Roles and responsibility

The apprentice will undertake to:

Attend the workplace for the required work pattern as agreed with the employer and participate in all and appropriately record all training sessions and appropriate work based learning using University ePortfolio system
Attend the university for all timetabled teaching sessions, do all independent study/research as guided by their tutors and complete all assessments as required by the University and End Point Assessment Organisation.
Liaise & negotiate with Employer and the University tutor if unable to attend a timetabled session or meet a deadline for assessment.
Be released from their employed role to allow attendance on full time placements.
Familiarise themselves with the Course and Apprenticeship Handbooks and follow the regulations of the course outlined in that handbook.
Inform parties of medical conditions, physical and development disabilities that could affect your training, either at work or at university. Such information will be treated in strictest confidence.
Behave in a safe and responsible manner, in accordance with the requirements of Health & Safety legislation relating to individual responsibilities (both at university and at work) and to promote and act in the best interests of all concerned
Treat others with respect and dignity, irrespective of their age, (dis)abilty, gender, marital status, race, religion or belief, maternity or paternity, sex or sexual orientation

University of Brighton undertakes to:

Deliver the academic teaching component of the apprenticeship programme, to meet the QAA benchmark statements using monitoring and quality assurance measures to ensure that assessments are appropriate and fair.
Provide a full induction to the university and the academic learning programme;
Provide appropriate support for apprentices in their academic/work based studies, including through the roles of academic programme tutors and individual tutors and student services.
Liaise with managers/mentors in the workplace to address any issues arising in respect of the apprentice’s progress academically or in the work place.
Work with apprentice to continuously prepare for the Gateway and End Point Assessment throughout the programme.
Have quality assurance processes to ensure the verification process is at a consistent standard for all students.
Develop Individual learning plans for each apprentice informed by diagnostic assessments and identification of any additional learning needs requirements. Access to additional learning support, such as 1:1 sessions with Dyslexia tutors will be facilitated according to need
To create an Apprentice’s individualised learning record (ILR) and record their learning start date and the agreed price for training and assessment. Ensure that Employer payments are collected through the Apprenticeship Service account.
Ensure that the University meets the necessary health & safety legislative requirements and has appropriate levels of insurance cover in place.
If the Apprentice’s employment is terminated due to redundancy, to attempt to arrange new employment for the apprentice in order for them to complete their training
Treat others with respect and dignity, irrespective of their age, (dis)abilty, gender, marital status, race, religion or belief, maternity or paternity, sex or sexual orientation
Design and supply of a ‘Practice Placement Work Book’ to direct learning and act as additional evidence to support the Apprentice’s ‘Professional Development Portfolio’
Practice placement educator and work based mentor/supervisor support, including induction, training and mentoring (delivered as part of the university’s practice placement educator/ work based mentor workshops and online support area)
Co-ordinating organisation of Apprenticeship placements and quality assurance of these.
To provide a dedicated apprenticeship lead for the programme of study

Role of the Apprenticeship Lead

The Apprenticeship Lead is a member of the academic staff who has a specific role overseeing the different aspects of the apprenticeship route in liaison with the Course Leader. This involves maintaining effective communication and effective working within the tripartite relationship between the employer, the university and the apprentice. They are responsible for ensuring that all parties are adhering to the commitment statement, for liaising with the practice placement co-ordinator and educators, the work based mentor and the apprentice. They are responsible for evaluating the day to day experience of the apprentice and evaluating their overall progress and engagement on the course. The apprenticeship lead will be acting on these findings to facilitate the optimum environment for the apprentices to be successful on the course and instigate action if a problem becomes apparent. They will have regular meetings with the work based mentor, the practice placement co-ordinator, course and module leaders and the apprentice to ensure that the apprentice is well supported on the course. The apprenticeship lead/course leader will jointly act with the employer when deciding that the apprentice is deemed ready to progress through the Gateway to End Point Assessment. They will liaise with the employer and the apprentice on behalf of the employer as part of the tripartite agreement.

Role of the Practice Placement Co-ordinator

The clinical practice placement coordinator liaises with the university apprenticeship lead, the practice placement providers and practice placement educators to enable the effective organisation and quality of placements for the apprentice. They would be experienced members of the employer’s clinical team and experienced practice educators themselves. The co-ordinator oversees the construction and implementation of the placement timetable for the apprentice. Through regular contact with the apprentice, the apprenticeship lead and the work based mentor opportunities for learning can be identified and instigated. The practice placement co-ordinator will liaise with the work based mentor and university to monitor the overall experience and progress of the apprentice whilst on placement and together help identify issues and solutions. The practice placement co-ordinator will collate information from the practice educators regarding the apprentice or the process of supporting the apprentice. They will jointly act with the work based mentor as the employer’s representative when deciding that the apprentice is deemed ready to progress through the Gateway to End Point Assessment. They will liaise with the training provider and the apprentice on behalf of the employer as part of the tripartite agreement.

