If proof were needed that the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) runs a world-class training and education centre it is to be found in the excellent feedback the centre consistently receives from the specialist ambulance staff who attend its courses every year.
Now these positive comments – combined with the passion and commitment of the staff at the Centre – have been underlined by the re-accreditation of the NARU Education Centre with the prestigious Skills for Health Quality Mark, which recognises outstanding health and care training, and is the only standard of its kind for the UK health sector.
David Bull QAM, NARU Head of Education, said:
I am extremely proud of the whole team at the NARU Education Centre and it is down to their sheer commitment and hard work that we have once again been re-accredited with the Skills for Health Quality Mark – the only ambulance service body to have this honour.
Achieving this accreditation is not easy; it is a tough, demanding and rigorous process that requires a lot of extra effort from our training centre team – from the finance and admin and logistics, right through to frontline trainers and presenters.
Keith Prior, NARU National Director, added:
Yet again this is an excellent achievement that underlines how NARU is delivering the highest quality training for specialist ambulance responders and ambulance service commanders, who need to be trained in the most realistic conditions to deal with the most challenging incidents in the real world.
The excellent feedback the team receives really demonstrates that NARU is hitting the mark every time, something that has been recognised by Skills for Health and also via consistent, positive delegate comments.
The Education Centre delivers training to hundreds of specialist ambulance staff each year including every member of Hazardous Area Response Teams (HARTs) which are based at all local NHS ambulance trusts and are the key responders to high profile mass casualty incidents such as terror attacks or building collapses.
It has the facilities, kit and equipment to deliver the best specialist response ambulance service training in the UK, often playing host to ambulance commissioners and senior visitors from abroad.
The Skills for Health Quality Mark itself defines and endorses superior learning and training standards that healthcare employers need to cultivate a world-class, effective and motivated workforce, and achieving the mark demonstrates that an organisation has met the unique quality standards for learning and training in the healthcare sector.
Some of the feedback from recent course delegates at the NARU Education Centre is as follows:
“Excellent and highly enjoyable course delivered with knowledge and enthusiasm. Helped me personally to identify areas lacking in my own role and to start to plan to change these.”
“All staff excellent and extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter. The NARU facilities are excellent.”
“Good quality speakers, relevant to current climate, a lot of tools to put into the toolkit of performing operational command.”
“All instructional staff were knowledgeable and approachable. Varied teaching approaches. Valuable experience to share.”
“I feel very fortunate to have been educated by such experienced and knowledgeable staff.”
“Really good course! Instructors were knowledgeable. Good atmosphere during the course. Excellent training facilities in FRC.”