ePortfolio (supported) Route
The Centre for Advancing Practice is currently planning for the next cohort of the ePortfolio (supported) Route to start in Autumn 2024.
The Centre (which coordinates the ePortfolio) will be in contact with those who have submitted Expressions of Interest. This will be regarding submitting a subsequent application to ensure meeting the eligibility criteria. Alongside, employers of prospective applicants will be contacted to ensure organisational support for completing the ePortfolio (supported) Route.
Applicants in previous cohorts (1, 2, 3) have either completed their ePortfolios, have submitted or are in the preparation for submission phase.
Trainee Change of Circumstances
When a trainee moves employer, funding is not guaranteed to continue. Funding is linked to a workforce need, not an individual’s personal development. When a trainee moves from their employer where they originally secured the funding, the funding may stop if the requirements for providing the funding cannot be met by the new employing organisation.
There is a guidance document to support advanced practice trainees within the Midlands and their employers when they change employer during their funded course. This guidance applies to Midlands advanced practice trainees on all commissioned and apprenticeship MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programmes. To access this guidance please click here
All Midlands advanced practice trainees who are planning to move employer need to complete this online form.
You must complete the form if any of the following apply:
- Change of personal details (i.e. name, email address, phone number)
- Change of university and / or course
- Change of co-ordinating educational supervisor
- Change of employer
- A break from the advanced practice training programme (i.e. maternity leave, long term sickness, career break etc.)
- Withdrawal from advanced practice training programme
If you have any queries about the new process, then please contact the Faculty for Advancing Practice Midlands at: england.apfac.midlands@nhs.net
Educator Forum Meetings
On the 16th of May we held our inaugural Faculty for Advancing Practice (Midlands) Educators Forum via MS Teams. Our first meeting set some aims and objectives which included sharing of good practice and networking. There were updates on national and regional work, alongside opportunities to showcase and highlight areas of good practice in the region.
We had some fabulous guest speakers. Andy Adams Education Lead at University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Maria Houghton and Kim Humphreys Advanced Clinical Practice Educators at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. All of whom talked about their roles. Jennifer Riley Director of Advanced Practice Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust discussed the importance of educator roles and the need to invest in them. Finally, Ed Briggs, Associate Post Graduate Dean, to inform us about fellowship opportunities and how to access these opportunities.
We will circulate details for the next forum to those on our educator forum list. The next forum will take place on Wednesday 18 September.
If you are in an Advanced Practice education role and not on our list, please email: england.apfac.midlands@nhs.net
Pharmacy Webinar
We held a pharmacy webinar on Thursday 11th July 2024. This was aimed at all members of the workforce to gain a better understanding of the different roles across the sector. Over 100 people attended and found the session to be useful and thought provoking. When we are able to, a recording of the session will be shared if you were unable to attend.
The webinar explored the educational, training, and developmental aspects of Advanced Pharmacist roles. Pharmacists in Advanced Pharmacist roles and those in Advanced Clinical Practitioner roles in primary and secondary care shared their experiences. They highlighted the nuances and parallels in advanced practice. Other topics included delving into the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Core Advanced Pharmacist credentialing e-Portfolio (supported) Route, its beneficiaries and significance. Finally, unpacking the implications of Advanced Pharmacist and Advanced Clinical Practitioner Pharmacist roles on both primary and secondary care workforces.
To stay up to date on future webinars and events, sign up to our mailing list if you haven’t already
Case Study – Sarah Folley
Sarah Folley is a Critical Care Practitioner (CPP), one of three from the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC). MAAC are embracing the role of Advanced Practitioners. They expect to see the team grow in number with this area of expertise. Read Sarah’s case study to find out how she and other CCP’s put their role into practice and benefits of the role.
Nottinghamshire Training Hub Advanced Practice Toolkit
Nottinghamshire Training Hub have put together an Advanced Practice Toolkit. This toolkit is intended as a set of evidence-based guidance to support the advanced practice workforce. The paper sets out a series of tips, supported by the evidence base. Topics include what is an Advanced Practitioner, designing the role, recruitment, career progression, establishing the role, working with patients and much more. Visit the Advanced Practice Toolkit webpage to find out more.
Midlands Advanced Practice Forum
Introduction to the forum:
The Forum is made up of multi-disciplinary clinicians who work at an advanced and / or consultant level. There are also representatives of regional Higher Education Institutions (HEI), NHS England and other health professional organisations.
Join the Forum:
We would like to take this opportunity to highlight and invite you to The Midlands Advanced Practice Forum. If you are not already a member and highlight its founding principles:
- Providing peer support and shared learning across domains of care
- Formulating recommendations about quality standards in practice
- To further develop links with key national and local stakeholders
Promoting research activities to evaluate the effectiveness of Advanced Practice roles for integrating and improving care for our population
Past events:
Over the past 5 years, the Forum has organised quarterly online professional meetings. Lately some of these have been in-person Roadshows, with a successful event held at Derby University in July 2023. More recently at Worcester University at the end of April 2024. There was a real buzz in the room, showcasing regional advanced practitioners, illustrating how they embody specific aspects of the 4 pillars of practice through their roles.
The events host, Daniel Hastie, corporate Advanced Clinical Practice Lead for Worcestershire Acute Trust and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System, demonstrated alongside his team the power of the research pillar, and what this means in practice. This was alongside, other advanced practitioners. There were also updates from NHS England regional Midlands Faculty for Advancing Practice updates.
Whilst these meetings offer a brief opportunity for networking amongst advanced practitioners, there is acknowledgement of the importance of facilitating more personalised connections amongst practitioners. This may be foreshadowing opportunities, to answer professional queries, discussing research or service improvements, sharing of knowledge and expertise, and more.
We were glad to welcome some of you at our last virtual forum event that took place on 17th July 2024. Join us at our next event, what we hope to be an in-person road show event. This will take place on Wednesday 16 October 2024.
Launch of the Forum’s website:
We (the Forum) are excited to launch the Forum website which you can visit – The Midlands Advanced Practice Forum. The website includes resources relating to previous activity and a live membership database of advanced practitioners. We do hope that whatever your interest in advanced practice (trainee, qualified, educator, employer) you will consider having your name and professional details included in this advanced practice database. To enable administration of the website and database, there is a membership subscription of £40/annum (£10/quarter) for those who consent to join.
Although the Forum’s web presence is minimalistic at present – we encourage and hope you will join us to help it evolve meaningfully.
We will maintain the present Forum email distribution list and virtual quarterly meetings, will remain free to attend.
If you have any queries about the Forum or website, please email mary.hutchinson4@nhs.net or Hirminder.ubhi@nhs.net