Staff development

Development opportunities

Here at the Trust, we want all staff to have a long and successful career and to support them on their journey. We will ensure we offer a variety of development opportunities. It’s important for staff to have regular discussions with their manager. This is an opportunity to discuss ambitions and development needs.

We provide a range of internal and external learning and development opportunities. This includes clinical knowledge and skills, customer care, and leadership skills.

Three emergency nurses are training around a manakin on a trolly. The nurse in the centre foreground is training with a drip insertion on the manakins arm.

Appraisals

Our appraisals season starts with senior leads in April and must be completed by July. This allows enough time to set their teams objectives to match their own. Our organisational development team provides manager appraisal bite size training sessions.

Every member of staff has an appraisal if they have working in the Trust for more than 12 months. From the second year, colleagues will be set objectives by their line manager. Career conversations are a contributing factor to every appraisal. These conversations are not limited to this meeting if more time is needed.

Library services

Staff have access to a comprehensive library service that meets NHS England quality standards. There are self-check in machines and book bins outside regular working hours. There’s also study spaces for staff to conduct research without disruption.

The library team also provides access to a range of evidence-based resources. These include:

British Medical Journal Best Practice.
Clinical-Key.
Electronic journals and books.

All staff can have an NHS Open-Athens account in to access electronic resources.

There are also free non-clinical resources available such as the libby and kanopy applications for staff.

Mandatory training

Mandatory training is based on essential criteria. All training provided is linked together to support staff in their career development.

All our apprentices are actively learning and studies link to their employment. We have allocated assessors for all our learners. We include a pastoral care approach to identify learning needs. Some of our assessments will only take place online.

Study leave

The process for study leave requests can be ad-hoc as it is down to practicalities of what is being requested. This is based on staffing cover and ability to support the request. Departments will always do their best to be flexible.

Staff can bring up study leave with their managers during one-to-ones and during appraisals. Team leads are also encouraged to have these conversations with their staff.

The study leave team can help with requests: Email the Study leave team

Clinical staff development opportunities

Clinical staff bands one to four

The Clinical Education team offer a programme for trainee health care assistants. This includes the national Care Certificate.

There’s also apprenticeships available for clinical staff in bands one to four roles.

International registrants

We have a programme to support nurses who trained outside the European Union. This is through the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s programme (Opens a new window).

Nursing staff with a registration from outside of the United Kingdom will be supported through their OSCE’s. We support AHP’s with their own bespoke programmes.

We also have an International Nurses book available to colleagues by the Clinical Workforce team. It has guidance on living in this country including:

Renting in the local area.
Council tax guidance.
Things to do in the local area.
Practical elements such as shopping prices for products.

Placement students

We partner with further and higher education organisations to provide the practice learning element of their healthcare programmes. This helps students link theory to practice.

Case study: innovation fellowship

A nurse with a beard and glasses is wearing blue scrubs, is smiling as he stands in a corridor at Colchester Hospital.

Alongside his role as a matron, Oscar has completed an Innovation Fellowship. To do this he studied one day a week for nine months.

He said: “I am very keen on looking at new ways of working and discussing different ideas. Also how we can change what and how we do things as you need to look at things in different ways.

“As part of the fellowship I developed an idea around launching clinical training courses at the Trust. Before this they were only currently available in places such as London. Meaning a high cost and time requirement for staff.

“Not only would it be beneficial for staff, but we could also offer the courses to people outside the Trust to bring in a revenue”.

Leadership development opportunities

We offer leadership training for all staff who have management responsibilities. This includes offers of apprenticeship training to internal staff.

Leadership development programmes

We offer leadership development opportunities for all staff:

The Visible Leader (Band 8b and above).
The Engaging Leader (Band 7 and 8a).
The Emerging Leader (Bands 2-6).

Case study: Business management degree

Two women in a meeting room having a discussion. One to the left is facing the camera and is laughing. One to the right has her back to the camera and is reading from a sheet of paper.

Kerry works in the communications and engagement team. She is studying for a Business and Management Degree with a Level 6 apprenticeship as part of our Future Leaders’ Programme.

“I see my future career in the NHS. I hope to work as a project manager or in an area that involves developmental change. Working towards a degree through the apprenticeship will help get me there.

“Being a mum and parenting my two children has been at the forefront for the last few years, but I can focus more on me now.

“I worked in retail, then for a charity before joining ESNEFT, so I have a range of experience. I see this degree as a great way to focus that experience and develop my skills.