Our Projects and Workstreams
Index of our projects and workstreams
Contact us via alliance.hub1@nhs.net to find out more about any of our projects. To help us navigate your query to the appropriate project lead, please state the project title in the subject line.
System Wide Advanced Practice Development
Duration of workstream: June 2021 - March 2025
Workforce transformation programmes in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System (ICS) continue to result in the growth and development of Advanced Practice (AP) roles. In promoting a system wide standardised AP governance structure we are improving access to AP training and funding, more accurate AP workforce data, and improved public and colleague understanding surrounding AP nomenclature, definition, educational preparation, role development and governance.
The System Wide AP workstream still has work to focus on, particularly surrounding the standardising of AP across the ICS and in encapsulating the ICS's 'one workforce' initiative.
Examples of current work in progress include continuing to support the adoption of the NHSE AP Governance Maturity Matrix for AP individuals and teams, rolling out bi-annual radiology requesting training for APs in Primary Care, and an e-Portfolio for Nottinghamshire Primary and Community Care APs to support their advanced practice competency/capability curriculums.
Apprenticeships
Duration of workstream: Ongoing
There is so much more to apprenticeships than you might think. They are for anyone, at any age, and another route into employment with their own benefits. This includes gaining more hands-on practical experience than you would with a university degree alone. It is great for people who love to learn and get stuck in!
We can help support you to find the right courses for you and your staff. We will work with you to screen relevant providers. We can help secure funding for any apprenticeships you require, and we will support you with paperwork and processes as required.
ARRS Ambassadors
Duration of project: July 2023 - September 2024
PCNs across the county are actively engaged in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) which helps fund 16 new roles into Primary Care. There are some challenges around recruitment and retention as these roles become embedded. Some ARRS staff are feeling isolated and struggling with the transition into Primary Care / Primary Care Network (PCN) working, and some roles are still misunderstood by Practice teams.
The ARRS Ambassadors Project aims to address these challenges in recruitment and retention; support, develop and connect the ARRS workforce; and engage with stakeholders across the ICS to improve understanding and utilisation of these roles. They will represent the voice of ARRS roles, their needs and suggest solutions to enhance the integration of a Primary Care multi-professional team.
Developing Mental Health Capability in Primary Care
Duration of project: October 2020 onwards
This project has several important deliverables including redesigning the work of the primary care healthcare team based on the creation of a new healthcare model. This is similar to the approach of long-term condition management within the physical health care setting. This group has achieved:
A review of primary care roles
Creation of a new pathway
Unpacking the primary care team into its constituent roles and using the new pathway to identify role-specific training
Helping to create multi-disciplinary teams
Improvements include a tool kit for use at practice and/or PCN level and piloting University level training modules.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Project lead: Errum Mumtaz
Duration of workstream: Ongoing
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is the golden thread that must run through all our activity. Our priority is to ensure Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s Primary, Community and Social Care teams have a solid understanding of what EDI means, and support them to build an inclusive, positive culture where everyone can bring their whole selves to work.
Being an inclusive organisation with diverse representation at all levels of our team is important to us. We recognise diversity helps us attain a rich pool of skills, mind sets and experiences which leads to resourcefulness, greater resilience and innovation.
GP Assistant Spread and Adoption across the Midlands
Duration of project: April 2019 – March 2023 (Cohort 3 running from April 2022 – March 2023)
A framework for upskilling our own practice staff into the GP Assistant (GPA) role. This uses an accredited competency framework which is certified by Chester University. The role is a mixed clinical/administrative role to support clinicians, reduce administrative burden and add flexibility to our Primary Care workforce. No prior training or qualifications is required. GP Assistants have come from a range of different (clinical and administrative) backgrounds such as receptionists, administrators and Healthcare Assistants (HCAs).
We have 60 places across the Midlands Region in 2022. For more information, contact david.peachey@nhs.net.
General Practice Nurse (GPN) Workforce Plan
Duration of project: Ongoing
Every year we have a General Practice Nurse (GPN) Workforce Plan that creates the framework for all the work we undertake to support the GPN workforce across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We have 5 pillars of focus; Recruitment, Retention, Reform, CPD and Leadership, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
We have a variety of projects linked to the Workforce Plan that are focused around stages of a nurse career. This is from student nurses, new to practice, mid-career and late career practice nurses. The projects will have a focus around wellbeing of staff, professional development, supporting our nursing colleagues reach their full potential in areas of interest and areas to support clinical practice, and support improvement of local patient population health needs.
Multi-Professional Support Unit (MPSU)
Duration of project: April 2021 onwards
The Multi-Professional Support Unit (MPSU) was created to provide support and development opportunities to meet the training needs of the currently expanding primary care workforce within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. This includes:
Monthly Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities aimed at the wider primary care team
Clinical supervision training and virtual drop-in support meetings
New appraiser training and virtual drop-in support meetings
‘New to Practice’ networking and training
Foundation training opportunities in management / leadership skills for the primary care team
Bi-monthly information bulletins
Student Placements
Duration of workstream: Ongoing
We find suitable placement opportunities for students who want to gain experience in, or are seeking a career in Primary and Community Care. Placements form a valuable part of their learning experience. It enables students to gain real life skills and knowledge that will support their course objectives and career development. Placements vary in length depending on individual course requirements.
We would like to encourage all Practices in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire to consider offering a student placement. We feel the local area offers excellent examples of Primary and Community Care provision. By offering a placement, it encourages students to remain in the county after graduation. This in turn supports local workforce planning. We can help facilitate placements.
Placement Learning Environments
Duration of workstream: March 2023 - onwards
With the increasing workforce in primary care, there is a need to increase the number of educators and learning environments. This will also allow the learners to have an exposure and experience of primary care. The Workforce, Training and Education Directorate (WT&E) in NHS England hold the strategic responsibility for the quality assurance of educators and clinical learning environments. These processes will be held by the Training Hubs (TH) with the support of stake holders.
Each TH in Midlands has appointed a Multi-Professional Educator Quality Lead (MPEQL) to facilitate and support this process. (Dr. Saira Jawaid for NATH). The local process follows the multi-professional principles of the HEE quality framework. The scope of this process includes the approval and on-going recognition of learning environments in primary care, responsible for hosting undergraduate medical students, foundation doctors, postgraduate GP specialist trainees, undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students, pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs).
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