The employer undertakes to:

Provide a genuine job with training during the apprenticeship, to include a mix of learning in the workplace & the opportunity to practise new skills in a real work environment.
Work with the University in order to prepare the apprentice for the Gateway and End Point Assessment.
To have an Apprenticeship Agreement in place from the start of the apprenticeship programme. The cost of the Apprentice’s wages must be met by the employer and be paid at least a wage consistent with the law for the time they are in work and in off-the-job training. Apprentices must not be asked to make a financial contribution to the cost of their apprenticeship training.
‘Off the Job’ Learning will be a minimum of 20% of the apprentices contracted hours across the duration of the programme and this time will be paid and protected. It may include release time to attend University, or to complete assignments and undertake self-directed study
Ensure that the apprentice is provided with a contract of employment, that it is at least as long as the apprenticeship and provided with a job role which provides the opportunity for them to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to achieve their apprenticeship within a supported environment. Inform the University if the Apprentice’s role is likely to take them outside of England for more than 50% of their working time.
Ensure that the apprentice is clear about any implications for their contract of employment should they fail to meet required learning outcomes of the apprenticeship and/ or their programme of study be terminated on the grounds of failure. This should be discussed and clearly documented prior to the commencement of the apprenticeship.
Participate in the review process and to allow staff from the University, their representatives and other relevant bodies (e.g. Ofsted) to visit the workplace for the purposes of reviews, workplace assessments and Health and Safety checks, by appointment and through spot checks as and when reasonable (minimum twice per year)
Conduct a health & safety induction to include safe working practices, emergency procedures, any relevant health & safety legislation, e.g.; COSHH, use of machinery etc. Ensure that all necessary risk assessments are undertaken if the Apprentice works away from the normal workplace.
To advise the University of any disciplinary issues and of any warnings issued to the Apprentice.
If the Apprentice’s employment is terminated due to redundancy, to attempt to arrange new employment for the Apprentice in order for them to complete their training and to inform the University as soon as possible so that they or the National Apprenticeship Service may be able to assist in finding a new Employer
Treat others with respect and dignity, irrespective of their age, (dis)abilty, gender, marital status, race, religion or belief, maternity or paternity, sex or sexual orientation
Ensure that the apprentice has had an enhanced DBS check no more than 3 years prior to the beginning of the apprenticeship and that this is updated at intervals of no more than 3 years and to communicate with the university regarding anything of concern that is revealed on any such DBS check.
Provide occupational health screening for the apprentice and to communicate with the university/the university’s occupational health service regarding any health issues that may impact on the progress of the apprentice on the apprenticeship.
To ensure that any contract of employment commences with enough lead up time to allow the Apprentice to complete any work place mandatory training or induction process prior to the start of the Apprenticeship study programme so that this does not impact on their study.
Ensure that the Apprentice is clear about any implications for their contract of employment should they fail to meet the required learning outcomes of the Apprenticeship and/ or their programme of study be terminated on the grounds of failure. This should be clearly understood, agreed and documented prior to the commencement of the Apprenticeship.
The Employer and Apprentice should be clear in the understanding that should the Apprentice need to resit an assessment at a second attempt during the scheduled resit period this will be included in the Training Provider fee structure at no extra cost; however if the Apprentice is required to repeat a year, in full or part time mode, due to failure of the resit this will require additional funding which cannot be drawn from the levy. Discussion must have taken place between the Employer and the Apprentice on how this situation will be resolved should it arise, prior to agreeing to commit to the Apprenticeship.
Provide an appropriately qualified Podiatrist ‘Work Based Mentor’ as part of the learning contract to support development of the Apprentice’s required skills in the workplace. The mentor will support the Apprentice to develop and regularly update a bespoke learning plan that reflects their individual circumstances, for example: their specific job role and the needs of that role; the Apprentice’s interests and knowledge and skills gaps; their progress towards course milestones and any obstacles to this; the specific settings in which they undertake their placements.
Ensure that work based mentors and other employees involved in delivering or supporting the learning of apprentices are appropriately trained and up-to-date in their knowledge and that this is evidenced and monitored (e.g. as part of the Employer’s standard appraisal process). Mentors should be experienced members of staff who are able to hold the mentor role for some time, so continuity can be maintained.
Provide opportunities in the workplace to support an apprentice’s identified learning needs.
Release the Apprentice for off the job training during term time to attend university taught sessions, complete assignments, attend practice placements and undertake self-directed study.
Release for a minimum of 1000 total hours of practice placements away from their workplace to cover all required placement settings.
Relieve the Apprentice of an appropriate proportion of their workload to allow for attendance at the university during academic modules and assessments.
Relieve Apprentices of their whole workload to allow attendance on full time placements.

Role of the Work Based Mentor

This person is a key contact for the apprentice within their employer organisation and leads on the support for the apprentice while engaging in work based learning. They will be an experienced member of staff who has had mentorship training and who may not necessarily be directly within the apprentice’s usual work environment. They will work closely with the apprentice and the university to produce a work based learning plan which the apprentice can use to structure their work based learning. This plan will be regularly updated and will link into both the academic and clinical modules. The mentor works with the apprentice to identify opportunities and create an achievable plan to encourage and engage learning whilst in the work environment. The work based mentor, apprentice and practice placement co-ordinator will meet regularly with the apprenticeship lead from the university to discuss the apprentice’s progress and identify and solve any issues. The work based mentor will jointly act with the Practice Placement Co-ordinator as the employer’s representative when deciding that the apprentice is deemed ready to progress through the Gateway to End Point Assessment. They will liaise with the training provider and the apprentice on behalf of the employer as part of the tripartite agreement.

Role of the Practice Placement Educators

Practice placement educators are responsible for the day to day delivery of the clinical practice placement experience in participating NHS Trusts and within the apprentice’s employer. They will be qualified HCPC Podiatrists and will have engaged with and remain up to date with practice educator accreditation training. They will supervise the apprentice during their clinical practice and ensure that the placement environment remains safe and supportive for the apprentice to facilitate optimal learning. They communicate with the university though the practice placement co-ordinator and are responsible for supervising and mentoring the apprentice in the practice placement environment. They are also responsible for contributing to any components of the module assessment to be conducted in the practice placement setting.

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