My NHS apprenticeship journey

It’s National Apprenticeship Week (3 – 9 February 2020), and we’re putting a spotlight on apprenticeships and the opportunities they bring.  

Chloe Brumpton

Apprenticeships are a great way to learn and gain experience whilst gaining a qualification and money at the same time.  Whether you’re thinking about applying for an apprenticeship or not sure if they are right for you, our blog from 26-year-old physiotherapist apprentice, Chloe Brumpton, gives an insight into why she decided to go down the route of an apprenticeship over university and its rewards and challenges. 

“I’m nearly half way through completing a two and half-year Physiotherapist Degree Apprenticeship with the trust” explains Chloe.  “I left school at 16 with GCSEs but didn’t go on to do A Levels or a Level 3 qualification.  I knew I wanted to work in healthcare or public services but at that point I didn’t know what area or profession.  I started a Health and Social Care apprenticeship with the Trust and gained a Level 2 NVQ in Health and Social care which led to me being appointed in a Band 2 support worker role and then a Band 4 level.  It was after several years in therapy and rehabilitation services that I knew physiotherapy was where I wanted to pursue my career.  A colleague told me that the Charted Society of Physiotherapy was planning on designing an apprenticeship style course and this is where my physiotherapy journey began.

“It would have been financially difficult for me
to undertake the same course at university”

“I’d heard a lot of positive rumours about the course and, as I am a hands-on learner and prefer learning in a working environment, I knew this apprenticeship would really suit me and my learning style. The physiotherapy apprenticeship felt too good to be true.  I knew it would have been financially difficult for me to leave work and undertake the full-time physiotherapy course at university.”

To ensure Chloe had the entry requirements for a Physiotherapist Degree Apprenticeship (which are the same as a BSc physiotherapy course), she took an access course to gain her Level 3 equivalent which she funded herself.

“The Trust was fantastic at allowing me the time to attend college once a week” says Chloe. "They were also flexible with study time and leave when I needed the extra time to meet deadlines.

“With my Level 3 qualification complete, I applied for a physiotherapist apprenticeship through the Trust’s online job recruitment system.  I was invited to an interview by the Trust and then once successful I went for a second interview with the university.

Challenging but rewarding

“It is challenging and difficult at times, particularly with the commute to Sheffield Hallam University and placements, alongside working and university work.  The course is condensed and there are self-directed tasks which you are expected to complete at home weekly.   You do have to be disciplined but the Trust does support with time for these tasks.

“Without a doubt it is very rewarding. It enables me to still work with my patients whilst learning and continuing to support my colleagues. I’ve been able to apply things that I’ve learnt at university or whilst on placement and carry this over into my own therapy work. I think this has made a difference to my application of therapy and therefore overall patient care.

“As an apprentice I’m classed as supernumerary, which means I’m an extra to the team. This sometimes helps to release other staff to work on their own development and to shadow other clinicians or attend training which they previously may not have been able to do.

“I’m very lucky that my manager, colleagues and the trust are supportive. It’s great that my family are on board too as their support really helps me to deal with any stressful situations. The University has a lot of support services that I’ve accessed to help me with exams and revision.

Gaining knowledge

“I think the background knowledge I have gained since starting the apprenticeship has helped my confidence grow and I now feel I can explain things to patients in more depth. It has made me appreciate the underpinning knowledge that physiotherapists learn and how this all links back to therapy and patient intervention.  It has made me understand professional standards, boundaries and clinical reasoning which therapists use daily during work, things that as a support worker are not considered.

“For my own personal learning, I think it’s made me better in terms of reflecting. As part of the degree you have to do a lot of reflecting on practice and I think that has improved which will ultimately help with my overall self-development.

Chloe supporting George with his physiotherapy session

“I think it’s different to an undergraduate physiotherapy course in that I already have on the job experience.  Lecturers have told us that the experience we have is so valuable and this really shows when we are at university, which is reassuring to hear.  I already have some necessary skills such as communication, which gives me confidence when I go on placements.”

Suzanne Avington, Deputy Associate Director Allied Health Professionals for the Trust, agrees “As an educator, there’s nothing like those often called ‘patient miles’ and you can’t teach that very easily.  When they come armed with that experience, which is just so rich already, it often makes teaching those students a joy; there are skills and abilities there that you can more readily mould and shape as they learn the specifics of our discipline."

I've been inspired

“I’m still enjoying my physiotherapy course and the apprenticeship programme as a whole” says Chloe. “When I started the programme, I moved to a new team and so far, it’s been an inspiration working in the Long-Term Neuro and Stroke team.  Some of the therapy with patients crosses over with university modules, so when I’m back at work I have an opportunity to put things I have learnt into practice.

“To all those who are contemplating an apprenticeship, then I encourage you to do it!  The thought of university work and exams can be off putting, but the Trust and university have great support mechanisms in place to help students. The time and length of the course maybe a barrier, however, I can honestly say the time is flying." 

Suzanne adds “The employer led apprenticeship scheme provides a real opportunity for the Trust to develop and grow our existing support workforce into registered Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), playing an active role in developing and securing a potential new untapped supply line of HCPC registered AHPs. Like Chloe, many young people aren’t necessarily sure which health career they might enjoy. This route appeals to a new cohort of students who might not have previously considered the AHP role as a career. This expands our recruitment pool and enhances workplace diversity. 

“Level 6 full degree apprenticeships for AHPs are developing. Presently the Trust is in the process of supporting three physiotherapy apprentices and three occupational therapy apprentices. Three of our colleagues started only last week. But there are other courses developing including speech and language therapy, podiatry and dietetics.”

Nottinghamshire Healthcare offer a variety of apprenticeships from Level 2 to level 7 across most job roles. These can be found on the apprentice government website: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk 

For further information and advice on apprenticeships at Nottinghamshire Healthcare email Heather Porter, Learning Advisor and Apprenticeship Lead, at heather.porter@nottshc.nhs.uk 

For more information on our Allied Health Professionals visit: https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/allied-health-professionals