Improving functional skills training for unregistered NHS support workers: a structured, person-centred approach

This article outlines a process improvement project conducted in an NHS trust to enhance the learner experience and outcomes of the functional skills qualification programme. This programme is a mandatory prerequisite for higher clinical apprenticeships at the authors’ organisation, and thus can pose a barrier to the career progression of the healthcare support workforce, which is integral to the NHS workforce plan. The project involved collecting both formal and informal feedback on training needs, learner experience and course outcomes in relation to the existing functional skills qualification programme. This article discusses the key themes identified from this work, placing them within the context of current literature and national policies. Ways in which uptake and outcomes have been improved are also outlined, alongside approaches to enhance stakeholder experience and increase career progression opportunities for the support workforce through the implementation of a structured approach to functional skills qualification support.