Apprenticeships Process
This process has been created for Primary Care employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria. It will help with:
- Finding out more about apprenticeships
- Choosing and applying for an apprenticeship
- Understanding responsibilities when supporting an apprentice.
Apprenticeships are employer-led programmes. The contractual relationship is between the Employer and the Education Provider. The Training Hub provide support to Primary Care employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Below you will find; a step-by-step application guide, and an outline of key responsibilities when an apprentice is on programme. If you require additional information or assistance, please refer to the Queries section found near the end of this page.
Application
Employer
Step 1 : Choose Apprenticeship
Choose your preferred course and education provider using the course overviews on the Training Hub’s Apprenticeship Comparison Tool (ACT). On the ACT you will find;
- Course details (such as entry requirements, teaching structure, intakes and application timeframes)
- Any employer training grants
- Any further support/information for Primary Care applications
- A link to the relevant Apprenticeship Standard. Each Apprenticeship Standard lists the knowledge, skills and behaviours that need to be achieved during that apprenticeship (via a mix of theory and practical learning). Please review these to help you identify which apprenticeship best meets your requirements.
Please make use of the comparison functionality. If you are not familiar with this, there are instructions in the bottom left of the ACT landing page.
If you are interested in a provider that is not currently on the ACT, please let us know so we can advise of next steps as we can still assist you.
Focus on programme suitability for Primary Care. If there are aspects that can be improved, please feedback to both the Education Provider and Training Hub.
Employer
Step 2 : Complete Expression of Interest Form
Complete the Training Hub’s Expression of Interest Form (EOI) as soon as possible. Within the form, you will confirm key details including your preferred course, education provider and intake.
Recruiting to the position? See our Apprenticeship New Recruit Guide
Training Hub
Step 3 : Review Expression of Interest and Start Application
The Training Hub Apprenticeship Team will review your EOI and contact you if further information is needed. We will then start your application, which includes:
- Email Employer to confirm application has been started and provide useful instructions. Candidate will be copied in, and when relevant so will the locality General Practice Education Facilitator (GPEF).
- Email Education Provider to notify them of a new application. Education Provider will then be in touch directly with Employer to provide Education Provider’s instructions.
We need to monitor progress of applications in order to effectively assist. Please do keep us informed of your progress and any changes.
All
Step 4 : Place of Work Checks (clinical courses only)
ACT course information and / or email instructions sent to the Employer, will indicate if the following place of work checks are required for your application.
ULE Audit and Supervision Checks: Mandatory requirement for Primary Care applications for Nursing Associate, Nursing, Community Nursing Specialist Practitioner and Advanced Clinical Practitioner courses.
- Locality GPEF must support Employer with completing / reviewing ULE audit and supervision checks.
- GPEF will keep Training Hub Apprenticeship Team aware of progress.
- Once approved, GPEF submits ULE audit to Education Provider.
NMC Approval: Mandatory requirement between the Employer, Education Provider and NMC, for Nursing Associate, Nursing and Community Nursing Specialist Practitioner courses. NMC approval is per course per provider.
- Education Provider will send Employer relevant NMC paperwork. The Education Provider should confirm deadlines and assist Employer with this paperwork as soon as possible.
- Employer completes paperwork and returns to Education Provider.
- Education Provider reviews, and then submits paperwork to NMC for their approval.
- Once NMC approved, Education Provider will confirm this to Employer. Please ensure the Training Hub apprenticeship team are aware.
If the place of work (Employer) needs to be registered as an NMC approved partner but approval is not granted in time, or approved ULE audit process is not completed in time, your application will have to be delayed to the next available intake, or an alternative Education Provider may be offered if deadlines allow this.
Employer
Step 5 : Set-Up / Update DAS Account
Employing organisations must have a Government Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account AND add their apprentice and course details on to this, in order to complete various mandatory steps, such as;
- Registering apprentice with the Government during application stage
- Managing tuition (such as levy / levy transfers / co-investment reservations) during application stage
- Reporting to the Government when apprentice is both on programme and after completion
- If recruiting externally to an apprenticeship vacancy, you can also advertise via Government platforms using this account.
Guides to help you create and update a DAS account:
- DAS account set-up and listing apprentice guide (NHSE North West Levy Team)
- How to register and use the apprenticeship service as an employer (www.gov.uk)
- VIDEO GUIDE: Creating an account on The Apprenticeship Service (DfE youtube.com)
- There can only be one DAS account for an employing organisation. Multiple Managers / Partners can have admin access rights and this is recommended. If you are unable to access the account, please contact the Gov DAS Team.
