What's new on the digitised proficiencies

This video gives you a quick overview of:

• The key differences between the digitised and paper versions of the proficiencies
• The Admin roles available in the platform for supervising
• And How to view the digitised proficiencies as an admin user

This is a written version of the content found within the introduction video in the training materials.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes 40 seconds.

How does the digitised version differ from the paper version?

Whilst the content of the digitised versions are almost identical to the paper versions, there are a couple of key changes to the way they are used.

This means that moving to the digital version is still going to create some change in your organisation, and that requires time and resource. Just like introducing an updated piece of equipment, you still need to read the new manual and get trained up before you use it.

This is also why we have recommended that each Trust or Higher Education Institute appoints Implementation Leads to provide the operational oversight necessary for the required change. Please note that this role sits outside of the platform hierarchy.

So what are the key differences?

Platform setup for your Trust

Firstly, the digital version requires some initial set up for organisations. This is important, as this set up will allow the benefits of better governance and control of how proficiencies are signed off and who can do so.

The good news is this setup only needs to happen once. From then on your organisation will just add any new staff as they join.

Setup includes registering staff - both Learners and those supervising or overseeing progress - as delegates on the platform and then promoting them into the correct platform role. If a Trust and Higher Education Institute are co-managing a learner, it is the responsibility of the Trust to register and enrol the learner.

There is a hierarchy of 5 roles that delegates can be assigned in the platform:

• Clinical Centre Manager
• Administrator
• Educator / Manager
• Assessor
• Learner

At the top is the Clinical Centre Manager, who is the Trust or Higher Education Institute level lead on the platform and ultimately accountable for all delegates completing proficiencies in their organisation.

The first four roles are called ‘admin roles’ as they control the access and activity of roles lower down in the hierarchy.

In order for a delegate to have an admin role in the platform, a Clinical Centre Manager needs to promote them. Educator/Managers also have the ability to promote delegates to the Assessor role. This process ensures there is governance control over who can do what on the platform.

If you are the first Clinical Centre Manager in your team, you need to get an existing Non-Clinical Centre Manager in your Trust to promote you. If you don’t know who this it, get in touch with us.

A Trust can have multiple delegates in each platform role, and we encourage this to cover instances of unavailability.

A single delegate might also have more than one role if they require multiple functionalities within the platform – for example a Clinical Centre Manager also acting as an Educator/Manager will need to be promoted to both roles.

We have created training packages for each role. If you are working in multiple roles you will need to look at all relevant pre-reading materials and user guides.

Learner self-assessment of proficiencies

The second key difference compared to the paper version, is how the learner will use the proficiencies.

First, Learners will self-assess whether they have ‘achieved’ a proficiency – this is the new part, aimed at making the process Learner-led.

They will then send that self-assessed ‘achieved’ proficiency to an Educator/Manager or Assessor in the platform, who can either confirm the achieved proficiency (similar to the supervisor signature currently used), or reject it and add an action plan of what the learner needs to do.

Like the paper version, this digital version is simply a record of a Learner’s proficiencies. You as the Trust will still deliver the training to support achievement of proficiencies and decide what constitutes a Learner being proficient in that knowledge or skill.

It is up to your organisation how many and which Learners you want to start using this digitised version. You may want to use it only for new Learners, or you might want to retrospectively add Learners who are already using the paper version.

How can I view the digitised proficiencies?

Currently, only Learners enrolled on the proficiencies and those supervising these Learners will be able to see the digitised proficiencies on the platform. NHS England’s Technology Enhanced Learning Team is working to make it visible to everyone.