Please use england.acpenquiries.se@nhs.net for all enquiries relating to advanced practice.

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Answer: Advanced Practice (AP) is delivered by experienced, registered health care practitioners. It is a level of practice characterised by a high degree of autonomy and complex decision making. This is underpinned by a master’s level award or equivalent that encompasses the four pillars of clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research, with demonstration of area specific clinical competence. Advanced practitioners come from a range of professional backgrounds such as Nursing, Pharmacy and Allied Health Professionals. The Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England (2017) provides a clear and consistent approach to the development of advanced practice across England.

Answer: For successful delivery of high-quality services that are focused on meeting person and population need, it is important that a structured workforce planning process is used to identify where advanced practice will have the greatest impact in a person’s journey through health and care pathways, and the types of advanced practice roles that may exist or need to be developed.

The advanced practice workforce should be developed and deployed in a way which meets population, and therefore service, demand.

Many Workforce Planning and Modelling Tools exist, which will support you to understand the needs of your population and how to build a workforce that meets these needs. It may be helpful depending on your focus to have commissioners, HR, finance, management, and clinicians to contribute to these discussions.

The NHS England Star tool supports workforce transformation, helping providers understand their workforce requirements and providing a range of potential solutions.

Answer: The Advanced Practice Lead in your organisation should be aware of staff currently working in advanced practice roles, be able to help managers understand the need for these roles and how they may transform services. In order to establish advanced practice roles, you will need to articulate the business case for this investment, in collaboration with your AP Lead, to take into account population and system need. Job descriptions should be mapped to the Multi-Professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England (2017) and job plans should support the four pillars of advanced practice. The Centre for Advancing Practice webpage has further resources to support you with the development of advanced practice. Further resources can be found on our regional website under our tools and resources page.

Answer: Trainees are required to attend university teaching days, practise clinical skills in their workplace and complete work-place based assessments of competencies. They will also need time to meet their supervisor regularly to plan their individual educational needs and monitor their progress. The requirements of supervisors are explained in more detail in the Workplace Supervision for Advanced Clinical Practice document and NHS England supervision resources. It is expected that each trainee will dedicate many hours to independent study to become successful in achieving the qualification. The notional number of hours of study and teaching expected is approximately 100 hours per 10 academic credits (which includes both contact hours and independent study hours) however, the actual time spent may be more, or less, dependent on individual learners. It is therefore important for trainees to have sufficient work-based learning time to develop their advanced skills.

Answer: For trainees on the apprenticeship programme, the apprentice will have off the job learning of a minimum of 6 hours per week, irrespective of the number of hours worked per week. Apprentices MUST be employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week. The Gov.UK apprenticeship funding rules can be found in more detail here. For trainees on the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme, employers are expected to provide the trainee with sufficient study leave and protected time for work-based learning per week. The HEI (Higher Education Institute) programme lead will provide information on the total amount of study days required.

Answer: If a student already has the NMP qualification or doesn’t need it the training provider is likely to provide a choice of module(s) that the student can undertake instead and agree this with their employer

Answer: Good supervision is a key factor for successful completion of training. Trainees who are not well supervised can struggle and some have dropped out.

Each trainee advanced practitioner requires a named Co-ordinating Educational Supervisor who has completed training in multi-professional supervision and is familiar with the requirements of advanced practice. Supervisors must be willing and have protected time (in their job plan) to support the trainee. Trainees will need time to meet their supervisor regularly to plan their individual educational needs and monitor their progress. The requirements of supervisors are explained in more detail in the Workplace Supervision for Advanced Clinical Practice document, Advanced practice workplace supervision – Minimum standards for supervision document and NHS England supervision resources.

Answer: Supervision is an essential element of training to be an advanced practitioner.

If you have been asked to supervise a trainee advanced practitioner, it is important to ensure you have the experience, knowledge, and expertise to provide good quality supervision. There are tools that can help you decide if you are ready to supervise your trainee or if you need further training to be able to undertake this role. The NHS England Supervisor Readiness Checklist can help you self-assess your readiness to supervise a trainee advanced practitioner.

There is also guidance on the minimum expected requirements of supervision in the NHS England Advanced practice workplace supervision, Minimum standards for Supervision document.

Answer: NHS England will scope your intention to access the MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice in May/June each year as part of the annual investment planning process called the Multi-Professional Education and Training Investment Plan (METIP).

We will ask for you to submit detail of your intention/forward planning to support ongoing discussions across advancing practice, nursing, allied health professions, pharmacy, transformation and workforce planning and intelligence teams, Integrated Care Board (ICB) systems and Higher Education Institute (HEI) partners. This helps inform the funding allocation, dependent on HEI capacity.

