About Us:
The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC works with General Practice and oher healthcare providers to deliver its vision for "Hillingdon to deliver the best primary care outcomes for patients in the whole of London". We are a not-for-profit community interest company. The Confederation works to develop and support individual GP practices, PCNs and Neighbourhoods and their changing needs. We deliver excellent clinical services ourselves both at scale and complementary to General Practice. We are the provider representative voice for local General Practice into the wider NHS and other Partners. We are 'of the NHS' but independent, innovative and transformational.
The Confederation determines to develop as an attractive place to work, providing rewarding roles and opportunities to grow in order to attract and retain great staff that in turn delivers our vision.
Our Values:
General Information about the NW London Training Hub
The NW London Training Hub (NWL TH) is a consortium of the eight local borough training hubs: Brent, Central London, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, West London across the geography of NWL. The Confederation Hillingdon CIC, hold the prime contract with NHS England (NHSE) and we operate a hub-and-spoke delivery model which reflects a preference for a borough-based approach.
Our strategic direction is coordinated by our central management team, which manages day to day business operations. Our local borough subcontract holders and our Clinical Senate provide strategic overview, ensuring alignment with national priorities. Monthly operational group meetings with Locality Training Hubs (THs) enable us to stay connected to PCN and practice needs.
NWL TH operates within the framework of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the NHS England Workforce Development Workplan, and the NHS 10-Year Plan, embedding their principles into our local delivery. These national strategies emphasise train, retain, and reform, the creation of skilled multi-professional teams, and the development of neighbourhood health models to reduce health inequalities and improve population health outcomes. Our work directly supports these ambitions by delivering contractual KPIs and addressing the workforce, training, and educational needs of primary care across our ICS.
We review our strategy annually ensuring we stay on track in achieving our ambition to allow all primary care team members to develop and grow throughout their careers, creating a skilled workforce and making General Practice a desirable career option. NWL Training Hub is embedded in General Practice and understands the importance of systems, place, and neighbourhood, as well as the need for integrated, skilled teams. We work closely with local borough Training Hubs, which in turn collaborate with GP practices, PCNs, GP Federations, and other partners to identify educational needs. We respond to local priorities and adapt our approaches accordingly, tailoring support to practice requirements. We embrace diversity, encourage participation and inclusion, and promote wellbeing initiatives.
Our approach is agile, adjusting to changing commissioning landscapes, political priorities, and financial constraints. We embed best practice through cost-effective, evidence-based interventions, respond to emerging needs, and make optimal use of designated funds. We adapt training delivery to scale for maximum system benefit, meeting the economic and social needs of our communities, workforce, and the broader ICS. This includes building robust neighbourhoods, reducing health inequalities, and improving health outcomes. We aim to extend our offers to include care homes, dentistry, optometry, and pharmacy, and work closely with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to ensure collaboration on placement numbers and quality.
Job Summary
The NWL Training Hub is an organisation providing an enabling training and workforce function to the primary care workforce of the NW London geography. NWL's population is complex and very varied, as is its workforce, which is also very dispersed, reflecting the fact that it includes over 330 autonomous GP practices.
The post-holder will play a pivotal role in supporting and expanding high-quality learning environments, coordinating workforce development programmes, and ensuring compliance with educational and regulatory standards. This includes overseeing placement opportunities, facilitating forums and governance processes, and leading on key initiatives such as the Anchor Programme, WRES, and the Oliver McGowan Programme. The role will also focus on workforce expansion through the management of vocational training and GP expansion programmes, applying project management principles to drive innovation and continuous improvement across all Training Hub activities.
Key Deliverables
1. Deliver the NWL Training Hub strategy and objectives in line with NHS Workforce Plan and NHS England Workforce Development priorities.
2. Lead and support Learning Environments (LEs) to host placement trainees, ensuring annual re-assessments and compliance with quality and regulatory standards.
3. Oversee the Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SSSA), maintaining the SSSA register and facilitating forums for supervisors and assessors.
