NHS Student Bursaries ARC SAM 14 March 2014

Introduction • Changes to NHS Bursary Scheme Rules for 2014/15 • Timetable of events for universities’ submission of forms in accordance with Schedule 4 • Changes to the notification of new students process • Bursary guidance • New initiatives and future developments

Changes to NHS Bursary Scheme Rules • • There a number of significant changes to the NHS bursary rules which will come into effect from 1 September 2014. These apply to all students on the 2007 and 2012 Schemes. They are: • Dependants’ Allowance will be assessed on the previous financial year’s income rather than being estimated on the current academic year’s income (in line with current assessment of the basic award). • The definition of ‘an academic year’ will change to be the start date of the course. • A 1% increase will be added to all basic and additional allowances rates including DSA. • There will be an increase to the mileage rates for PPE claims (this affects all students). • The 6 month application period rule will be reintroduced into the NHS Bursary Scheme. • Voluntary maintenance payments will be treated in the same way as those made through a Court Order.

Timetable of Events for Universities Submission of Forms in Accordance with Schedule 4 • Dates of Attendance must be submitted in a timely manner. These are to be provided by the end of February for September/October courses or by the end of October for January to May courses. • Confirmation of Student Attendance (COSA) must be submitted for all new students in order for their bursary award to be finalised and payments released. This should be done as soon as possible following the student’s first day of attendance on their chosen course. • It is a requirement that all universities confirm their students continued attendance on the courses they run on an annual basis. This information should be submitted between December and March so the data can be reconciled against the students in payment through the Bursary Online Support System (BOSS).

Notification of changes • Universities must tell us about any changes that occur during a student’s course. These include: • Temporary or permanent withdrawal from training. • Extensions to training. • Change to the course study pattern e. g. full time to part time. • Maternity, adoption or maternity support leave. • Students resuming their training following a break in training or maternity, adoption or maternity support leave. • We provide forms for universities/colleges to use to inform us of any of the above. • It is important to let us know at the right time about any of the above as it can affect the amount of bursary a student is in receipt of or cause delays to a student receiving their bursary.

When should students apply? New Students All new students should apply for their first NHS bursary once they receive their offer of an NHS funded place. They will not receive an invitation to apply. They should check our website to see when the deadline is for sending in all required supporting evidence. Continuing Students Continuing students will receive an email and SMS from us informing them to reapply for their bursary for their next academic year. They should also check our website to see when the deadline is for applying sending in all required supporting evidence.

When should students apply? (continued)

Changes to the Notification of New Students Process A number of changes have been made within NHS Student Bursaries to address the issues experienced in September 2013: • The former Final College Place Notification (FCPN) has now been replaced by the Confirmation of Student Attendance (COSA) – this name better describes the purpose of the form. • There has been a change to the team structure and management control within NHS Student Bursaries. • A new tracking sheet control has been devised and introduced. • Feedback will be issued consistently for all first list submissions. • Universities will be contacted proactively if lists or data is missing for their courses.

Bursary Guidance A number of publications have either already been produced or are in production to assist universities, students and other stakeholders. These include: • A University’s Guide to NHS Student Bursary Forms. • Instruction for creating a dummy account in BOSS. • “Your Guide to NHS Student Bursaries 2014/15”. • Practice Placement Expenses guidance (in production). • Disabled Students Allowance guidance (in production). • A step by step guide to BOSS for students (future production).

New Initiatives and Future Developments • The Student Services Improvement Programme (SSIP) was commissioned in 2013 to build on the feedback and suggested improvements provided by stakeholders at event workshops. • The aim of the programme is to improve the entire service delivery of the Student Bursary Award end to end process. • What’s involved? Reviewing our internal and external policies, processes and procedures and all of our communications to make efficiencies and improvements to our service that will meet or surpass our customers’ expectations.

Progress of SSIP so far • Fraud – an ongoing review of all bursary processes, both internal and external, to identify areas of possible fraud and look at ways to prevent this (including introducing ID scanners). • DSA and Childcare Reviews – full reviews of both current processes have taken place and we are looking at ways that these could be improved using the information gathered. • Dummy BOSS accounts for universities – an instruction document is available. • BOSS Text Improvements – over 100 changes made to BOSS online application including hint text updates to assist when completing an application. • HEI Portal Project Brief – will be considered, along with other third party access requirements, in conjunction with a larger NHSBSA wide systems review.

Progress of SSIP so far • Investigating the reasons why students call the contact centre in order to improve what information is available to assist them in their queries. • Piloted changes to the childcare process including post payment checks to confirm students are in receipt of the correct levels of childcare allowance. • Created a knowledge base of internal processes to ensure consistent information and practices throughout NHS Student Bursaries. • Producing a bursary forms guide, a PPE guide and a DSA guide that will be published soon. • Review of all communication products and channels including the website, email, SMS and social media usage.

Further information • To read more detailed information and guidance about anything covered in this presentation please click on a link below. NHS Bursary Scheme Rules: https: //www. gov. uk/government/publications/nhs-bursary -scheme-rules Guidance for new students: http: //www. nhsbsa. nhs. uk/Students/4002. aspx Guidance for continuing students: http: //www. nhsbsa. nhs. uk/Students/4183. aspx Frequently Asked Questions: http: //www. nhsbsa. nhs. uk/Students/3946. aspx Student booklets/guides (including bursary and additional allowance rates): http: //www. nhsbsa. nhs. uk/Students/4032. aspx Information for universities/colleges: http: //www. nhsbsa. nhs. uk/Students/3944. aspx