HEE LTLC launches new Paediatric Digital Skills Passports to support staff caring for children in critical care during surge

London Transformation & Learning Collaborative (LTLC, a Health Education England [HEE] funded programme) have now launched four paediatric digital skills passports, which have been endorsed by the Paediatric Critical Care Society (PCCS). We ask that you raise awareness of the passports to your staff and colleagues, and use / implement as you see fit.

What is their purpose?

The LTLC Paediatric Digital Skills Passports are designed to support you to understand, document and acquire new skills to support the safe delivery of care to children in a surge model of care.

These passports have been designed for use in a surge and should not replace the ‘business as usual’ development of staffs’ skills and knowledge.

Who are the passports for?
Four passports are available for the following staff groups working with critical care paediatric patients (levels 1, 2 and 3):
1. Adult Critical Care Nurse – Caring for children (under 12 yrs old)
2. Adult Critical Care Nurse – Caring for adolescents (12+ yrs old)
3. Registered Children’s Nurse without recent experience and/or formal training in paediatric critical care (PCC)
4. Stabilisation of children (under 12 yrs old)
(Note: more detailed descriptions of the passports are provided on the passport website).

How can they be accessed?
The passports are available here: https://criticalcare.yourskillspass.com/ (where the adult critical care RSC and NRSS passports launched Jan 2021 are also located)
They are:
• Free to use
• Available now
• Accessible to staff at any Trust across the country (if your Trust is not in the drop-down list when you sign up, please email LTLC@hee.nhs.uk and we will add it)
• Up to staff / Trust whether they would like to use (i.e. not mandatory)

How do staff use them?

For each passport, first staff will self-assess their ability to demonstrate knowledge and safely undertake a range of skills. A supervisor(s) is then required to sign off on their proficiencies for each knowledge / skill. A final supervisor sign-off is required for to download their certificate, which recognises their ability to safely perform that role.

E-learning resources from the LTLC’s Respiratory Surge in Children Programme are available within the passports, mapped to the relevant skill domains, to allow self-directed learning. Some skills will also require face-to-face training and supernumerary which should be delivered by the Trusts (in addition to induction and orientation to new areas of clinical practice, which is not covered in these passports).

Further e-learning and educator resources will be added in the coming weeks.

Supporting resources
To support staff / Trusts to use the passports the following materials have been attached:
• User guide (PDF)
• Poster to advertise, that Trusts can use with space to insert Trust logo and contact details (PPT)
• Introductory presentation (PPT)
• FAQs document (PDF)
There is also a Passport launch webinar scheduled (12:30-13:30, 19th January) which will provide more information about the passport content and use. It can be accessed here: Click here to join the meeting (you can also email the LTLC@hee.nhs.uk if you would like to be sent the calendar invite).

What do I need to do?
We ask that you share this email and raise awareness of the passports to your staff and colleagues, and use / implement as you see fit within your Trust.

If you are a Trust interested in implementing, we can provide you with admin access to view how many and which of your staff have accessed the passport (contact LTLC@hee.nhs.uk).

Please contact LTLC@hee.nhs.uk with any questions about the passports.