The first cohort of the Reception & Admin Training Programme (previously known as RAVTS) launched in March 2023 and mirrored the concept of the national clinical vocational training schemes and in particular, the award-winning Nurse VTS which is unique to South Yorkshire.

The original cohort were employed by the Workforce & Training Hub (hosted by Primary Care Doncaster) and spent 3 months following a training programme in two different GP Practices.

In order to support as many learners as possible, we have amended the programme so we are training newly-employed Receptionists who have joined GP within the last 6 months of the programme starting. This programme will also offer training to GP Practices across South Yorkshire, not just Sheffield as the initial pilot had done. This cohort will also be supported over a longer time period, enabling the learners time to embed knowledge and skills and ensure they feel confident to perform their role by the end of the six months.

6 months – with the equivalent of one day per month training.

Receptionists/Admin staff working in South Yorkshire (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham & Sheffield) who are new to GP and have joined practice within 6 months before the cohort start date.

Reception and Administrative roles make up the largest element of the General Practice workforce. This programme aims to:

• build resilient and competent primary care reception teams
• make General Practice admin roles more attractive
• improve the visibility and expertise of General Practice reception/admin staff as educators
• improve retention of colleagues in the first year of employment

• Medical Terminology
• Chaperone Training
• Roles and Process in Primary Care
• Confidence in Conflict Resolution
• Health Inequalities and Safe Surgeries
• Microsoft Training
• The Business of General Practice

The practice should nominate an experienced member of the GP team who will act as their mentor. The mentor should have significant knowledge of the role that the learner is undertaking and be in a position to support them on a daily basis.

There are no formal qualifications attached to the role of a mentor, but the Workforce & Training Hub team are able to offer support if needed. The Mentor’s responsibility is to complete initial, intermediate and final reviews in a timely manner and also be a point of contact for any questions/support needed during the working week.

As the learners progress throughout the training programme, they will have the opportunity to take part in regular peer support sessions and Action Learning Sets.

These are structured sessions facilitated by the Workforce & Training Hub which enable the trainees to work collectively together to discuss complex issues in greater depth. Through working in this way, they will be able to reflect on personal experiences, share ideas and challenge perceptions in a trusting and supportive environment. We will also invite experienced GP colleagues to join us for specialist advice and input.

The training programme also provides the cohort with regular opportunities for peer support, review and feedback. These are structured sessions which allow learners to feed back on their experiences in practice and to receive constructive advice and support. There will also be an opportunity to join a peer support WhatsApp group where the cohort can informally ask questions and get to know each other to create a community of practice.

The programme is fully funded by the Workforce & Training Hub and all we ask is that the learner is fully committed for the full 6 months and is released from practice to attend every session.

The majority of the training is held face to face with the exception of one or two sessions which are held online.

The current base for learning is 722 Prince of Wales Road, Sheffield (South Yorkshire ICB base) but we have also used the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) which is a Sheffield Hallam Building in Attercliffe, Sheffield.

The venues are easily accessibly by public transport and have free car parking.

We are currently supporting 22 new receptionists based in GP practices across South Yorkshire.

Unfortunately, we have made the decision to allow only one learner per practice to ensure we can support as many practices across our region with the funding we have been allocated.

The programme is a big commitment and the practice need to release the receptionists for one day per month so we would not want the practice to be struggling with workload if they released more than one member of staff. It is also a big responsibility for the mentor.

You can complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form below and the programme lead will contact you in due course.