Funding requests are required to align with and support overarching ICB and organisational workforce plans. It is expected that where individuals are receiving funding to complete an ACP MSc programme of study, they will be enabled to function at advanced level as per the NHS England Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England (2017). The funding window will open in March 2024 when the number of commissions you requested in May/June 2023 should align with your applications for funding.

Answer: NHS England is supporting the development of advanced practice roles in 24/25 by offering a package of funding and support for advanced practice trainees. There are four potential options and employers are invited to put forward requests for funding, subject to NHS England budget constraints, under one of the following offers available.

1. ACP MSc – Funding for tuition fees for a period of three years for an Advanced Clinical Practice MSc. NHS England will pay the full tuition costs plus an education grant. The education grant is approximately £6000 per annum, per individual, paid directly to the employer. £2,600 of the education grant must be made available at service level to directly support the supervision of the trainee. Some HEIs may offer an option to complete the ACP MSc over 3.5 years. NHS England will only offer funding for 3 years. Any additional funding for longer programmes must be funded by the employer.
2. ACP Apprenticeship – Funding for a national Level 7 Advanced Clinical Practice Apprenticeship programme that has a typical length of 36 months is paid via the apprenticeship levy. NHS England will provide a supervision fee of £2,600 per annum, per individual paid directly to the employer. This must be made available at service level to directly support the supervision of the trainee.
3. ACP Top Up Modules – Part Qualified Staff – There is the possibility Overview of funding of funding those who have completed a PgDip in advanced clinical practice (not any other PgDip), to undertake the additional modules to achieve the full MSc mapped to the multi-professional framework. NHS England will fund tuition costs directly to the HEI to staff that have existing academic and workplace capabilities and that can be further supported to achieve the full ACP requirements. This is in recognition that a number of students do not need to embark on the full apprenticeship or master’s programme to achieve all the learning they need to operate as an advanced practitioner. Top-up modules from ACP PGDip to ACP MSc must be completed within the academic year.
4. ACP credential – There are a number of NHS England endorsed specialty credentials in development that meet workforce development needs in high-priority areas. NHS England will consider funding a credential as an addition to the ACP MSc to meet the specialised training needs of your workforce.

Funding for single modules will not be provided. Trusts may use alternative NHS England workforce development or CPD funding to support standalone modules for individuals.

ePortfolio (supported) route – the ePortfolio (supported) route has been specifically designed to enable recognition with the Centre for Advancing Practice of existing, experienced advanced practitioners, regularly working clinically in advanced practitioner roles, who have normally completed their advanced practice experiential and educational learning before 2017 when NHS England’s Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England was published.

Answer: NHS England funding for Advanced Clinical Practice programmes is limited and therefore levy paying employers are encouraged to adopt the apprenticeship programme and consider apprenticeships as their primary option. This will enable support to be provided for an increased number of applicants. To view the Apprenticeship Standard for an Advanced Clinical Practitioner, click here. Employers should ensure that individuals put on to an apprenticeship route are committed to completing the full programme.

Answer: The education grant MUST be used to ensure the infrastructure around the trainee which enables their supported learning in practice. This list is not exhaustive, but examples may include:

• To enable regular clinical supervision between trainee and supervisor
• To develop a local education faculty for advanced practice
• To develop advanced practice action learning sets
• To develop in house education resources to support advanced practice development
• To enable the trainee to attend and present at local/national conferences

Answer: The £2,600 supervision fee is available to support trainees on a full ACP MSc pathway, to contribute to organisational costs of supporting an advanced practitioner.

A lack of support often results either in individuals withdrawing from the programme or seeking alternative employment; employers should consider whether they can fully support individuals before seeking funding for training.

The supervision fee should be made available at service level to support individual supervision of the trainee. The supervision fee is directly linked to the quality of supervision and assessment of the trainee. This will be assessed at the 6 monthly bipartite quality review between NHS England SE Faculty of Advancing Practice and the AP Lead. Issues with supervision quality will be dealt with at regional level but may be escalated and managed accordingly for further investigation and could result in funding offers being withdrawn.