4. Lead engagement with the Anchor Programme, deliver WRES and FSUG initiatives, and coordinate the implementation of the Oliver McGowan Programme and other new workforce initiatives.
5. Coordinate and manage workforce expansion activities, including the Vocational Training Scheme (VTS) and GP Expansion programme, to support the growth of the primary care workforce.
6. Engage with neighbourhood health teams, careers fairs, forums and networks to align workforce development with local priorities and raise the profile of primary care careers.
7. Apply project management principles to all programmes within the Training Hub, contributing to strategic planning, monitoring resource allocation and supporting bid-writing for new opportunities.
Primary Responsibilities
Strategic Workforce Development
* Deliver the NWL Training Hub strategy and key objectives in line with the NHS Workforce Plan and NHS England Workforce Development priorities.
* Support local Training Hubs to provide tailored training programmes for primary care staff.
* Apply training needs analyses to identify skill gaps and workforce development opportunities across NWL.
* Engage neighbourhood health teams to align workforce development with local priorities.
* Support communications on training opportunities via newsletters, website updates and social media.
Learning Environments
* Support Learning Environments (LEs) to host placement trainees, working collaboratively with Education Leads to maximise placement opportunities.
* Process annual re-assessments of Learning Environments to ensure ongoing compliance with quality and regulatory standards.
Governance & Forums
* Oversee the Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SSSA), including maintaining and regularly updating the SSSA register.
* Facilitate the SSSA forum for supervisors and assessors, ensuring effective communication, sharing of best practice and ongoing professional development.
* Programmes
* Lead engagement with the Anchor Programme to strengthen community partnerships and expand placement capacity.
* Support the delivery of Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Freedom to Speak Up Guardian (FSUG) initiatives, promoting equality, diversity and staff wellbeing.
* Coordinate and support the implementation of the Oliver McGowan Programme and other new education or workforce initiatives as required.
Workforce Expansion
* Coordinate activities related to the Vocational Training Scheme (VTS), ensuring effective administration and support for trainees.
* Manage the GP Expansion programmes, supporting the growth and development of the primary care workforce.
Project Management
* Apply a project management approach to all programmes within the Training Hub.
* Contribute to strategic planning of Training Hub projects, identifying interdependencies and risks.
* Monitor resource allocation and ensure value for money in commissioning and delivery.
* Horizon scan for new opportunities and support bid-writing processes.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
* Understanding of NHS regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements
* Experience of working in primary care at scale
* Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment
* Evidence of continued professional development
* Demonstrated experience of co- ordinating projects in complex and challenging environments
* Comprehensive knowledge of the workforce issues within primary care and the initiatives to address them
* Knowledge of current national and London-wide agendas and responsibilities
* Proven track record in supporting and managing learning environments, including placements and compliance with quality standards
* Demonstrable experience of project management, including strategic planning, resource monitoring, and bid-writing
* Experience of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including training hubs, health teams, and external partners
* Understanding of confidentiality, GDPR, and record-keeping standards
* Ability to plan, co-ordinate and deliver programmes of work on time, to budget and to a high standard
* Excellent organisational skills with an attention to detail and an ability to personally and through teams, finish tasks completely and to a high standard
* Excellent communication skills, written, verbal and listening
* Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders
* Experience in building relationships and collaborating with stakeholders, including GP practices, training hubs, universities, and professional bodies
* Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex information, identify workforce development needs, and produce clear reports.
* Experience in applying training needs analyses and evaluating programme outcomes.
* Ability to use data to inform decision-making and strategic planning.
* Collaborative and inclusive approach, able to influence and motivate others to achieve shared goals
* Experience in leading recruitment, onboarding and supporting the professional growth of staff and trainees
* Demonstrated leadership in clinical education, workforce development or service transformation
* Self-motivated, proactive, and adaptable to change
* Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace
* Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales
* Experience of managing a team without direct line management
Desirable Criteria
* Postgraduate qualification in leadership, project management, or workforce planning