The process of approving learning environments at Primary Care Network (PCN) level, assures that the principles and policies are in place, to allow the PCN to host all learners. This initial approval / verification process streamlines several educational quality assurance processes, allowing one-off approval of the learning environment.
Following approval / verification, PCN learning environments are subject to ongoing, risk-based review, to ensure the quality and safety of the environment is maintained.
This page outlines the quality assurance mechanisms and requirements in place, to support this.
Continuous quality assurance mechanisms
Concerns raised by these quality assurance mechanisms may trigger a quality review of the practice or PCN:
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports
- Complaints or patient safety incidents
- Education provider escalation pathways
- General Medical Council National Training Survey (NTS) responses
- Learner feedback
- NHS England National Education and Training Survey (NETS) responses
- Regulatory body fitness to practice processes
- Student / learner placement processes
The Primary Care School works with the following partners to understand and respond to quality concerns:
- Education providers – including Higher Education Institutes (HEIs)
- Integrated Care Board Quality teams
- NHS England Thames Valley and Wessex GP Schools
- NHS England Thames Valley and Wessex Quality teams
- Other NHS England South East faculties / schools / teams
Information will be shared across partner teams and organisations where necessary.
Quality assurance of student / learner placements
Our Learning Environment Leads (LELs) will work with you to coordinate wider workforce student / learner placements, and support you to address any areas of concern as they arise.
Pre-placement checks
To assure educational providers a placement is suitable, your LEL will complete a series of checks and balances at the point of organising a student / learner placement:
- CQC ratings across the PCN
- If the practice / PCN is an approved hub site / learning environment
- If there is a HEI Practice Placement Agreement in place
You will then contacted to confirm:
- If you are happy to accept the placement
- If there are appropriate educators / supervisors in place
- If the educators / supervisors are appropriately trained, in line with regulatory requirements
During placement
During a student / learner placement, it is your PCNs responsibility to ensure:
- All staff, including students / learners, are actively supported to raise concerns without fear of negative consequences
- Concerns are raised via appropriate escalation mechanisms within your student / learners educational provider (e.g. HEI) and / or funding organization (e.g. NHS England)
- Governance mechanisms are in place for students / learners, PCNs and HEIs to identify, raise, act on and share concerns
Post placement
Post placement, it is your PCNs responsibility to ensure:
- Placement evaluations are completed, acted upon, and shared with educators / supervisors to assure ongoing development of the learning environment
- There are mechanisms in place to capture and respond to student / learner feedback
- There is clear, visible, inclusive and joined up senior educational leadership, committed to continuous quality improvement of education and training, and that education and training issues are fed into the most senior level of decision making
Good practice
To meet the ongoing educational needs of your PCN, and support the development of your learning environment, you should keep the following documents up to date:
- Educator / supervisor database
- Learner database
- Learner induction framework
- Placement pathways and their learning opportunities
We also recommend your education teams engage with reflection and self-assessment exercises regularly. These might include:
- Educator / supervisor peer assessment
- NHS England Safe Learning Environment Charter Maturity Matrix Self-assessment tool
- Ongoing developmental conversations with colleagues in the Primary Care School