Using CPD funds equitably for fairer access to development
Overview
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) created a fundamental shift towards improving access to development opportunities for staff from protected characteristics.
Through a structured approach to CPD funding allocation, appraisal and education planning aligned to workforce priorities, the trust strengthened governance, training needs analysis and digital appraisal systems. This improved tracking of CPD investment and impact, supporting more equitable development opportunities for all staff.
Key benefits and outcomes
More equitable access to development with fairer CPD opportunities for all.
Effective workforce planning with improved visibility of skills and development needs.
Stronger governance and value for money.
Improved talent management and career development.
What the organisation faced
The trust considered the national recommendation to increase transparency and discussion at local level on how trust CPD funding is spent, which originated from the Agenda for Change (AFC) pay deal non-pay commitment for nurses in 2023. External feedback and internal reflection followed positive assurance from NHS England on the quality of EPUT’s CPD plan, whilst also identifying opportunities to further strengthen impact, oversight, and equity.
Key development areas included increasing the involvement of education planning colleagues throughout the year to build more collaborative relationships with care units. This would enable a deeper understanding of clinical priorities, align CPD and workforce plans, improve multi-year forecasting, and promote more equitable access to development opportunities across professions and staff with protected characteristics.
EPUT did not have an electronic appraisal solution, so development information was not centrally captured to support the planning. The trust also needed to better link planned CPD activity with study leave usage, track spend and compare plans with delivery. The aim was to improve consistency, accountability, and equitable distribution of resources. The extended study leave panel process also required review, as applications lacked detailed scrutiny of CPD fund applications against the TNA and wider trust objectives.
What the organisation did
Extended Study Leave Panels (ESL) have been established within the trust for several years, but their effectiveness in terms of scrutiny, professional oversight, financial assurance, and value for money needed to be reviewed.
The trust broadened panel membership through a rotational model involving directors and associate directors from different professional backgrounds, alongside education team input, staff side, staff experience and finance representation to ensure equality, diversity, and inclusion are embedded in decision making. The inclusion of finance representation enables robust financial scrutiny within the panel, removing duplication with the non-pay panel process.
The aim was to share responsibilities more equitably, reduce pressure on a small group of panel members, introduce wider professional perspectives, and ensure consistent, transparent, and service focused decision making aligned to organisational priorities and the TNA process.
There are now plans to record appraisals on ESR which will further support centralised reporting on completion rates, objectives, and development needs. New behaviour based and equality, diversity and inclusion objectives will strengthen performance conversations, while better visibility of development opportunities will inform TNA and CPD planning. Capturing career conversations will also support talent mapping and enable the trust to monitor appraisal quality and equity, including identifying variation across professional groups or protected characteristics.
Results and benefits
- Improved alignment of CPD with service priorities
Training investment is directly linked to workforce and clinical needs through a structured Training Needs Analysis (TNA), ensuring funding delivers measurable impact.
- Greater equity and inclusion
Enhanced tracking ensures fair access to CPD across professions, care units, and staff with protected characteristics, supporting equality and reducing variation in opportunity.
- Stronger financial oversight and value for money
Clear monitoring of CPD spend against plan improves accountability, reduces waste, and maximises use of NHSE funding.
- Enhanced workforce planning and forecasting
Multi-year visibility of development needs enables better planning of skills, capacity, and future workforce requirements.
- Improved quality and consistency of appraisals
Digital appraisal systems enable central reporting, better tracking of objectives, and more consistent, equitable development conversations.
- Better data driven decision making
Regular reporting and alignment between CPD plans and actual study leave usage support continuous improvement and evidence-based planning.
- Strengthened talent management and career development
Capturing development needs and career conversations supports talent mapping and progression pathways, including for international recruits.
- Improved governance and assurance
Clear processes, RAG rating, and oversight mechanisms provide assurance to NHS England and internal stakeholders on appropriate and effective use of funding
Collectively, these changes will deliver a more integrated, data driven, and inclusive approach to workforce development, maximising the impact of CPD investment and ensuring alignment with organisational priorities.
Next steps
Short Term (0–6 months)
Introduce enhanced governance arrangements, including rotational ESLPl membership and finance representation.
Improve oversight and tracking of CPD spend against plan.
Begin alignment of CPD activity with service priorities using strengthened TNA processes.
Implement ESR appraisal functionality and behaviour and EDI based objectives.
Establish consistent reporting on CPD activity, appraisal completion, and development needs.
Medium Term (6–18 months)
Embed regular involvement of education planning colleagues with care units to strengthen relationships and understanding of clinical priorities
Achieve clearer alignment between CPD plans and workforce planning
Improve comparison of planned versus actual CPD usage, driving continuous improvement
Strengthen financial accountability and demonstrate value for money
Enhance consistency and quality of appraisals and development conversations
Improve equity of access to CPD across professions, care units, and staff with protected characteristics
Long Term (18+ months)
Deliver fully integrated, data driven workforce development and planning.
Enable robust multi-year forecasting of workforce skills and CPD requirements.
Embed equitable access to development opportunities across the organisation.
Strengthen talent management, career progression pathways, and talent mapping.
Maintain high levels of governance, assurance, and NHS England compliance.
Maximise the impact of CPD investment on service delivery and patient outcomes.
Takeaway tips
Prioritise equity by actively monitoring access to development opportunities across professions and staff with protected characteristics, ensuring fair and transparent allocation of resources. Buy in from the board is essential.
Set clear milestones for achievement short, medium and long term.
Engage with your education planning team, finance, HR Business Partners, staff experience, staff side, and care units/directorates early to create buy in and support on the changes.
Embed multidisciplinary involvement in decision-making through rotational study leave panels, bringing broader perspectives and ensuring CPD monies are being spent on the right development.
Integrating finance oversight within approval processes improves value for money while avoiding duplication in other finance decision making processes.
Invest in digital solutions to enable centralised data capture, reporting, and workforce insight. Trusts not using ESR should contact the NHS Business Services Authority to discuss template design and gain their support to upload centrally.