The expectations of employers in return for the supervision fee are:

• Sufficient study leave for university training. It is not acceptable for trainees to be taking unpaid or annual leave for dedicated training days.
• Supervision provided by an appropriately trained supervisor. The expectation is that trainees will have a minimum of 1 hour of supervision per week over the course of their training.
• Inclusion of postgraduate medical education department in discussion of supervision where appropriate, to enable suitable job-planning.
• Sufficient work-based learning opportunities to gain clinical competence at an advanced level.
• Appropriate governance in place in line with the Multi-Professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England (2017) and Centre for

Advancing Practice Governance Maturity Matrix

The supervision fee must not be used for equipment or capital costs.  Further guidance for employers on the use of supervision funding can be found on our regional web page – Supervision Funding for Advancing Practice Training in the South East Region Guidance for Employers

At the end of the year, employers will be required to report on their use of the supervision fee in meeting these expectations. Where the expectations are not met, funding may be discontinued and where there is a pattern within an employer of advanced practice trainees not being supported appropriately, future funding for advanced practice may be fully withdrawn from the employer.

Answer: A data validation exercise between NHS England and the employer will take place to confirm trainee enrolment. The education grant/supervision fee will be paid as below:

• Trusts: The fee will be paid directly to the employer via the Education Contract finance schedules after an individual has enrolled and started the programme, based on the validation exercise.
• Primary Care: Fees will be paid after an individual has enrolled and started the programme, based on the validation exercise. The payment mechanism is dependent on the ICS and Training Hub you are in. Please email acpenquiries.se@nhs.net if you require more detail.

Answer: The apprenticeship and MSc programmes require the student to work for a minimum of 30 hours per week. All employers receive the same amount of supervision fee per learner irrespective of whether the student is working full time or part time.

Answer: For most trainees, self-funding a master’s level ACP programme is not recommended for several reasons. Advanced practice roles can only make the desired impact on patient care when integrated and fully supported by organisations as a strategic plan, rather than individuals self-funding their own development. In addition, the availability of places on ACP MSc programmes is coordinated by universities in conjunction with NHS England and it cannot be guaranteed that places will be available for applicants who are self- funding.

Answer: For the apprenticeship programme it is a minimum of 30 hours per week. For the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme, this will differ at each university but again, this will generally be a minimum of 30 hours. If the employer is recruiting a new person as a trainee advanced practitioner, then it is suggested they are recruited on a minimum contract of 30 hours. For existing employees, if they work less than 30 hours per week, please contact the relevant programme lead at the Higher Education Institute to discuss their suitability for the programme.

Answer: NHS organisations such as Trusts and GP Practices (via their Training Hub) in the NHS England SE region are invited to submit their expressions of interest for advanced practice training for new learners.

Independent providers of NHS services can also be considered.

Answer: The decision by NHS England South East Region to award funding for advanced practice is on confirmation of the following at organisation, Trust or Primary Care Hub level:

• Completion of the Readiness for Advanced Clinical Practice checklist to identify areas for development.
• An identified local population/service need for advanced practice workforce development
• Alignment to the key principles in the Health Education England MultiProfessional framework for advanced clinical practice (2017) and guidance from The Centre for Advancing Practice.
• A positive learning environment with an identified, named Co-ordinating Educational Supervisor and agreed supervision plan.
• An identified lead for advanced practice within the employer.
• Regular communication with NHS England SE Advancing Practice Faculty with 6 monthly bipartite quality reviews between the Advanced Practice lead and the Faculty to assess trainee progress
• A plan to measure and evaluate the impact of this workforce transformation on service and patient outcomes.
• A named individual who has the support of the employer, has a named supervisor, and meets the academic requirements to undertake this programme of study.

Answer: The funding offer is for both new and existing NHS staff and NHS England welcome applications for both. However, for employers who are planning on recruiting a new member of staff, it is recommended financial commitment for the recruitment is obtained as soon as possible and with plenty of time prior to the Higher Education Institute admissions process.

The employer should provide assurance that there will be an advanced practice post on completion of training, demonstrated in the service/division establishment by way of a job description and job plan, to avoid investing in the upskilling of staff who cannot then put their advanced skills into practice. Employers are asked to confirm if a job description or job plan is in place when submitting their applications for funding.

Answer: It is essential that anyone applying to become an advanced practitioner fully understands the expectations and commitment needed to train for this role. We have developed a Readiness to become an advanced practitioner that you can use in your recruitment and selection processes to help aspiring trainees assess if they are ready to become advanced practitioners.

Answer: All applications are required to be submitted via the template provided within the employer’s SharePoint folder, links for these folders can be accessed by the Advancing Practice Leads only, and are available via the Faculty. Templates which are not completed fully will not be accepted.

Applications open on Friday 1st March 2024 and the deadline for submissions is 31st March 2024.

Employers must have completed a Readiness for Advanced Clinical Practice Checklist before submitting their applications.

