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The Safe Learning Environment Charter development is led by the NHS England Workforce, Training and Education directorate Maternity and Quality Programme.
March 2015
The Kirkup Report (2015), an independent investigation into University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust maternity and neonatal services between January 2004 and June 2013.
Summer 2017
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) instructs NHS Improvement to commission a review assessing the quality of investigations relating to newborn, infant and maternal harm at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).
December 2020
Interim report of Donna Ockenden’s independent Review of Maternity Services at SaTH.
March 2022
Final report of Donna Ockenden’s Independent Review of maternity services at SaTH.
Spring 2022
NHS England (changed from Health Education England April 2023) Maternity Programme completes team mapping exercise of Immediate and Essential Actions (IEAs) to identify past, current, planned and potential areas of work to address maternity gaps across NHS England.
July 2022
Maternity Programme presents paper to NHS England Workforce, Training and Education board outlining 6 key recommendations to support the delivery of the Immediate Essential Actions (IEAs), including closer working across the NHS England Maternity and Quality teams to gain a better understanding of the student experience, and the quality and culture environment of clinical placements.
November 2022 – January 2023
NHS England Quality leads, Midwifery Leads, Administrators, and NHS England Maternity colleagues deliver:
- 161 focus groups with around 2000 participants in-person/virtually.
- Including 152 learner focus groups completed in-person/virtually across 98% of midwifery Approved Education Institutions (AEIs).
- Newly qualified midwives focus groups are completed virtually across England.
October 2022
Dr Kirkup’s maternity and neonatal services in East Kent: ‘Reading The Signals’ report released outlining further concerns within East Kent Trust UHB Maternity Services.
September – November 2022
HEE National and Regional Quality and Maternity programme teams coordinated with NHS England colleagues to coordinate the planning and delivery of focus groups across England.
September 2022
Expert advisory group formed to provide oversight for the project duration, including the Royal College of Midwives, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Lead Midwifery Educators, National Health Service Executive, Council of Deans for Health, Health and Care Professions Council, and service user representation.
August 2022
National Quality and Patient Safety Team meeting with national midwifery leads to plan programme of work.
December 2022 – January 2023
NHS England South West completed:
- 18 online focus groups with 40 multi-professional student participants (mental health nursing, adult nursing, trainee nursing associates, paramedics, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers, health care scientists, podiatry and health visiting).
- 18 online focus groups with 31 multi-professional newly qualified participants (mental health nursing, adult nursing, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers, health care scientists, children and young person’s nursing, epeech and language therapists).
January 2023
7 regional and 1 national quality improvement senior project managers recruited to lead on the Safe Learning Environment Charter delivery and implementation.
February – April 2023
University of Cumbria undertake qualitative data analysis of the focus group data for national themes and any regional variations. April 2023 report finalised. Health and Society Knowledge Exchange (HASKE) Report completed.
May 2023
Extensive stakeholder co-development of the SLEC visual badge. Choosing from a range of options, a badge design representing people at centre, partnership, equity and inclusivity.
June 2023
SLEC co-development workshops held in every region in England, either in-person/virtually, with around 25 stakeholder events.
October 2023
SLEC Launch
Ocyober 2023 – August 2024
Embedding and evaluating the impact, with further data collection and engagement.