The ePortfolio guide outlines the steps and processes for the ePortfolio (supported) route through the Centre for Advancing Practice. Please note that this guidance is subject to updates and revisions.

Funding and Completion Time

The ePortfolio (Supported) Route is funded by the Workforce, Training, and Education Directorate of NHS England. While it is free for eligible applicants, the programme must be completed within 12 months of the applicant’s final Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) meeting.

Applicants who withdraw or fail to complete the programme will not be eligible for additional funding. Any withdrawal must be formally agreed upon with the applicant’s Advanced Practice or Training Hub Lead and their educational supervisor.

Expectations

Applicants:

• Completion of Route – applicants are required to complete the route within 12 months of their final LNA meeting. Applicants cannot be deferred to later cohorts once allocated to an education provider.
• Completion of Learning Needs Analysis – Applicants are expected to complete their LNA within three months of being allocated their education provider.
• Mitigating circumstances – these should be discussed with the educational supervisor immediately. An extension to the submission date is at the discretion of the education provider and the mitigating circumstances process should be followed.
• Participation with the Route – applicants are expected to engage regularly with their educational supervisors and the portal. Education providers reserve the right to withdraw applicants from the route due to lack of engagement (employers will be notified).
• Submission within agreed deadline – If applicants fail to submit by the agreed deadline, then their ePortfolio will time out, no further submissions or applications can be made.
• Withdrawal from the route – if withdrawing applicants must provide employer support, from their Advanced Practice/ Training Hub Lead or equivalent and discuss the matter with their educational supervisor.

 Education providers:

• Registration as students – all applicants must be registered as students with the education provider. This might be done through registration on a non-credit bearing module. Registration must allow students to have access to student support services at the education provider’s institution, such as library services and student wellbeing services.
• Allocation to an educational supervisor – each applicant must be allocated to an educational supervisor throughout the course of the route.
• Reallocation / replacement educational supervisors – If an educational supervisor takes an unexpected leave of absence, such as long-term illness, or leaves employment, their applicants should usually be allocated to a new supervisor within two weeks and receive a communication regarding this.
• Communication – education providers should usually respond to applicants within five working days.
• Contact with applicants – educational supervisors should have regular engagement with applicants.
• Completion of the Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) – education providers should arrange first LNA meeting within 1 month of allocation. Education providers should ensure applicants have completed their LNA within three months.
• ePortfolio submission deadline – education providers must monitor applicant progress against their submission deadline, this is 12 months from the date of the final Learning Needs Analysis meeting (pending mitigating circumstances). Please note that if applicants fail to submit their ePortfolio by the specified deadline, the system will automatically time out, and no further submissions will be permitted.
• Providing feedback on the ePortfolio – educational supervisors can offer feedback about of evidence, if time permits. The submission deadline will not be delayed for feedback to be provided or actioned.
• Internal verification process – on submission of an ePortfolio, education providers should complete their internal verification process and submit to the Centre’s verification form within four weeks.

Centre for Advancing Practice:

The Centre:

• will provide support materials in the form of guidance materials and webinars for applicants and education providers.
• will undertake quality and standardisation panels at regular intervals during the year, as per the Quality and Standardisation process
• is a point of contact for appeals, informal and formal complaints which cannot be resolved between the applicant and the education provider.
• will respond to enquiries within 5-10 working days.

Step by step portal guidance

Centre for Advancing Practice Portal