Flying Start NHS® programme at NHS Highland

Getting started with Flying Start NHS® on Turas

The Turas platform hosts a suite of applications designed to support Scotland's health and social care workforce. Find out more about Turas and how to get support.

Register or sign in to a Turas account.
Access the Flying Start NHS® page on Turas Learn (login required) for guidance and instructions.
Use the NHS Highland Flying Start booklet (pdf) for local support.
Practitioners are supported by their line managers, Flying Start Facilitators, and the Practice Education team throughout the programme.

All practitioners should be supported to undertake and complete the Flying Start NHS® programme and therefore be given time to learn. There are no notional hours ascribed to Flying Start NHS, as each practitioner and local area may use the programme differently.

At a minimum, it is recommended that the practitioner be allocated one day of protected learning time per Pillar of Practice, of which there are four. NHS Highland will support NQPs to have 4 protected learning days (currently 7.2 hours) across the first year of practice to attend the NHS Graduate programme/AHP preceptorship programme and work on completing reflections related to their practice. Practitioners outside of NHS Highland should discuss and negotiate time to learn with their manager or team lead, and Flying Start Facilitator.

Turas Professional Portfolio

Practitioners are encouraged to record their learning. Turas Professional Portfolio can be used to record, reflect on, and share their learning throughout the Flying Start NHS® programme.

This evidence can support:

appraisals
career development
regulatory requirements, such as the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) audit and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) revalidation

Find out more about the portfolio relevant to your professional field:

NHS Highland Nursing and Midwifery Graduate Programme

NHS Highland offers a Graduate Programme to support newly qualified, return-to-practice, and internationally recruited nurses and midwives in their first year.

It complements the Flying Start NHS® programme by following the Four Pillars of Practice and encouraging reflective activities that support appraisal and revalidation. The programme is facilitated by the PEF/CHEF team.

For more information, use the Flying Start contact email for nurses and midwives.

Allied Health Professionals

Newly qualified, return-to-practice and internationally recruited AHPs will be supported through a North of Scotland AHP Preceptorship programme during their first 12-18 months of practice.

The programme will connect to local and profession-specific support and induction processes and will be inclusive of the Flying Start NHS® programme. The programme is delivered on MS Teams and facilitated by the AHP Practice Education Leads (AHP PELs) across NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles.

All newly qualified AHPs in NHS Highland are encouraged to contact the AHP Practice Education Leads using their contact email.