Introduction
How to Apply
Funding Stream Diagram
Funding Eligibility
Professional Development Advice
FAQs
Introduction
One of BNSSG Training Hub’s core functions is, with a mandate and funding from HEE, to support the recruitment, retention, and development of the local primary care workforce; this can be achieved, in part, by enabling members of the primary care workforce to access and complete the CPD courses and training that they want and need.
We are committed to seeing that all nurses and allied health professionals (AHPs) in BNSSG have access to the £1,000 personal development budget announced back in September 2019, as part of a funding boost for frontline NHS staff. Through this budget, nurses and AHPs may receive up to £1,000 worth of funding over three years, to be put towards their continuing professional development (CPD).
This page will elaborate on how this funding is secured and distributed, and how you can access your allocated amount.
Funding Eligibility
To be eligible for funding from the personal development budget, you must be a member of one of the following roles:
Nurses
- Advanced Nurse Practitioners
- Extended Role Practice Nurses
- Nurse Dispensers
- Nursing Partners
- Nurse Specialists
- Practice Nurses
AHPs
- Nursing Associates
- Paramedics
- Podiatrists
- Physiotherapists
- Therapists
Additionally, you must:
- Be employed by a practice or PCN in Bristol, North Somerset, or South Gloucestershire
- Request funding for an education / training package which is relevant to your role and in-line with the needs of your practice or PCN
- Have the approval of your line manager to complete said education / training package
FAQs
Below are several frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the personal development budget and attendant funding:
Which settings must staff be employed in to be eligible for CPD funding?
Staff in the following settings are eligible for funding*:
- General practice
- Ambulance Trusts
- Foundation Trusts
- NHS Trusts
*The Training Hub only deals with enquiries from staff working in general practice, however.
Staff working in the following settings are excluded from funding:
- Arm’s-length bodies
- CCGs
- Independent sector (inc. orgs that deliver NHS services)
- Social care
- Social enterprises
Is CPD funding available to nursing associates?
CPD funding is available to all registered nursing roles.
What about nurses within federations, as they do not submit onto NHS Digital. How are staff employed on behalf of PCNs and practices considered?
Eligible staff are those working in general practice, and this is in the guidance. The colleagues referred to in the question, although employed on behalf of the PCN, will normally report to NHS Digital via their lead GP practice as part of their workforce return.
Paramedics are AHPs -- won't it be difficult to exclude them?
Paramedics are included and are part of the Health & Care Professions Council’s (HCPC) AHP list.
For more information on the HCPC’s standards for CPD, please click here.
Can CPD funding be used as part payment for a more expensive programme?
If a learning need is evidenced and approved as part of the CPD investment plan, then CPD funding can be used as part payment, yes.
We have recently completed a Training Needs Analysis across our practice / PCN -- will this suffice?
This would require agreement across all practices, the PCN, and the Training Hub. It would be dependent on the training needs analysis being current and relevant.
Does training need to be accredited, non-accredited, or experiential for CPD funding to be considered?
All are eligible.
As we are starting CPD mid-year, can monies be claimed for CPD activity which has already taken place within the financial year?
Yes, but this would need to be evidenced within the application as an identified learning need for a personal development plan.
Will Training Hubs be expected to provide payments to training providers directly, rather than PCNs / practices?
Funding will stream from the Training Hub to PCNs. Applications from eligible members of the workforce will be summarised at PCN level.
Where significant demand is identified for a particular course, the Training Hub may procure at scale based on agreement with the PCN(s). If programmes are procured by the Training Hub, payment will be made directly to the provider.
Is a proportion of this CPD allocation utilised for Training Hub administration costs?
None of the CPD funding will be used to cover Training Hub administration costs. The administration of CPD monies is a core function of Training Hubs, and as such, administration will be absorbed through infrastructure funding.
How does the allocated amount per CCG translate into everyone having access to their CPD amount?
Funding has been allocated down to an individual level using NHS Digital returns. Consideration must be given that CPD funding has been allocated on a ‘point-in-time’ basis. This may not include every member of the current primary care teams, due to workforce movement and incomplete data returns.
Practices are encouraged to complete future data returns to enable more accurate payments in future financial years. If support is required, STP-level Training Hubs can facilitate.
Can monies not spent in-year be carried over?
All CPD monies must be allocated and paid to PCNs / CCGs in-year. The STP-level Training Hub cannot carry CPD funds over into the next financial year.
Will PCNs be responsible for how the CPD funding is spent and administered?
Yes, however PCNs should work with their local Training Hub to develop investment plans.
What happens if staff move during the financial year?
Any funding previously allocated cannot be reclaimed from the individual leader. This CPD funding is excluded from any existing learning & development financial / contractual arrangements. This CPD funding has been allocated regionally by Health Education England (HEE) and no instruction to re-claim monies because of staff movement has been made.
Will personal information be collected and shared?
The Training Hub will be asking for personal staff information to ensure that CPD funds are utilised appropriately, and as agreed. Personal information will be shared with the individual’s PCN for the purpose of confirming funding; it will not be shared with any other party, however.
Aggregate, anonymised information will be shared with Health Education England (HEE) to secure release of funding.
How will personal information be shared while ensuring that GDPR / IG requirements are met?
Personal information will be shared with PCNs by the Training Hub to provide assurances that CPD funds are being distributed fairly. All stakeholders will be responsible for ensuring that GDPR / Information Governance processes are followed, and that personal details are not shared where staff have not consented.
Professional Development Advice
If you would like to talk about your career trajectory and the venues open to you, the Training Hub is here to help you; our ACP Lead, Kerri Magnus, and our Placement Expansion Lead, Kim Ball, are available to meet on a 1:1 basis for 15-30 minutes, to discuss their individual goals and those of their practice / PCN. Line managers are also welcome to book a slot.
To make an appointment, please contact:
Kerri at kerri.magnus2@nhs.net
Kim at kim@almc.co.uk
How to Apply
If you have any further questions, please speak to Kerri Magnus.
Funding Stream Diagram
The diagram below elaborates on the process by which the Training Hub collects the necessary information from primary care networks (PCNs) and GP practices to sign-off on funding for individual staff members.
For a downloadable PDF version, please click on the diagram.
