Quality Assurance

Self-Assessment 

The annual self-assessment (SA) is a process by which clinical placement providers carry out their own quality evaluation against a set of standards. It is based on the philosophy of continuous quality improvement, the identification of quality improvement potential, the development of action plans, implementation, and subsequent evaluation.

Clinical placement providers are asked to complete an online form indicating where they have or have not met the standards as set out in the SA. There is the opportunity under most of the questions to provide comments to support answers, this is optional and not mandatory.

The 2022 Provider Self-Assessment National Report summarises the response from providers and work underway to improve education and training quality.

During 2024, in line with the NHS education agreement (formally NHS education contract), the annual self-assessment process to primary care and education providers.

Benefits to Providers

A SA encourages learning providers to take ownership and responsibility for assessing the quality of their learning environments and putting activity in place to address concerns arising as a result, seeking support (internally and externally) as required. It introduces, or reinforces, the importance of self-reporting or assessment as part of their monitoring approach, encouraging self-reflection and focus. Accountability at a senior/executive level within the provider will also be introduced as sign off will be expected prior to submission.

Providers will be able to use the SA as a form of re-assurance to other stakeholders to whom they report for example, regulators, commissioners. Embedding the SA as part of internal governance frameworks demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement and transformation.

To attract and retain workforce, the SA can be used as a useful promotion tool to demonstrate commitment to education and training.

NHS England education quality interventions - published reports

NHS England, Workforce, Training and Education is responsible for ensuring that there are high-quality learning environments for all healthcare learners in England. Since the publication of the multi-professional Education Quality Strategy and Education Quality Framework in 2016/17 (since refreshed in 2021), regional teams have used a suite of agreed quality interventions to monitor and improve the quality of education and training across England.  These often involve gaining direct feedback and insights from learners and their supervisors/educators during visits to the provider organisations where healthcare education and training, funded thorough the NHS Education Funding Agreement, is delivered (including an increasing variety of settings in the primary, secondary, community and independent sector).

NHS England, Workforce, Training and Education is committed to publishing an outcome report within 50 days of a quality intervention taking place (this does not preclude improvement work commencing ahead of publication).

It is important to note that the details provided in these reports relate to a snapshot of the learning environment at single point in time and are underpinned by the views, opinions and experiences of healthcare learners, educators and management (triangulated with other evidence where possible). Our regional teams and the provider work collaboratively to address any areas outlined where education quality standards, as set-out in the education quality framework and NHS education agreement (formally NHS education contract), are not being met.  We will also seek to identify, highlight and share good practice where we find it.

NHS England Education Quality (WT&E) - Quality Assurance Learning Hub

Published reports can be found on the NHS Learning Hub. All reports are publicly available. All you need to do is sign up for an NHS Learning Hub account and search for ‘Quality Assurance’.

Published reports are set out by region. Please note that the evidence presented in each report will include the views, opinions and experiences of healthcare learners, educators and management at a particular period in time.

Archived reports are available on request, please email england.wte.quality@nhs.net.