There might be exceptional circumstances where applicants might need to extend the normal 12-month submission deadline or withdraw from the Route completely.  

All applicants normally have 12 months to complete their ePortfolio, from the date of their last Learning Needs Analysis meeting. If an applicant misses this deadline without an extension in place , their ePortfolio will be “timed-out” on the Portal. This means their ePortfolio will be marked as “incomplete,” and they will not be able to submit it or edit it. 

The Centre recognises that an applicant might have good reasons why they cannot meet this deadline date. In a scenario where this happens, detailed mitigating circumstances must be provided to determine the feasibility of extending the deadline beyond 12 months.  

Process

• The applicant reads the guidance on the grounds for mitigating circumstance (see below) 
• The applicant completes the mitigating circumstance request form on the portal and provides supporting documentation 
• The educational supervisor considers the request and discusses it with the education provider’s lead for the ePortfolio (supported) Route (or nominee) and another educational supervisor who is not involved in supporting the applicant to create their ePortfolio. These two individuals will review the request and evidence and make the final decision as agreed with the centre and education providers. 
• The decision must be recorded on the portal 
• Normally an extension of two months should be given as standard. Education providers can grant longer periods at their discretion but should update and complete a form on the portal to notify the Centre of the decision 
• Regardless of the duration of the extension, no further funding will be available from the Centre 
• If the mitigating circumstances are accepted and an extension is granted, the education provider must record the outcome on the portal 
• Once the decision has been made and logged on the applicant’s application, the educational supervisor must delete/destroy the evidence provided by the applicant in a safe and secure manner and in line with their universities process 

Grounds for mitigating circumstances 

• Unforeseen and/or unavoidable health issues affecting the applicant 
• Unforeseen and/or unavoidable health issues or caring responsibilities of an immediate family member or dependent 
• Unforeseen and/or unavoidable disruption, where it was not possible for the applicant to access the Portal on a long-term basis (greater than two months) which will have caused significant disruption to the creation of the ePortfolio 
• Unforeseen and/or unavoidable disruption, where it was not possible for the applicant to access their educational supervisor for more than four months which has caused significant disruption to the creation of the ePortfolio 
• Unforeseen and/or unavoidable disruption, where it was not possible for the applicant to participate in the additional learning activities or gather the evidence needed to complete their ePortfolio, for example, maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, personal circumstances, or a pandemic response  
• Redundancy 

Supporting documentation  

Appropriate evidence needs to be provided by the applicant to support the claim, such as: 

• Written evidence from a registered medical practitioner, such as a medical certificate, hospital discharge summaries, or a piece of correspondence e.g. mental health provider 
• An officially certified copy of a death certificate 
• Official documents (i.e. court documents, police reports, letters from coroners, legal practitioners, or other relevant professionals 
• Crime reference number 
• Statements from other relevant parties (i.e. letter from employer describing excessive work demands) 
• Confirmation of redundancy from employer 
• Alternative forms of evidence may be considered on an individual basis and advice should be sought from the educational supervisor 
• Applicants should ensure that any evidence that refers to others, such as a family member, is provided with their consent/ in line with GDPR principles 

Not grounds for mitigating circumstances 

The following will not normally be accepted as mitigating circumstances (this is not an exhaustive list): 

• Foreseeable increase in workload such as seasonal pressures 
• Taking on a new role 
• Medical circumstances that: 
  • do not relate directly to the portfolio creation period in question and/or cannot be attributed as having an impact on the submission of the ePortfolio 
  • relate to minor illnesses that would not lead to equivalent absence from a work environment and can normally be treated with over-the-counter remedies (e.g. colds, sore throat, headaches, day to day ailments) 
  • are unsubstantiated or include retrospective evidence (e.g. doctors note after the illness has disappeared) 
• Holidays/family events 
• Religious festivals and regular observance (these should be identified in advance) 
• Financial issues 
• Foreseeable and/or preventable circumstances 
• A long-term condition where treatment or additional support/arrangements are already in place to mitigate the impact and there has been no additional unforeseen flare-up 
• Being reluctant to disclose circumstances (even brief, non-detailed accounts) at the time 
• Not realising the extent of the work needed to upload the evidence onto the Portal 
• Poor time management or personal organisation 
• Criminal conviction 
• Loss of computer access 

Withdrawals and exceeding timeframe for completion 

Withdrawing from the route 

If an applicant wishes to withdraw from the ePortfolio (supported) Route, they should first speak with their educational supervisor. The supervisor will consider if mitigating circumstances have arisen and if an extension can be given.  

If an applicant chooses to withdraw, they must get approval.  This must come from both their Advanced Practice Lead (Trust or Training Hub) and their educational supervisor. This is identified as part of the application process. 

It’s important to know that funding is for people who are applying for the first time. So, there’s no guarantee that they will be able to join again later. 

The educational supervisor must record all withdrawals and the reason for withdrawal on the Portal. Applicants who withdraw may also be asked to complete a questionnaire to evaluate their experience. 

Non-engagement with the route 

Applicants must engage with the Route as outlined in the engagement expectations guidance. They must also make progress within the set timelines. Without engagement and process or recorded and approved mitigating circumstances, an educational provider can withdraw the applicant from the process.