1.1    Trainee must be a registered healthcare professional with a statutory professional body, i.e.:

– General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
– Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
– Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

1.2      Trainee must meet the eligibility criteria set by the education provider and be ready to join a cohort within the same finance year funding is agreed.

1.3      Trainee is not under any fitness to practice investigation or have any sanctions applied to their practice.

1.4      If a trainee is undertaking Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to join an advanced practice pathway, this process must be completed before funding starts. NHS England will not provide funding for education provider administrative costs associated with RPL or any courses required to meet programme entry requirements. Funding may be reduced depending on the number of credits recognised after RPL process, if there is a reduction to the programme length. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

1.5      Trainee has comprehensive and current post-registration experience in the relevant specialty (recommend a minimum of 5 years post-qualification, including at least 2 years within the specialty area).

2.1      Trainee is employed substantively in an organisation that is commissioned to deliver NHS services.

2.2      It is expected that the trainee will work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Working less than 30 hours will require a tripartite discussion between the trainee, employer and education provider to ensure that required work-based learning will be achievable.

2.3      It is recommended that an advanced practice training post is provided by employer during advanced practice training. The employing organisation recognises the trainee’s role is distinct from their previous role, although it may involve some of the work performed previously.

2.4      An appropriate advanced practice job description and associated job plan demonstrating working across all 4 pillars has been written and approved by the employing organisation, prior to the trainee commencing training.

2.5      Assurance is provided to NHS England that a substantive advanced practice post, as defined by the job description required in point 2.4, will be  made available to the trainee upon qualification, in line with organisational or system workforce planning. Evidence for this must be provided to  NHS England upon request e.g. business case approval.

3.1      Any trainee changes of circumstance (e.g. pauses, withdrawals, change of education provider, changes of employer) must be reported to NHS England as soon as possible using the method stipulated by the relevant Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice. Failure to report a change of circumstance in a timely manner may result in delays or cessation of funding.

3.2      It is not guaranteed that NHS England funding will continue where a change of circumstance occurs. Each change will be reviewed by relevant Faculty on a case-by-case basis.

3.3      Trainees cannot change their start date or education provider without prior approval from NHS England.

3.4      Pauses to training of more than 12 months will normally lead to a cessation of funding, other than in exceptional circumstances that would be reviewed by relevant Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice on a case-by-case basis.

4.1      Employing organisation has a named individual responsible for advanced practice who will be the main point of contact for NHS England and the relevant Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice.

4.2      The person submitting the funding application has read and understood the funding guidance of the relevant Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice.

4.3      It is the responsibility of the employing organisation to ensure adequate indemnity is available to practitioners.

4.4      Employing organisation has appropriate governance in place aligned to the Governance Maturity Matrix.

4.5      A commitment statement is completed prior to NHS England funding starting.

4.6      A readiness checklist is completed prior to NHS England funding starting.

4.7      Employing organisation completes the Governance Maturity Matrix on an annual basis.

5.1      Employer organisation provides appropriate workplace support and supervision to the trainee and is actively working to embed the NHS England Educator Workforce Strategy (2023).

5.2      A suitable learning environment is provided to the trainee, aligned to the domains within the Education Quality Framework (2021) and Safe Learning Environment Charter (2024).

5.3      Trainee, and supervisor where applicable, engages with the appropriate regional quality processes.

5.4      The employer will provide the trainee with sufficient time for attending taught sessions at education provider, time to meet their supervisor regularly and time for work-based learning each week. It should not be expected that the trainee will take unpaid or annual leave for dedicated training days.

5.5      Sufficient work-based learning opportunities aligned to the Multi-professional framework for advanced practice (2025) are provided. The trainee is supported to complete work-based assessments.

6.1      Funding requests for generic advanced practice training programmes will only be agreed if the programme has secured NHS England accreditation. Those programmes that are not accredited may be considered eligible by the relevant Faculty should the education provider be actively engaged with the accreditation process.

6.2      Where area-specific advanced practice training programmes are required, requests for funding of programmes currently undergoing the accreditation process will be considered on a case-by-case basis and only if accredited programmes are not available.

6.3      Funding will only be provided to those committed to completing a full accredited advanced practice MSc in a prospectively agreed timeframe. No stand-alone modules will be funded in isolation and no PGCert or PGDip will be funded.

7.1      An appropriately qualified coordinating educational supervisor, in line with Minimum standards for supervision (2020), is identified for the trainee prior to application for funding.

7.2      Supervision takes place in line with Minimum standards for supervision (2020).

7.3      A minimum amount of £2,600 of the training grant must be ring fenced to provide supervision support, as per “Funding usage” in this document.

8.1      Trainee completes surveys required by relevant Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice. This may include but is not exclusively limited to:

– National Education and Training Survey (NETS)
– Quality survey
– Demographic data survey
– Student satisfaction survey
– Trainee monitoring and completer surveys (mandatory nationally)

8.2      Employing organisation provides data required by relevant Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice. This may include but is not exclusively limited to:

– Training grant utilisation report
– Confirm status of trainee upon request

9.1      Funding agreed for a trainee to start in one financial year cannot be moved to another financial year, except under exceptional circumstances and with explicit agreement from the relevant Regional Faculty for Advancing Practice.

9.2      Funding is only paid once NHS England receives confirmation that trainee starts training and only continues whilst they remain engaged in their accredited advanced practice MSc programme. NHS England reserves the right to reclaim funding for training activity not completed.

9.3      Additional funding will not be provided should trainees be required to repeat modules because of previous academic failures. However, it is expected that employers will support such trainees to complete their training where that remains possible.

9.4      Funding is provided for the trainee to undertake an advanced practice programme within the NHS England region in which they are employed. Exceptions will only be considered under exceptional circumstances and subject to case-by-case review.

9.5      Funding will not be used for the prohibited uses outlined in section “Funding usage” in this document.

1. Support attendance at conferences where the trainee is contributing to the programme by abstract, presentation, poster (or other methods) and where this is relevant to their development across the 4 pillars of advanced practice.

2. Enable trainees to attend short non-credit bearing courses related to their scope of practice. Examples include, but are not exclusive to: Advanced Life Support, Advanced Paediatric Life Support, Newborn Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support.

3. Additional study time where required over and above core advanced practice MSc study time to further enhance the development of specific competencies relevant to scope of practice and the 4 pillars of advanced practice, as commensurate to stage of training.

4. Develop multidisciplinary advanced practice training resources and/or action learning sets to support advanced practice training across the organisation.

5. Support direct supervisor contact time with trainees as per the Safe Learning Environment Charter and development of individual educational supervisors as required.

1. Develop or fund advanced practice infrastructure or posts.

2. Equipment and capital costs.

3. Fund Continuing Professional Development.

4. Fund non advanced practice related training.

5. Any registration, accreditation or credentialing costs with any professional body, royal college or regulator.