Foundation degrees are potential development opportunities for HI professionals

The Human Resources Strategy for NHS Health Informatics (HI) Professionals, "Making Information Count", sets out a plan for the development of career pathways and a qualifications framework to ensure the service has the specialists skills it needs now and in the future. Foundation Degrees in Health Informatics (HI FdSc) can be helpful in developing careers for existing and potential NHS Health Informatics staff. Foundation Degrees fill an identified gap on the skills escalator for HI staff.

What are foundation degrees?

• Foundation degrees were introduced in 2001 as a new vocational qualification that would meet national and regional skills shortages.
• They must involve employers in their design and development to ensure that the skills and knowledge in the programme of study are designed to meet current employment needs.
• Foundation degrees are validated and quality assured by universities, but require a much higher level of workplace competence. They are one level below an Honours degree and will attract a minimum of 240 credits.
• They normally take 2 years to complete part time and generally students will attend six on-campus days per academic year. There are usually 12 modules to complete, 2 per semester.
• They offer progression from other qualifications such as Apprenticeships
• Work-based learning is integral to the Foundation degree. Foundation degrees are, therefore, distinctive to other qualifications in which work-based learning or placements are peripheral; in Foundation degrees the workplace is considered to be a learning environment just as much as the lecture theatre.
• They are delivered in innovative and flexible ways, often designed around the requirements of the workplace and the commitments of the employee. They can be studied full-time or part-time and usually involve a blend of learning opportunities, including technology-assisted learning.

Foundation degrees are designed to meet the needs of diverse groups of potential learners through:

• Admission processes which ensure fair access to potential learners from different backgrounds, both from outside and within the NHS, with diverse experiences and different qualifications [academic, vocational, occupational] and relevant work experience.
• Recognition of previous certificated learning and learning from past experience and achievements.
• Providing a range of programme delivery options and learning/assessment approaches
• Provide clear links to and from other qualifications in the healthcare education/skills infrastructure and specify career entry/progression opportunities within the healthcare
• Progression to clearly defined outcomes in terms of employment entry and progression routes and further study opportunities, for example, they can be enhanced to full degree level through the successful completion of an additional year's study.
• Foundation degrees offer an integrated, blended, work-based study programme, shaped by employer demand.
• They provide work experience integrated with assessed work-based learning, making full use of the workplace as a key learning resource and is of sufficient duration to demonstrate competence.
• As they are mainly work based, this means they are more easily accessible to existing NHS Staff
• An HI FdSc fills a gap on the Skills Escalator and forms part of the qualifications framework for NHS HI Staff.
• They address the needs of HI Staff and provide a contemporary occupational skills base that will enhance immediate performance and career prospects: delivering specialist occupationally related knowledge and skills with a service user centred focus, informed by and assessed against NOS, KSF.

Where do foundation degrees fit in?

Qualifications Framework/Skills Escalation

Foundation degrees form part of the qualifications framework and the NHS has identified the need for provision of an HI FdSc in each Cluster to facilitate ease of access for all HI staff across the country. The DH Informatics Directorate will continue to research the current provision of HI FdSc in each of the five Clusters across the country and where there is no provision, will endeavour to facilitate partnerships in each Cluster area and explore other ways to establish and deliver at least one HI FdSc in each area. FdSc support the Strategy's aims to build a more sustainable workforce with the required skills and knowledge, and establishment of HI as a recognised national profession.

As part of the Skills Escalator, Foundation Degrees will help attract a wider range of people into the NHS and offers those starting out on their NHS career, and existing NHS staff, a step-on/step-off point for academic achievement and training. Thus assisting in the recruitment and retention of staff and providing support to progress in their career and ensuring future capacity and capability.

As the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) continues to deploy the new systems that will revolutionise and modernise the delivery of health care in England, it is vital that the NHS has the capacity and capability to support implementation, as well as ensuring that systems are used effectively, efficiently and safely, thus contributing greatly to improved patient care.

Who are they for?

• People who want to upgrade their skills to enhance their career prospects
• Students who require flexibility of delivery
• Anyone with a Level 3 qualification, e.g. 'A' Levels, NVQ Level 3, Apprenticeships and people who are experienced, if not qualified at this level, as they take into account relevant work experience
• People who wish to study either part-time or full time
• Those wishing to undertake work based learning

How much do they cost?

This varies, depending upon the HEI delivering the course, but Foundation Degree students are eligible for the same financial support as Honours degree students. Find further information on the support available for students in Higher Education. You may also wish to discuss funding with your manager or SHA. There may be other sources of financial support available through government initiatives; contact your staff development office for advice.