Workforce Pathway Lead (Nurse)

The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization located in City of Westminster seeks a NMC-registered nurse with leadership experience to oversee pre-registration placements and provide mentorship for trainees. The role involves leading recruitment processes for Student Nursing Associates and ensuring compliance with educational standards. Candidates should have a strong background in project management and excellent communication skills, with a focus on fostering professional development in a dynamic healthcare setting.

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with current NMC registration.
• Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment.
• Demonstrated experience of coordinating projects in complex and challenging environments.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organise and oversee pre‑registration placements for multi‑professionals.
• Provide guidance, mentorship and support to GP trainees, medical students and other learners.
• Lead the recruitment and onboarding process for Student Nursing Associates apprenticeships.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Organizational skills

Project management

Analytical skills

Education

NMC Registered Nurse

Postgraduate qualification in leadership or project management (desirable)

Job description

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 be NMC‑registered with experience in leadership. The post‑holder will plan, organise and oversee pre‑registration placements, ensuring compliance with regulatory and educational standards. The role involves providing guidance, mentorship and support to trainees and other learners to foster a positive learning environment and promote professional development. The post‑holder will lead the recruitment and onboarding process for Student Nursing Associates (SNA) apprenticeships, facilitate the enrolment and development of Qualified Nursing Associates (QNA) and General Practice Nurse (GPN) academic and foundation trainees. They will help to deliver the nursing strategy which encompasses support and development of staff from entry level GP Assistants to Advanced Clinical Practitioners.

Key Deliverables

1. Deliver the NWL Training Hub strategy and objectives in line with the NHS Workforce Plan and NHS England Workforce Development priorities.
2. Plan, organise and oversee pre‑registration placements for multi‑professionals, ensuring compliance with regulatory and educational standards.
3. Provide guidance, mentorship and support to GP trainees, medical students and other learners to foster a positive learning environment and promote professional development.
4. Lead the recruitment and onboarding process for Student Nursing Associates (SNA) apprenticeships, supporting their successful transition into training and practice environments.
5. Facilitate the recruitment, enrolment and development of Qualified Nursing Associates (QNA) and General Practice Nurse (GPN) academic and foundation trainees, ensuring high‑quality induction, training and ongoing support, while prioritising GPN retention as a key objective throughout the process.
6. Represent the organisation at careers fairs, professional forums, and workforce development networks to promote opportunities and attract high‑calibre candidates.
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.
8. Represent NWL nursing at Regional and other meetings and forums.

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.

Coordinate Pre‑registration Placements and Training

• Plan, organise, and oversee pre‑registration placements for multi‑professionals ensuring all arrangements (including reciprocal placements) meet regulatory and educational standards.
• Liaise with local training hubs, PCNs, practices, universities, and placement providers to maximise placement opportunities and ensure high‑quality learning experiences for trainees.

Support Learners Across Clinical and Non‑Clinical Roles

• Provide professional guidance, mentorship and support to GP trainees, medical students, and other learners, fostering a positive learning environment and promoting professional development.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of initiatives that build a robust pipeline for non‑clinical staff, supporting career progression and workforce sustainability.

Apprenticeships and Recruitment

• Lead the recruitment and onboarding process for Student Nursing Associates (SNA) apprenticeships, ensuring a smooth transition into training and practice environments.
• Manage the onboarding of Registered Nurse Degree Apprentices (RNDA), coordinating placements and supporting their progression.
• Develop, implement and maintain apprenticeship opportunities for new staff, working to expand access and support career development across the organisation.

Facilitate Education and Training Programmes

• Lead the enrolment process for Qualified Nursing Associate (QNA) foundation courses, ensuring candidates are supported throughout their training journey.
• Support General Practice Nurse (GPN) academic and foundation trainees by coordinating induction, training, and ongoing professional development activities, while prioritising retention as a key objective throughout the process.
• Deliver and evaluate Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) training programmes to enhance clinical competencies and patient care standards.
• Develop and implement competency frameworks and training for reception and administrative staff, ensuring they are equipped to deliver high‑quality support services.

Engagement with Workforce Development Initiatives

• Represent the organisation at careers fairs, professional forums and workforce development networks to promote opportunities and attract high‑calibre candidates to the sector.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including GP practices, local training hubs, universities and professional bodies, to support workforce development and transformation.

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.

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with current NMC registration
• 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 coordinating projects in complex and challenging environments
• Experience of managing risks and reporting
• 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
• Experience in mentoring, supporting learners and facilitating professional development
• Understanding of confidentiality, GDPR, and record‑keeping standards
• Ability to plan, coordinate 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

About the Confederation and NWL Training Hub

The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC works with General Practice and other 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. 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 Integrated Care System. 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 Integrated Care System. 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.