Developing the next generation of nurses

Case study: NHS Northamptonshire Foundation Trust.

In 2023, the UK government released its NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, with some ambitious recruitment targets: growing the total workforce by 2.6-2.9% each year, including an extra 170,000-190,000 nurses by 2036/37. Apprenticeships will have an important role to play in achieving those targets.

An organisation that is already making good use of apprenticeships is Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), which provides a range of services across mental health, adults, children and learning disability communities in Northamptonshire. It has a policy of growing its own talent, with 90 nursing apprentices on its programme currently, many of them through The Open University (OU).

The Long Term Workforce Plan is supporting what we’re already doing within NHFT. As an organisation, we have a very positive approach to learning and development. Part of that are the apprenticeships, to support our workforce to grow and develop.
Lisa Gammon
Apprenticeship Lead at the Trust

Local talent challenges

It can be difficult for employers in Northamptonshire to find the skills and talent they need, for several reasons: it is a largely rural county, there are issues with the local transport system and it is an educational cold spot. Apprenticeships are a great way to address those challenges, enabling employers to build a skilled and loyal internal talent pipeline, while widening access to learning and providing job opportunities for the local community.

Leigh Green, a Registered Nurse at NHFT, has benefited hugely from his apprenticeship. He has had several careers, such as being a cabinet maker and working in social care, but he wanted to move into nursing. When he saw the opportunity to study for a nursing apprenticeship through a local employer – NHFT –he took it. Having never thought of himself as an academic person – “my talents were around woodwork and practical skills” – he found the level of support offered by the OU invaluable. “It taught me a lot about academic writing, how to manage my own time to fit studies in and there was always someone available should I need to access support.”

Opening up opportunities

After gaining his nursing qualification, Leigh moved into a more senior nurse role and has embarked on further training.

I’m doing my non-medical prescribing course. It allows me to have a greater scope in what I can do in treating, supporting and helping patients, and that’s where I’m wanting to develop now. That wouldn’t have been available as an option before, so it’s opened a lot more opportunities.
Leigh Green
Registered Nurse at NHFT

Lisa says this is what apprenticeships offer people: “It’s about opening doors to people who’ve never had that opportunity through traditional routes.” Simoni Oirere is a full-time Registered Nurse Degree Apprentice in his third year of study. Originally from Kenya, he had already completed study in health and social care through the OU before moving to the UK. He started working at NHFT through an agency, providing cleaning, catering and porter services, but really wanted to move into nursing. “Completing the apprenticeship is going to be satisfying – it’s something I’ve been aiming to achieve. It’s been a lot of work, but I’ll be happy to finish, join the team and support our patients. It’s been a wonderful experience.”

Natasha Wilson was one of the first cohort of nursing students to study with the OU. In her current role as Lead Practice Learning Facilitator for Higher Clinical Apprenticeships at NHFT, she loves working with apprentices and helping develop the next generation of nurses. “It’s so lovely when they go from somebody who doesn’t know how to study, doesn’t know how to use evidence-based practice, and then they get to the point where they’re applying for their PIN¹. It’s just such a lovely thing to see.”

OU partnership provides range of qualifications

The Trust started working with the OU in 2012 and signed up as a partner when the OU began offering nursing apprenticeships in 2017. The OU now runs nursing qualifications for the Trust – Nursing Associate Apprenticeships and the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeships, in all four fields of mental health, adult learning, disability and young people.

Leanne Holman, a qualified mental health nurse and Staff Tutor at the OU, says the close working relationship between the OU and NHFT ensures programmes run successfully. The OU helps identify potential apprentices, establish their needs and then support them through their learning and career journey, potentially through more than one apprenticeship. “We’ve built up effective communication strategies where we communicate frequently with each other. We have regular meetings, regular progress updates and frequent communication.”

Balancing study and home life

The level of flexibility provided by the OU’s approach to learning really works for the Trust. Lisa says it’s key to the success of the programme, enabling students to balance studying with work and home life. “But flexibility is also important to the employer, who have commitments to patients and services to run.”

Anthony Hammond, a Registered Nurse at NHFT, started his nursing journey as a healthcare assistant. Having left school with few GCSEs and spending many years working in retail, he is delighted to have found his vocation. And “I never in a million years thought I would achieve a degree, so it was a great achievement.”

Like Leigh, Anthony says the apprenticeship has led to further opportunities, including being promoted to Clinical Team Leader within nine months of graduating. Anthony hopes to do more studying through the OU, but he is also enjoying taking on a mentoring role. “It’s really important to spot potential in people. It’s one of the things I hold close to me since passing the degree apprenticeship – to give people the opportunity to upskill within their role, develop and grow.”

Apprenticeships: a win for everyone

Meanwhile, Angelika Sroka is looking forward to her second graduation ceremony. She achieved her Nursing Associate a couple of years ago and immediately started topping it up with a Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship. “I’ve been to my graduation for my Nursing Associate. I felt proud wearing that gown and walking up on that stage, getting my certificate. I can’t wait to do it all again!” Angelika didn’t even expect to become a nurse at 18 when she left school. She had wanted to be an art teacher but took a job in a care home and discovered how much she enjoyed caring for her patients, which led her to a role at NHFT and then to her apprenticeship journey.

Lisa says apprenticeships are a win for everybody – students, employers, patients and society as a whole – and the OU is a big part of that for NHFT. “The strength of The Open University is across the country and how practice and learning can be shared to support organisations grow, particularly with the apprenticeship model and how that is going to fit into the government’s ambition for the long term.”