Hospitals & services

Learning and development

In fulfilling its role as a Teaching Hospital, the Trust has an ambition to be a centre of teaching excellence, recognising the importance of the experience given to our learners in attracting and retaining staff, providing support for our people to have the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver the highest standards of health and care, now and in the future. The Learning, Education and Development (LED) department is committed to providing all staff and learners at the Trust with access to quality education and training, supporting provision of quality patient care.

Based at Rivermead Training Centre on the Northern General Hospital site, LED lead on the Induction, Mandatory Training, and Job Specific Essential Training for the Trust. The department maintains oversight and governance for external funding, meeting the requirements of the NHS England Education Contract, and managing nursing, midwifery and TNA placements.

Aligned to the Trust’s People Strategy 2023-2028, LED is committed to growing staff through learning, development, progression and teamwork in line with the People Promise: We are Always Learning. LED engage in partnerships with local, regional and national bodies to ensure that the Trust is responsive to investing in the training needs of the current and future workforce.

We provide professional and vocational education & training courses and materials, including apprenticeships from Level 2 to 7, short courses, and other programmes to train new and existing talent. This includes:

  • Leading and supporting Trust working groups, professional practice and clinical skills development initiatives
  • Providing advice and support to individual staff, students, newly qualified nurses, Care Group Clinical Educators and training administrators
  • Managing STH’s Learning Needs Analysis process and ensuring fair allocation of education funding to meet STH priorities
  • Working in partnership with regional healthcare providers, schools, colleges and higher education institutions to meet staff development, work experience and student placement requirements
  • Managing the Trust’s Personal Achievement Learning Management System (PALMS) which records all training and gives access to a wide range of online and face-to-face Mandatory Training and Job Specific Essential Training, as well as other courses
  • The Finance and Business Team: overseeing a range of educational funding provided by NHS England and Sheffield Hospitals Charitable Trust. These funding sources can be used to support learning and development of STH staff assisting them to improve their knowledge and skills and develop their career potential with the aim of improving the patient experience and outcomes. We support the departmental financial planning to maximise best use of public resources for learning outcomes.
  • Practice Based Learning Team: delivering the Healthcare Support Worker Programme to clinical support workers new to the Trust and support them to attain the nationally recognised Care Certificate within their first three months of employment. Additionally, the multi-professional preceptorship programme provides a structured and supportive start to all newly registered nurses and allied health professionals within their first 12 months of joining the Trust. The Practice Based Learning Team also supports and manages placements in the Trust for student nurses, midwives and paramedics, working with local higher education institution partners to provide a positive learning experience for pre-registration learners.
  • Practice Development Team: providing an educational portfolio to staff across STH, that ensure a high-quality training service that is not only relevant but also evidence-based and conforming to national standards. By supporting services across the trust, the team work from a principle centred and based around the PROUD values, recognising that patients are at the heart of all of our outputs. Our main training subjects are around two patient essential subjects including: Moving and Handling and Reducing Restrictive Interventions, both of which have grounding in patient and staff safety. These subjects work in conjunction with nursing, mental health, and service providers in establishing safe working conditions, as well as equipping our workforce with the necessary skills to support patient needs, whilst in our care.
  • The PALMS team: Manages the Personal Achievement Learning Management System (PALMS) which allows employees to access a wide range of training, including both e-learning and face-to-face courses. This ensures staff have the necessary skills for their roles and professional development. The system tracks all completed training and helps manage the Trust's learning needs
  • Induction, Mandatory & Job Specific Essential Training (IMET) Team: playing a key role in supporting the training needs of our staff at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. The teams work focuses on Governance and Compliance: Ensuring all mandatory and job-specific training meets the highest standards. Supporting Development: Assisting in creating, implementing, and managing essential training programmes for our staff. And Striving for Excellence: Committed to setting and maintaining the highest standards in everything we do
Karen Vella Education, Learning and Staff Development Director karen.vella@nhs.net
Benjamin Chico Deputy Education, Learning and Staff Development Director benjamin.chico@nhs.net
Karen Percival Head of Clinical and Professional Development Karen.percival3@nhs.net
Lisa Dransfield Business Manager lisa.dransfield1@nhs.net
Jennifer Warvell Learning and Development Manager jennifer.warvell@nhs.net
Carl Walker Learning and Development Manager carl.walker4@nhs.net

 

This service is available at the following Hospitals:

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