the new, relevant and applicable qualification will boost the adult care sector under the Higher Development Award umbrella. This qualifications is well recognised within the NHS and beyond as it is part of City & Guilds, the foremost provider of management qualifications in the UK.
Courses starting in January and April 2026
For those who are looking to develop their skills to the next steps in their careers, aspirational team leaders, mentors and coaches or those in a supervisory position, this course is a starting point for your journey to becoming the manager and leader you want to be. This qualification is a Vocationally Related Qualification (VRQ) that is aimed at a new or aspiring team leaders to support the development of knowledge and skills in leading teams. By undertaking this qualification, you will be developing your skills in leading a team, achieving team and organisational objectives, and contributing to planning problem solving and decision making. You also have the option of completing your Functional Skills qualification alongside this course.
Email K.Nicholson@lmc.ac.uk for more information or complete the enquiry form below
Our third Higher Development Award cohort have just finished and we are busy getting ready to greet our fourth!
The Higher Development Award is designed to support those working alongside the NHS in and around Lancaster and Morecambe. It offers full funded opportunities to upskill clinical and non-clinical support staff, helping build confidence, leadership, and professional capability. The programme is suitable for people at all stages of their careers.
In my role as a course tutor I’m responsible for ensuring that my students develop in many areas, and not just Hairdressing. I like to encourage my students to improve their well-being as well as support them with their personal development and learning journey, to gain the knowledge to be successful within their course to achieve the qualifications they need to progress in the industry.
I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience of animals with students and seeing a learners journey as they make progress. The best part of teaching the course would definitely be the experience we offer learners, it's a unique and hands on way of developing their knowledge of working with animals.
My role is to work alongside the tutors and students to ensure the work placements are secured, completed and recorded in line with procedural requirements. This is a simple description, as there is a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure this happens! I see good communication, administration, attention to detail and patience as key attributes of the role.
Be prepared to work hard and be challenged. The more you put in, the more you will get out of the course. It's a rewarding experience as you can clearly see your skills develop. There is also a great demand for skilled plasterers and the potential for good earnings, so why not give it a go?
The course gives people experiences of business in many forms which can be used in a huge variety of possible future careers – past students have gone on to work in sectors as diverse as fashion, charities, social media, nuclear energy, defence manufacturing and the public sector.
I would say come to College, study Beauty Therapy, be pampered, pamper clients, but be prepared to work hard for the qualifications to get far in the industry. It's a very rewarding career to go into, putting smiles on clients faces and giving them a new found confidence.
The vocational skills development we offer at College are exceptional. The partners we work with are excellent and will help the students to develop further, as well as the opportunities we provide such as the Alicante trip are amazing, and you would struggle to find another college or sixth form that offers similar opportunities.
We have a very knowledgeable and dedicated team from different areas of the animal industry. We offer a range of courses in Animal Studies at different levels to cater for a wide range of students. Practically, you will work with a range of animals on site, spend time in our laboratories and hone your skills further during independent work-related experience. Working with animals can be a fun and rewarding career but it does involve hard graft and dedication!
Industry specific apprenticeships are a great way to learn new skills and knowledge, achieve a recognised qualification and earn a wage. Customer service is the corner stone of every successful business, and courses at LMC will help you identify, improve and introduce these skills successfully.
I love working with such keen and dedicated staff and students. I also like how every day is different because we attract such a wide range of students including year 11 from local high schools aged 16-18 who apply to the full time courses, to adult students who attend the part time courses. It’s nice to work with so many people from all different backgrounds and cultures who share a passion for cooking.
Teaching is my favourite part of the role, I love being able to help people reach that lightbulb moment in class! I also enjoy being able to inspire the next generation of Residential workers.
I really enjoy being part of the LMC Beauty Team and working within the department. Watching my students grow and develop their ideas and skillsets week on week is a really exciting part of my role, particularly when I can see them challenging themselves to get creative and try out new and different ideas.
My favourite part of my role is being able to recall my industry knowledge and then passing it onto my students. The knowledge I have from working in the industry gives the students a better understanding of real life situations and how to transfer their skills into future careers.
If you are interested in finding out more about how children learn and how we best support them, are considering a career in education, child psychology or social work put LMC at the top of your list! We have excellent industry links for placement experience and combined with our experienced and highly qualified lecturers, we can give you a real edge in the world of work or applying for university.
My favourite part of working at Lancaster & Morecambe college is watching students progress and supporting them with their learning. I also love knowing they are learning within a hairdressing environment and being able to see them develop their skills and knowledge in hairdressing.