Gov DAS Team Contact Details are found in the Contacts section at the end of this page.
Employer
Step 6 : Apply for Tuition Financial Support
Instructions for Employers who have an annual pay bill of LESS than £3million
Apprenticeship tuition is paid using levy via the Employer’s Government DAS account. Tuition is the Education Provider’s apprenticeship course cost. The below instructions relate to tuition financial support only (any instructions regarding training grants will be separate / require different additional action to the below).
Non-Levy paying Employers are smaller employers who do not pay money into their own Government levy pot to accumulate their own apprenticeship levy. Instead, Non-levy payers have the following options:
Option 1: The tuition will be 100% financed by the Government if:
- Candidate is aged 16 – 21 when the course starts
- AND / OR Employer has fewer than 50 employees and at the start of the course the apprentice is aged between 22 – 24 years old and has either an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provided by local authority and / or has been in the care of their local authority.
The Education Provider will advise Employer of any steps needed relating to this throughout the application process. The Employer will still need to create / update their organisation’s Employer DAS account, if not done so already.
Option 2: Apply for a 100% Levy Transfer: Primary Care and Social Care Employers have the option to apply for a levy transfer (levy gifted from another organisation) to cover 100% of the tuition. In Lancashire and South Cumbria, this is facilitated by the NHSE North West Levy Team who require as much notice as possible, but no less than 2-3 months. Funds must be in place (and showing correctly on the Employer’s DAS account and Education Provider’s DAS account) prior to the apprenticeship course start date. Levy Transfers are not guaranteed; if unable to secure, Employer will need to reserve a 95% Co-investment (see Option 3 below).
- Primary Care Employers must email the NHSE NW Levy Team on [email protected] and request Levy Transfer instructions (action this asap, once your course application has started).
- Social Care Employers must email Dawn Werra, Social Care Apprenticeship Lead, confirming they require this, so Dawn can request instructions on your behalf.
Option 3: Reserve a 95% Co-investment: This is sometimes called a funding reservation / contribution and is when the Government pay 95% of the tuition, with Employer paying the remaining 5%. Employer will need to reserve the Co-investment via their DAS account. The reservation must be in place prior to the apprenticeship course start date. Instructions on how to do this (and more details) are here: Co-investment GOV.UK . Alternatively, your Education Provider may be able to do this on your behalf (please check directly with your Education Provider about this / follow the instructions they provide). Employers who are applying for a Levy Transfer can still reserve Co-investment funds as a back-up.
Employer must read, agree & keep up-to-date with ESFA Apprenticeship Funding Rules
Instructions for Employers who have an annual pay bill of MORE than £3million
Apprenticeship tuition is paid using levy via the Employer’s Government DAS account. Tuition is the Education Provider’s apprenticeship course cost. The below instructions relate to tuition financial support only (any instructions regarding training grants will be separate / require additional action to the below).
Levy-paying Employers are large employers who pay 0.5% of annual pay bill into their Government Levy Pot, to generate levy to pay for their employee’s apprenticeship tuition. Levy-payers have different options depending on the levy they have available:
Option 1: If sufficient levy in levy pot to cover 100% of the tuition: Employer must use this to pay the tuition.
Option 2: If some levy left in levy pot: Employer can reserve a 95% Co-investment. This is sometimes called funding reservation / contribution and is when the Government pay 95% of the tuition, with Employer paying the remaining 5%. Employer will need to reserve the Co-investment via their DAS account. The reservation must be in place prior to the apprenticeship course start date. Instructions on how to do this (and more details) are here: Co-investment GOV.UK . Alternatively, your Education Provider may be able to do this on your behalf (please check directly with your Education Provider about this / follow the instructions they provide). Employers who are applying for a Levy Transfer can still reserve Co-investment funds as a back-up.
Option 3: If no levy left in levy pot: Employer can apply for 100% Levy Transfer or 95% Co-investment. For Co-investment instructions, please see Option 2 above. To apply for a Levy Transfer, use the following instructions: Primary Care and Social Care Employers have the option to apply for a Levy Transfer (levy gifted from another organisation) to cover 100% of the tuition. In Lancashire and South Cumbria, this is facilitated by the NHSE North West Levy Team who require as much notice as possible, but no less than 2-3 months. Funds must be in place (and showing correctly on the Employer’s DAS account and Education Provider’s DAS account) prior to the apprenticeship course start date. Levy Transfers are not guaranteed; if unable to secure, Employer will need to reserve a 95% Co-investment.
- Primary Care Employers must email the NHSE NW Levy Team on [email protected] and request Levy Transfer instructions (action this ASAP, once your course application has started).