Answer: NHS England requires a single Advancing Practice Lead (or an individual responsible for advanced practice within an organisation) contact for each employer to submit applications for this funding. This person will act as the key liaison for all enquiries relating to the applications for funding being applied for. This is to ensure there has been appropriate scrutiny applied to the application including agreement for recruitment (where needed) and alignment with organisational workforce development needs. Applications from individuals seeking funding will not be accepted if not submitted through the Advancing Practice Lead.

Answer: NHS England will review all applications and the indicative demand. Funding will be confirmed where possible, depending on the allocated budget by 28th April 2024. It may not be possible to provide funding for all applications received and where you are not successful, you will be notified. Successful applications must be completed in full. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted.

Answer: No changes to the names or details will be allowed after the window has closed and the offers have been made. This is due to the large number of applications received and the validation exercise that must happen between NHS England and the HEI.

Answer: No changes to the names or details will be allowed after the window has closed and the offers have been made. This is due to the large number of applications received and the validation exercise that must happen between NHS England and the HEI.

Answer: NHSE funds Centre for Advancing Practice accredited ACP MSc programmes. NHSE are currently going through a procurement exercise which in 2024-2025 will result in a definitive framework of Universities with whom we can commission education programmes.

If funding is agreed by NHS England, individuals are responsible for successfully securing a place on the ACP MSc programme.  Funding will then be paid from NHS England to HEIs directly via the NHS education and training contract. 

Answer: It is very important for trainees and AP Leads to carefully review the content of the ACP MSc programme for the HEI requested. All the programme details can be found on each university’s website but if further information is required, contact should be made with the HEI directly. The programme requested must be checked to ensure it meets the needs of the trainee’s scope of practice and that the trainee meets the HEI’s entry criteria. 

An offer of funding from NHS England does not guarantee a place at the selected HEI. If a candidate fails to secure a place at their chosen HEI, the funding offer will be withdrawn.

Requests to change the HEI after funding applications have been submitted will not be accepted and any offer of funding will be withdrawn.

Answer: To become Centre accredited, programmes meet standards set out in the Multi-Professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England and Standards of Education and Training  set by NHS England so they consistently meet the standards, put patients at the heart of what we do, and deliver a high quality academic and clinical programme.

NHS England accredited programmes are one of the benchmark routes to recognition for practitioners and ensures a consistent level of quality across England.

To find out if the programme you wish to complete has been accredited you should look for the Centre benchmark on the HEI prospectus or search the Centre for Advancing Practice Accredited Programmes

Answer: Basic entry requirements for HEI courses can be found on their websites. The links to these can be found in Appendix 1.

The Advancing Practice Lead must check that the trainee meets the entry criteria before submitting an application for funding. Special consideration may need to be given for candidates who have qualifications from overseas. These candidates should check in advance that their qualifications meet the entry criteria for the HEI.

Any questions about HEI entry requirements, course content, their application process or individual modules should be referred directly to the HEI.

Answer: Once a funding offer has been made and all required documentation completed, the trainee must submit an application to the agreed HEI. This should be actioned as soon as the above processes are completed. This is usually by the end of May after the funding window closes.

Answer: All HEI programmes will be taught by lecturers and expert clinical practitioners in their field who will offer dedicated academic support and guidance and students will be allocated a named personal tutor. The HEI may also offer support through a dedicated librarian and a comprehensive student support service. Students also find their cohort of colleagues of immeasurable value as a support network. In the case of failing students, the matter would be discussed with the student in the first instance.

The NHS England SE Faculty Trainee in need of support guide trainees and employers where to find support.

Answer: It is recognised, from time to time, some trainees may have to suspend their study e.g., for long term sickness, personal reasons etc. Where a trainee is discontinuing their studying but will be returning to complete this, and have indicated the timescales to the HEI, this is called ‘stepping off’ and NHS England will consider resuming funding when the student returns to study. However, these are reviewed on a case-by-case basis as it is dependent on whether the student is able to complete the course within the timescales available on their return.    

Where a student is not returning to study, NHS England will discontinue the supervision funding at the point they leave the programme. In all circumstances NHS England should be informed immediately by contacting england.acpenquiries.se@nhs.net    

There are implications on the use of levy funding for not continuing an apprenticeship programme and these should be discussed on a case-bycase basis.

Answer: This will be reviewed on an individual basis and no guarantee of continued funding can be provided to either the employer or employee. The funding is linked to a workforce need, not an individual’s personal development and so if the trainee moves from the original place of employment funding may stop.   

NHS England would first consider how it can continue funding the current employer who was granted the funding for a trainee advanced practitioner and, only where that is not possible, look to see how the trainee advanced practitioner can continue to be supported. In all circumstances NHS England should be informed immediately by contacting england.acpenquiries.se@nhs.net