1. NMC Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice Lesley Barrowman Senior Professional Officer NIPEC

2. New Framework Developed to give better assurances to NMC that students undertaking programmes have been supported and provided with appropriate supervision and assessment of competency by practitioners with the necessary knowledge and competence

3. Developmental Framework Stage 1 - Newly qualified registrant Stage 2 - Mentor for pre-registration students Stage 3 - Practice Teacher for post- registration students Stage 4 - Teacher

4. Assessment of Competence – Pre Registration Nursing All students will be assessed during their programme by mentors prepared for role Students can only be assessed for entry to the register (at the end of their programme) by sign off mentors or practice teachers For midwifery programmes all mentors must be sign off mentors

5. Sign off Mentor Sign off mentors must demonstrate additional competence – Supervised on 3 occasions – Clinical currency – Understand accountability Sign off mentors must have a minimum of one hour of protected time each week Implemented for students who commence programmes from 1 September 2007

6. Responsibilities of Trusts Maintain an up to date register of mentors, sign off mentors and practice teachers, including appraisal system 40% of students time with a mentor/practice teacher who must keep records Final placement one hour per week with sign off mentor Make provision for annual updating Triennial review of mentors/practice teachers Access to support and supervision

7. Mentor Programmes Must enable mentors to meet the required outcomes Minimum academic level 2 10 days, minimum 5 days protected learning time Learning in academic and practice setting, including work-based learning under supervision of trained mentor/practice teacher AP(E)L up to 100% Normally completed within 3 months

8. Practice Teacher Programmes Must enable practice teachers to meet the required outcomes Minimum academic level 3 Learning in academic and practice setting, including work-based learning under supervision of trained practice teacher 30 days protected learning time AP(E)L up to 100% Normally completed within 6 months

9. Teacher Programmes Must enable teachers to meet the required outcomes One academic year in length Minimum academic level post-graduate Learning in academic and practice setting, including work-based learning under supervision of trained practice teacher Include 12 weeks teaching practice (360 hours)

10. NIPEC Project DHSSPS has requested that NIPEC project manages the implementation of the new NMC standards in Northern Ireland.

11. NIPEC Project Processes must be developed to ensure that mentors and practice teachers previously prepared for their role and who will be supporting students commencing after 1st September 2007 meet the new NMC standards Placement providers are required to establish and maintain an up to date local register of mentors and practice teachers, which can be accessed by education providers

12. NIPEC Project Placement providers are required to develop and implement processes that ensure that mentors and practice teachers meet NMC requirements for on-going competency and updating Placement providers are required to develop infrastructures that provide the necessary protected time for mentors and practice teachers to meet the specified NMC requirements for supporting and assessing students in practice

13. NIPEC Project Education providers are required to develop systems that ensure the relevant verification of students meeting NMC proficiency requirements during programmes and at programme completion. New mentors and practice teachers are prepared through programmes developed by service and education programme providers that meet new NMC standards New mentor and practice teacher programmes are approved by NMC for provision by NMC approved education institutions.

14. NIPEC Project Aim To facilitate service and education programme providers in meeting the NMC Standards and ensure that sufficient mentors and practice teachers are in place at 1st September 2007 to meet NMC requirements

15. NIPEC Project Objectives To ensure that service providers have an infrastructure in place that enables them to meet NMC standards. To ensure that service providers have developed a system to enable current mentors and practice teachers to be mapped against NMC requirements. To ensure that service providers develop a database for use in each locality to maintain a register of mentors and practice teachers, accessible to education providers.

16. NIPEC Project Objectives To ensure that service and education programme providers have arrangements in place for further development of current mentors and practice teachers unable to demonstrate that they meet NMC standards. To work with service and education programme providers to ensure that programmes developed for mentors and practice teachers meet service needs for a regionally developed programme to prepare adequate numbers of mentors and practice teachers to support students

17. NIPEC Project To ensure that preparation programmes for mentors and practice teachers are approved in accordance with NMC requirements in a timely manner. To facilitate the development of quality assurance systems that will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the structures and processes implemented to meet NMC standards. To explore the resource impact of meeting NMC requirements.

18. Methodology Appoint a full-time Project Officer Set up a Steering Group with responsibility for ensuring the project progresses to plan and that arrangements to meet the new NMC standards are implemented across the HPSS, where relevant, the Independent Sector, and Education Providers

19. Methodology Set up a Project Group, accountable to the Steering Group that will address the organisational changes in their nominated organisations. Implementation of the NMC requirements will be realised through the Project Team members.

20. Methodology Currently recruiting membership of the Steering Group and Project Group Ensuring representation from all parts of NMC register to include representation from:Currently recruiting membership of the Steering Group and Project Group Ensuring representation from all parts of NMC register to include representation from: –HPSS Trusts –Education Providers –Independent Sector –DHSSPS –NMC members (Steering Group) –NIPEC

21. Methodology Underpinning principle is that NIPEC will be facilitating the work but the ownership and accountability for all aspects of the work remains with the HPSS, Independent Sector and Education Provider Organisations working in partnership