Professional Training for the Antenatal and Postnatal Sector
Professional Training for the Antenatal and Postnatal Sector
Choosing a route into professional practice
Training routes in the UK vary according to the profession, course provider and type of award. Understanding who validates a course and what it leads to is essential before you enrol.
Understanding Training Routes
People may enter work in the antenatal and postnatal sector through statutory professional qualifications, FEDANT accredited courses, or qualifications and training offered by funded, charitable or other providers.
The route taken affects how the award is assessed for admission to the FEDANT National Register. The three principal types of provider are explained below.
Route One
Independent and Private Education Providers
FEDANT accredits courses across multiple areas of antenatal, postnatal and related professional practice, providing students and graduates with clearly identified education routes towards professional registration.
FEDANT established the National Course Accreditation and Verification (NCAV) and National Relative Sector Award (NRSA) accreditation processes in 2006. Through these established processes, each course submitted for accreditation is reviewed against the applicable educational requirements, agreed parameters and core professional elements.
An eligible Relative Sector Award may provide an established route towards Relative Sector Registration where the qualification relates directly to pregnancy, birth, the postnatal period, infancy or early parenthood and the applicant satisfies FEDANT’s other admission requirements.
Where relevant, FEDANT accredited courses are mapped against applicable National Occupational Standards and considered alongside current professional guidance, including the NICE QS22 Quality Standard for Antenatal Care.
Graduates of a current FEDANT accredited entry course are considered to have met the educational and safety requirements for the corresponding category of the FEDANT National Register, subject to satisfying all other admission requirements. This provides graduates with a clear and recognised route from accredited education into professional registration.
Course Accreditation Information
FEDANT maintains a public directory of education and service providers holding current course or service accreditation. Every course or service identified as currently accredited has completed the applicable FEDANT accreditation process and is subject to the relevant approval and review requirements.
Prospective students can use the published information to identify accredited education routes and consider the course content, qualification, assessment arrangements and intended professional pathway.
Annual review: Each FEDANT accredited course is subject to annual review to confirm that the approved course continues to operate within the required parameters.
Route Two
Statutory Profession Entry Awards
These are profession specific academic awards leading to entry into a profession regulated by statute, such as midwifery or medicine.
Some regulated professionals may provide antenatal education within their lawful scope of practice, professional competence and employment arrangements. In some cases, the work may be connected to a particular setting, such as NHS maternity services.
These awards are externally quality assured, and the standards for education, training and professional registration are set by the relevant statutory regulator.
Route Three
Funded and Charitable Providers
Training and awards are offered through a range of organisations. Applicants wishing to join the FEDANT National Register should provide the full qualification and education provider details requested in the application.
What to Check Before Enrolling
Course Accreditation
Confirm that the course title appears on FEDANT’s current accredited provider list.
Provider/Course Number
Ask for the applicable FEDANT Education Provider/Course Number and verify it against the published entry.
Register Category
Check which FEDANT National Register category the qualification supports. Approval in one category does not imply approval in another.
Your Cohort
Confirm that accreditation applies to your course version, intake and study dates.
Assessment and Practice
Understand the course level, assessment requirements, practical experience and any supervised practice included.
Full Costs and Terms
Review tuition fees, additional costs, cancellation terms, expected study time and progression arrangements.
Course Accreditation and Personal Registration Are Different
Completing a FEDANT accredited course does not itself make a graduate FEDANT registered. After qualifying, the individual must apply for admission to the FEDANT National Register and meet the registration requirements that apply at the time of application.
Registration is personal to the registrant and is limited to the exact category or categories shown on their National Register entry.
Considering Professional Registration?
Review the registration categories and application requirements. When applying, provide the full details of your qualification or award and the requested supporting evidence.