NELFT Return to Practice Programme

NELFT Return to Practice programme is to support nurses who have left the profession, to regain their Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)  registration and to return to practice (RtP).

NELFT Model of Employment  route for RtP 

Once a returner will secure a place on NELFT RtP programme and then following a successful joint interview with the education provider and the trust, the returner will then be offered a contract of employment with the trust. They will initially be paid at a band 3 until they have successfully re-registered with the NMC and completed the programme, then they will be uplifted to a permanent band 5 position, adopting the guaranteed job offer principles, including an informal value and competence-based interview and a career conversation with the returner. A returner through this route would also be included in the pension scheme when the returner starts their practice hours. The gold standard for placement will be followed by NELFT to offer protected study time for students, so they have a better chance of successfully completing the programme.

Return to practice paid/employed route process

Step 1: returner completes initial application to the education provider or to the employer.

Step 2: education provider refers application to the trust. 

Step 3: education provider arranges for the returner to undertake literacy and numeracy tests.

Step 4: returner passes literacy and numeracy tests.

Step 5: returner is invited to a joint NHS values-based interview with the education provider and NELFT .

on the programme by the education provider and employed as a returner by the trust

Step 7: The education provider’s responsibilities include:

• sending a conditional offer to the returner.
• arranging for registration onto the RtP programme; and
• providing the returner with a uniform.

The placement provider’s responsibilities include:

• undertaking occupational health checks, DBS check and reference checks
• confirming placement arrangements; and
• ensuring there is a full induction in place.

Useful links:

City university
http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/cpd/return-to-practice-nursing

Health Education England’s ‘Come back campaign’.
http://comeback.hee.nhs.uk/

Contact return to nursing:

NELFT contact

Paul Burcombe
pefs@nelft.nhs.uk

City University contact

Ben Teh 
B.Teh@city.ac.uk