- Social Care Employers must email Dawn Werra, Social Care Apprenticeship Lead, confirming they require this, so Dawn can request instructions on your behalf.
If you are unsure which of the above relates to your application: find out more via this Gov website Pay Apprenticeship Levy – GOV.UK or contact the Gov DAS account team (details within Step 5 above).
Did you know… Levy-payers that expect to have unused apprenticeship levy, can now transfer up to 50% of their annual funds to as many employers as they choose. The NHSE NW Levy Team are able to help you do this.
Employer must read, agree & keep up-to-date with ESFA Apprenticeship Funding Rules
Education Provider
Step 7 : Education Provider's Main Application Stages
The Education Provider is to organise:
- Onboarding meeting with Employer – to discuss programme in detail, how Education Provider supports Employer and Apprentice, how Employer is to support Apprentice and any individual arrangements / needs (such as differences to timetable / duration for part-time employees). **Employer, if you are applying for a clinical programme, please ensure your local GPEF is invited to this meeting also**
- Candidate Interview – Employer is required at this also
- Sending Employer relevant Education Provider documents – such as NMC paperwork where relevant. The Education Provider will support Employer with any queries.
Depending on the course applying for, there may be certain requirements that are the Employer’s responsibility, such as Enhanced DBS and Occupational Health checks. The Education Provider should advise you of these.
Employer
Step 8 : Request Procurement Contract
Many apprenticeship courses are approved provision for NHS Health and Care via the NHS Salisbury Managed Procurement Services (SMPS). You can check if a course (per Education Provider) is approved by referring to:
- The ACT course page, within the ‘Listed as an Approved Provider under an NHS Procurement’ section.
- SMPS’s most recent Procurement Guide (Dec24). More information on SMPS and current procurements can be found here (if you have difficulty registering for access to the SMPS’s FutureNHS page, email SMPS on [email protected] for an invitation).
If the Education Provider’s course is approved via SMPS: it is highly advised that you request for the apprenticeship contract agreement (between the Education Provider and Employer) to be created via SMPS, to ensure that the contract contains all the requirements and reassurances the Education Provider agreed to under the procurement. In order to do this;
-
Employer is to complete SMPS’s latest Contract Request/Order Form (URN) and submit this to SMPS at [email protected]. The Education Provider will need to advise you on when is the best time for you to submit the URN, as contract requests are time sensitive and will only be accepted if your application is at a suitable point. Please liaise directly with the Education Provider about this.
- Salisbury Procurement team will then review the URN and send Employer acknowledgement that the process has started and guidance on next steps.
- Salisbury Procurement team will send the electronic contract to both the Education Provider and Employer for signatures.
If an Education Provider’s course is not approved via SMPS: Primary Care Employers should still be able to apply for the course (check with Training Hub Apprenticeship Team and any eligibility requirements for any applicable funding such as ARRS or Training Grants).
Employer
Step 9 : Order Uniform (Nursing and Nursing Associate only)
Order uniform, following the requirements provided within the Apprentice Uniform Guide.
Uniforms are required to help patients / service users and other staff identify learners as apprentices, particularly during external placements.
The Training Hub do not finance or submit uniform requests. Uniform orders have to be completed by the Employer.
Employer
Step 10 : Final Checks
- For the Tuition, accept Levy Transfer OR reserve co-investment (if applicable) – NHSE NW Levy Team can assist any queries you have.
- Submit any final application documents to Education Provider – check-in with the Education Provider regularly to ensure you have returned all relevant documents in a timely manner. This is important as different education providers have different deadlines throughout their application process.
- Sign Salisbury Procurement Contract electronically (if applicable)
- Check you have completed all steps outlined within this process
- Finalise your internal preparations for your apprentice starting on programme – please do check the below sections to see what support is available to you when your learner is on programme.
Education Provider
Step 11 : Enrolment
Education Provider will send the successful candidate and Employer all final instructions relating to enrolment.
The Training Hub Apprenticeship Team will check with the Education Provider that the apprentice has commenced on programme.
On Programme
All
- All parties commit to regularly update each other of any significant changes to the apprenticeship, such as potential break in learning, in order to work collaboratively to create appropriate solutions and for the purposes of accurate reporting.
Employer
- Attend Progress Review meetings (between Employer, Education Provider and Apprentice). These must take place minimum every 12 weeks and are organised by the Education Provider. Ensure these include agreeing clear plans to support apprentice in achieving current requirements, plus discuss future modules and requirements. Usually it is the apprentice’s Supervisor or line manager who should attend these as the Employer representation (rather than a Clinical Lead, PCN Lead or GP Partner for example).
