Enabling people to fulfil a dream career path - Why would we not want to be part of that for our local community?

In 2020, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust agreed to share their levy funds in a bid to support local healthcare and care providers with their apprenticeship training requirements. We spoke with Gill Perry Head of Professional and Commissioned Education about her experience using the Essex Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service.

Can you provide a brief overview of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust?

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is made up of three large acute Hospitals, Basildon, Broomfield and Southend. We came together to form one Trust in April 2020 making us the third largest Trust in the Country with over 15000 staff. Our Trust provides acute care including cardiac surgery, cancer treatments and our world-renowned burns and plastics service.

What message can MSE NHS Foundation Trust give to other organisations considering sharing their levy?

Sharing the levy is a good way of appropriately using the levy to create opportunities for local people to work in healthcare. It enables people who would not necessarily have the chance to fulfil a dream to pursue a path that could lead to a career in nursing or social care. Why would we not want to be part of that for our local community?

When did MSE NHS Foundation Trust first share their levy?

We first shared our levy in November 2020. We made it part of our apprenticeship strategy as we aim to be an employer of choice within our local community and this is an excellent way of developing local talent and giving opportunity to those who live and want to work locally.

What value does MSE NHS Foundation Trust gain from sharing their levy?

We benefit by supporting local people get into roles in the healthcare sector and with their improved knowledge, expect this to make a difference to the local population they care for. We hope that the upskilling of staff to care for patients within the social or care home setting will help reduce admissions to hospital that are often distressing for patients who would much rather avoid them and remain in their homes.

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In 2021 GP practice Hassengate Medical Centre based in Stanford-le-Hope, appointed an Apprentice Receptionist / Administrator
to join their team

Through the Levy Transfer Service, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust offered to share some of their unspent levy with the
practice to cover the costs of their new apprentices’ programme, thus negating the need for the practice to make a financial contribution towards their training

How has the Essex Levy Transfer Service benefited your organisation’s training needs?

The entire cost of the apprenticeship will be paid by the levy transfer. The funds that we have received for training has allowed us to create an exciting new job opportunity and recruit a new apprentice without the need to co-invest. We are now looking to utilise this service again to further expand our team

From your experience, would you recommend that other smaller organisations utilise the Levy Transfer Service for their training needs?

We would certainly recommend to other businesses to utilise this service to either upskill staff or hire new apprentices. The Levy Transfer Service has supported the creation of new roles at our practice and importantly, will help to address skills shortages across the Health and Social Care sector and beyond.

How easy did you find the Essex Levy Transfer Service process?

Straight forward process and easy to action. We were offered support each step of the way including how to set up, use and accept the transfer via the apprenticeship service account.

Russell Vine - Hassengate practice manager

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How has the Essex Levy Transfer Service benefited your organisation's training needs?

This has supported us to provide training, which would be a major cost to the company to help staff develop their careers. We have to provide ongoing mandatory training which in this low profit industry can be challenging, but the levy enables us to support additional development for staff which benefits both staff and clients.

How easy did you find the Essex Levy Transfer Service process?

It was very simple and efficient.

From your experience, would you recommend that other smaller organisations utilise the Levy Transfer Service for
their training needs?

Absolutely, this is a great benefit for small companies and their staff