University Hospitals Sussex has been awarded the National Multi-Professional Preceptorship Quality Mark, recognising the exceptional quality of its preceptorship programmes for newly qualified professionals that’s helping ensure the delivery of excellent care.
UHSussex is one of only 11 organisations in the country to have received the Quality Mark since its expansion this year to include multi-professional preceptorship, having previously focused on nursing.
This gold standard accreditation benchmarks NHS trusts against national best practices and is awarded to organisations providing high quality support to their workforce of nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).
Preceptorship is a structured programme of support and guidance designed to help professionals at the start of their career, recruited from overseas or returning to practice. It helps build their confidence and competence in a nurturing environment where they can embed knowledge into everyday practice.
At UHSussex, three dedicated preceptorship programmes (nursing, midwifery and AHPs) offer tailored development and guidance over a 12-month period, helping staff grow into confident and capable professionals ready to deliver safe, patient-centred care.
Zoe Rothery, Head of AHP Clinical Education, said: “Our preceptorship teams take a continuous improvement approach to the sessions we deliver, evaluating and improving our offerings over the course of each programme. We are therefore really proud and delighted that this commitment to excellence has been recognised at a national level.
“Collaboration has been a key element of this success – we have worked hard to evidence our achievements together and as a result we have learnt more about each other’s programmes and how we might collaborate more effectively in the future.”
As part of the assessment process, the preceptorship teams submitted extensive data and evidence, demonstrating how their programmes align with national standards and frameworks across the professions.
Mel Armstrong, Clinical Education Lead for Preceptorship (Nursing) said: “This achievement reflects the teams’ dedication to nurturing and retaining staff through high-quality support and development. This not only boosts recruitment and retention but also directly benefits patient outcomes by ensuring a confident, well-supported workforce that delivers safe, consistent, and compassionate care.”
The preceptorship teams provide a safe space where colleagues can reflect, share challenges, and build meaningful connections with peers. Learning is facilitated through a variety of approaches, including restorative supervision conversations, personal reflection, and engaging in fun team-based activities.
Michelle Lane, Preceptorship Lead for Midwifery, said: “We know that newly qualified midwives face pressures and are vulnerable to stress and burnout early in their careers if we do not nurture and support them sufficiently. A high-quality workforce will be achieved if we cultivate confidence and competence through a well-planned, credible and robust midwifery preceptorship programme. Support is recognised as a blend of strong clinical guidance and pastoral care, the two are intertwined and as important as one another.”
One person shared: “The care I received as I became a newly qualified midwife was vitally important to me. Being able to work alongside the team clinically boosted my confidence, knowing that there was someone there to turn to when I needed support in the early days was invaluable.”
Another said: “The preceptorship team have supported me during a difficult time. They fully supported and helped me to remain positive.”
With hundreds of colleagues enrolled each year, UHSussex continues to foster a culture of growth and compassion, ensuring every practitioner feels supported, empowered and ready to deliver the highest standards of care from day one.