Widening participation in education and funding the skills development of the NHS workforce

1. Widening participation in education and funding the skills development of the NHS workforce Susan Procter Associate Dean Pre-Registration and Undergraduate Programmes City University, London Esther Almond Senior Nurse Barts and the London NHS Trust

2. “The NHS and social care sectors spend more than £5 billion annually on training and developing staff. Only a small fraction is targeted at staff working in support roles – the least qualified don’t get the opportunity to participate in learning and development…. It is not acceptable that some of the most dependent people in our communities are cared for by the least well trained.” Our health, Our care, Our say: a new direction for community services January 2006, Cm 6737

3. Key Recommendations Learning for a Change in Healthcare (DoH 2006) • Recommendation 5a – Minimum 'threshold' qualification • Recommendation 5b – Agreement with the Department for Education and Skills and Learning and Skills Council • Recommendation 13c – Progression to Assistant/Associate Practitioner roles • Recommendation 19b – Funding Skills for Life and NVQs • Fryer RH (2006) Learning for a Change in Healthcare. Department of Health http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_063062.pdf

4. Agenda for Change and the Knowledge and Skills framework recommend that: • Band 3 support workers are educated to certificate level • Band 4 support workers are educated to Foundation Degree or Diploma in Higher Education level

5. APEL requirements Cert Health Studies Applications from unregistered health care practitioners are welcomed. Practitioners should be currently employed in the capacity of a health care assistant / support worker and be caring for adult patients within a hospital or PCT setting. Personal qualities are important; candidates should like to help people and have a desire to care. Candidates will be asked to demonstrate that they have the ability to gain from completing the programme of study. Managerial support is required. Candidates will be invited to a selection day. Minimum age of commencement is 18 years, there is no upper age limit.

6. Educational Requirements • Accredited courses for bands 2, 3 and 4 staff (apprenticeships, certificate course/equivalent, FD) to fit in with apprenticeship through to Assistant practitioner roles • Multidisciplinary approach for those working towards band 4 role, also relevant for those working in children's and maternity services, also cross-organisational - primary care element as well as acute • Emphasis on core care skills for those doing Certificate level courses, also some study skills tuition and support • Theoretical and some clinical skills training • Flexible entry criteria, stepping on and off points • Workplace-related assignments

7. Educational Structure • Support for clinical mentors • Modular pattern • Options for part-time study • Regular feedback to Trust • Issues for Trusts when pre-registration nursing studies is graduate course - few will have entry requirements

8. What LLN did • Provided HEFCE funding under an employer progression agreement to fund Band 1-4 NHS support workers to access the Certificate in Health Care and Foundation Degree in Health Sciences • Supported NHS Trusts in London to sign progression agreements to support Band 1-4 NHS support workers to access Certificate and Foundation Degree programmes

9. Challenges • Widening participation in the NHS • Achieving the same academic level • Workbased learning requires significant investment by the NHS and University sector. • Universities need to gear their assessment strategies more closely to the everyday activities of the students working environment • Contract performance management by the NHS and HEFCE to accommodate flexible approaches to educating mature students • Modern apprenticeships • SHA funding for this workforce

10. HEFCE Employer Engagement Funding • Employers should contribute wholly or in part towards the cost of higher education (HE) • HEFCE funding and open access • Financial viability

11. Leitch Review Recommended • that the UK commits to becoming a world leader in skills by 2020, as benchmarked by the upper quartile of the OECD. Achieving this means doubling attainment at most levels, and in many cases achieving far better than that • Improved higher level skills: Change targets and funding to encourage employer / university collaboration, seeking hard edged employer commitments to increase investment in high skills through Sector Skills Agreements. • Increase employer investment in Level 3, 4 and above qualifications in the work place. • Build Basic Platform of Skills: Launch new ‘Pledge’ for employers to commit to train all eligible employees up to Level 2. If the improvement rate is insufficient by 2010, introduce an entitlement to workplace training in consultation with employers and unions. The Leitch Review: a roadmap directing UK towards world class skills by 2020

12. Conclusion • Working together • Funding issues • Universities, FE Colleges and Trusts need to find innovative ways of working together to address these challenges • HEFCE and SHA’s need to work together to create appropriate funding and QA models for this workforce Susan Procter Esther Almond