Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 19 April 2024 at 17:49
A number of you have been in touch with Need to Know, the training team, and Chief Executive Robert Morton about our ECA to EMTs courses. Here we try and provide a short update to share the latest news with you…
Modular courses
After the standard ECA-EMT pathway was implemented, a number of staff contacted the executive team asking them to consider a modular conversion course that could be completed voluntarily over a longer period of time.
We recognise that over the last few months those who chose to complete the modular pathway, rather than wait for a block course, made a considerable commitment to the Trust by undertaking the programme in their own time.
A number of people on the course got in touch to ask if, on reflection, the Trust could show support for their development with some time off in lieu. The locality directors, who are responsible for the modular courses have considered this carefully, agree and are contacting individuals to make them a retrospective offer to claim back the course time as hours in lieu time, by way of thanking you for your commitment to developing your skills. For those eligible, these hours will be added to your time off in lieu (TOIL) allowance on GRS and should be applied for as any other TOIL. You will not have to do anything further to receive the allowance.
The localities are not looking to run any further ECA – EMT modular courses, but the Trust will still be offering 60 places per year on its abstracted development programme, which you can read more about below.
Abstracted courses
The ECA to EMT progression programme is continuing absolutely as planned; for this year (2015/16), 60 places were originally allocated and filled, with an additional 42 places then offered in addition. Alongside this, 84 places were made available via the modular courses.
We’ve committed to also running another 60 places on ECA – EMT courses next year (2016/17), and the allocations for these should be done in the next six weeks; the training team will be working with locality managers to allocate people from the waiting lists. Students that get allocated a place will receive their course dates via email to their Trust account.
Why can’t more than 60 places a year be offered?
We share your ambition to get everyone through their development programmes as soon as we can, but we have to get the basics right first and ensure we have sufficient staff to provide adequate backfill. We won’t be looking to accelerate those further at the moment because we have to make sure that we still have enough people on the road responding to our patients – but everyone who wants, and is able, to progress will get the opportunity to do so.
Thank you all for your ongoing patience and commitment.
Published 5th November, 2015