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Healthcare learner buddy scheme – 10-step implementation plan
Introduction
A buddy scheme is a structured support system within learning environments where individuals are paired together to provide assistance, guidance, and friendship. The primary purpose of a buddy scheme is to create a professional community which develops the learner’s sense of belonging and to facilitate social integration, personal support, and skills development. Shared learning experiences and understanding are core components of the relationship.
This 10-step implementation plan is designed to inspire educational providers to prepare for a successful buddy scheme, also known as peer support schemes, within a healthcare educational programme. It emphasises embracing the principles of co-production and anti-racism, ensuring that learners are placed at the heart of their education and training. The aim is to support learners to successfully complete their programmes and transition into the health and social care workforce.
Following the publication of the Allied health professional student buddy scheme evidence-Based guide, four Universities within the Midlands region along with Health Education England – Midlands Reducing Pre-registration Attrition and Improving Retention (RePAIR) fellows, undertook a scoping exercise to review existing buddy schemes against the best practice guidance and develop an implementation plan for allied health professions (AHPs) at pre-registration level (including apprenticeship programmes). The universities were then invited to produce an implementation plan for multi-professional use.
The plan has been co-produced from scoping work conducted with pre-registration AHP learners, along with the experiences and feedback from nursing and midwifery learners. The toolkit is therefore applicable to a wide variety of healthcare learners and is not restricted to nursing, midwifery and AHP programmes.
Which buddy schemes are included in the scope of the implementation plan?
The term ‘buddy scheme’ encompasses all healthcare learners from pre- and post-registration, as well as those in associate and apprenticeship courses, who are involved in peer-to-peer support or reverse mentoring.
A buddy scheme can be profession, programme, or cohort specific, or multi-professional, and can focus on different elements of the learning journey - academic, placement and pastoral.
Toolkit – 10 Step implementation Plan
1. Consider context and characteristics of the learner group
Review local data to identify target areas for support, which may include but not limited to:
- attrition data and the factors contributing to attrition:
- National Education and Training Survey (NETS) results
- National Student Survey (NSS) results
- module and placement evaluations
- attainment and awarding gap
- access and participation plans
- consult course/programme leads to identify current schemes under development or already in place
2. Assess resources and confirm strategic support
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identify staff member to lead on the buddy scheme implementation:
- reflect on workload allocation model/portfolio
- consider two staff members to co-lead and/or learner collaboration to promote sustainability of the scheme
- consider requirements for administrative support
3. Consider focus, aims and objectives of the scheme
- scope cohort sizes to identify feasible ratio of senior to junior buddy
- scope learner demographics to identify particular focus in response to needs and experiences of different groups. These might include learners with a significant commute to placements, those that identify as the Global Ethnic Majority, first generation higher education learners, and learners with disability and neurodivergent needs
- consider scheme type guided by the data reviewed in step 1: academic, pastoral or placement. Some learners may span across the three scheme types, so a hybrid approach can be taken to meet specific requirements
- consider innovative and learner driven initiatives like reverse mentoring buddy schemes, which involve staff being mentored by learners, particularly those from historically marginalised groups. This fosters a deeper understanding and exchange of experiences directly benefiting the institutional practices, educational strategies, and enhances the cultural competence and responsiveness of the staff, aligning with the principles of co-production and anti-racism
4. Consider how matching of buddies will occur
- the process for matching buddies must be meticulously planned and executed with sensitivity
- seek the views of the learners involved, empowering them to have a choice on how matching the buddies should occur
- consider which characteristics most affect local evaluations, which could include:
- lived experience, such as being a learner with parental or carer responsibilities
- placement locations or allocations
- protected characteristics to promote inclusion
- random allocation
- If learners wish to be matched, only offer matching based on characteristics that feature in the cohorts of both the senior and junior buddies. This could be via senior buddy profiles, or ‘buddy by experience.’
5. Developing buddy skills and incentivisation
- consider how the buddies will benefit from the scheme. The scheme can be mandatory and embedded into a course module as demonstrated in the case study (page 6), or optional with or without an incentive
- main emphasis should be on the personal and professional development of transferrable skills. Other options for incentives to consider can include:
- recognition and promotion through pin badges, lanyards, or similar
- linked to clinical hours or competencies for placement-related schemes
- linked to a module as a formative submission of evidence of engagement for senior and/or junior buddies
- certification on completion of scheme
- other incentives such as gift or campus coffee shop vouchers
6. Select and prepare all buddies and develop supportive materials
- identify means of training buddies:
- approach in-house learner services to facilitate session on safeguarding, confidentiality, and signposting, or develop bespoke training session for the scheme
- collate record of attendance and issue certificates
- if possible, align the training to the wider educational programme to enable learners to achieve proficiencies
- develop staff and learner guides to buddy scheme, to include:
- roles and expectations for senior and junior buddies
- training requirements for staff and buddies
- communication methods and expectations
- proposed meetings schedule
- named staff point of contact
- signposting and support services
- meeting documentation template for example, notes, reflection, feedback, actions
7. Develop an evaluation plan
- consider gaining local ethical approval prior to commencement of the scheme to enable publication of outcomes
- identify measurable outcomes of the scheme, to include quantitative and qualitative data of relevance
- qualitative data might include understanding the effects of the scheme on learners via focus groups or open-ended questionnaire, or in comments in the NSS
- quantitative data might include attrition data, results from NETS and NSS, module or placement evaluation metrics
- plan how and when to review relevant data to inform subsequent development of the buddy scheme
8. Implement the scheme
- launch the scheme with staff, ensuring that all relevant staff members are provided with a copy of the staff and learner guide
- initiate the program with senior buddies to secure their support, then proceed with a thorough launch involving all participants
9. Evaluate scheme as per actions in step 7
Analyse the data to identify trends, successes and needs for further development of the scheme. Consider additional engagement with learners to further understand the findings and co-produce solutions to strengthen the scheme.
10. Lessons learned and re-evaluation
- consider the sustainability of the scheme
- consider any amendments required; what changes are needed to ensure the scheme meets its aims?
- re-evaluate the context of the scheme; the perspectives of the learners could evolve over time and their requirements may span across different schemes as they progress through their academic career
- consider how to share the outcome of the scheme through informal and formal methods, including locally within departments or schools, via communities of practice, at conferences, and through publication
- consider financial or resource implications to any changes required
Case study: diagnostic radiography and speech and language therapy – de Montfort university
Acknowledgements
The implementation plan was co-produced by:
Hannah Abbott – Deputy Dean (Interim), Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University
Claire Carter – Business Relationship Manager and Senior Lecturer, University of Derby
Julie Stokes – Deputy Programme Lead and Senior Lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography, De Montfort University
Alison Tempest – Associate Professor in Speech and Language Therapy, De Montfort University
Roisin Bailey – RePAIR Fellow, NHS England Workforce, Training & Education – Midlands
Jenny Davies – RePAIR Fellow, NHS England Workforce, Training & Education – Midlands
Srihari Tippa – AHP Clinical Leadership Fellow, NHS England Workforce, Training & Education – Midlands
Faye Eastwood – Midwifery Clinical Leadership Fellow, NHS England Workforce, Training & Education – Midlands
Grateful thanks are due to the following people and organisations for their comments and suggestions on the development of the implementation plan:
Birmingham City University
Staffordshire University
University of Derby
University of Wolverhampton