- Ensure learner has the opportunities during working hours to complete all requirements for the programme.
- Arrange placements (where relevant). Liaise with your GPEF for more information.
- Approach Education Provider throughout for advice regarding programme and learner progress.
- Complete Training Hub’s apprenticeship feedback forms. One will be sent to you half-way through the programme and another when your learner has completed the programme. You can also provide feedback to the Training Hub at any time via the Training Hub’s feedback form.
- Action requests sent to you directly regarding any training grants. Contact the relevant training grant team directly with any queries.
Apprentice
- Education Provider will confirm the apprentice’s full responsibilities.
- Check the Training Hub’s event calendar and profession page, to see if any training / resources towards apprenticeship practical learning time. Always check suitability first with your course tutor and work place supervisor.
- Keep ‘apprenticeship hours’ log up-to-date at all times. Set time aside once a day or every week.
- Talk to manager or Supervisor, and Education Provider, about any queries or concerns.
Education Provider
- Organise regular Progress Review Meetings. These are mandatory and must take place at least every 12 weeks. They must include Employer representative, Apprentice and Education Provider.
- Raise concerns regarding programme progress with Employer and Training Hub Apprenticeship Team.
- Provide Learner ‘Progress Updates’ to Training Hub Apprenticeship Team for reporting purposes. This is in addition to learner updates Education Providers provide to Employers.
Training Hub
- Tri-annually request ‘Progress Updates’ regarding L&SC Primary Care apprentices from the Education Providers. This is to monitor progress and expected completion dates, and ensure Training Hub records are accurate for reporting purposes.
- Support with main placements via Locality Teams (for relevant programmes). Additional support is available via GPEFs, PCCAs, ACP lead, Locality Teams, Forums and groups etc.
- Monitor and report on apprenticeship activity within L&SC to appropriate parties for quality improvement purposes, including following Training Hub Raising Concerns Process if necessary.
- Represent and advocate for apprenticeships in Primary Care at a strategic level for various purposes (such as training grant and levy sharing opportunities, and ICB priorities).
- Advise Employers on progression pathways.
Queries and Contacts
Course queries
- At enquiry or application stage, first use the ACT. If further information is needed contact the Education Provider directly (contact details are on the relevant ACT course page).
- When apprentice is on programme, contact the Education Provider directly.
Tuition queries
- The course cost is detailed on the ACT course page.
- Guidance on how to apply for tuition financial support is in the above Application section (Step 6).
- If you have already contacted the NHSE NW Levy Team regarding a 100% levy transfer, refer to any instructions the Levy Team have sent you. If further advice is needed contact the Levy Team directly [email protected].
- If Employer has been sent an invoice regarding course tuition, notify the Training Hub Apprenticeship Team on [email protected] and we can check this for you.
Training Grant queries
Contact the relevant team directly:
- NHSE ACP Training Grant = NHSE North West Faculty for Advancing Practice [email protected]
- NHSE Nursing Associate Training Grant = NHSE Nursing Associate Team [email protected]
- NHSE Nursing / Community Nursing Specialist Practitioner Training Grants = NHSE North West Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Team [email protected]
Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account queries
- Guidance on how to set-up and update your DAS account is in the above Application section (Step 5).
Further support is available from the Gov DAS Team via the following options:
- Visit the Gov DAS knowledge hub to find out more
- Search for help within your DAS account at any time
- Call 08000 150 600 or email [email protected] The Gov Team opening times are 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday. During opening times, will reply to emails within 4 hours.
Placement, Audit (ULE) and Supervisor Training queries
Contact your Locality General Practice Education Facilitator (GPEF):
- Fylde Coast and Morecambe Bay = Dannii Jones [email protected] and Abi Holman [email protected]
- West Lancashire = Karen McCormick [email protected]
- Central (Greater Preston, Chorley and South Ribble) = Suzie Wilson-Shaw susan.wilson–shaw[email protected]
- Pennine Lancashire = Angela Ormrod [email protected]
- Pennine Lancashire = Julia Mullaney [email protected]
- Lancashire and South Cumbria Pharmacy PEF = Rizvan Ahmed [email protected]
NMC Paperwork queries
- Contact the Education Provider directly. If Education Provider has already contacted you about this stage, liaise with that contact. If not, you can find Education Provider contact details on the relevant ACT course page.
Procurement Contract queries
For SMPS contracts, liaise with SMPS directly on [email protected]
For anything else, please contact the Training Hub Apprenticeship Team on [email protected]