Single Lead Employer (SLE)

NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership (NWSSP) is the single lead employer for all Dental Therapist Foundation Trainees in Wales.  This means that NWSSP will be their employer for the Foundation Training year.  NWSSP will be in touch with your Foundation Therapist (FT) to confirm details about Pre-employment Checks including Enhanced DBS application, ESR and expenses details, annual leave etc.

NWSSP will be the first point of contact should your FT have any queries in relation to their employment over the next few months and during the Foundation Training year - NWSSPSLE.Dental@wales.nhs.uk.

The SLE model in Wales is a collaborative employment model, with the responsibilities of the traditional employer shared between three major stakeholders, who are:

Single Lead Employer – NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) Overall employment responsibility including issuing offer letters for employment, completing employment checks, issuing and amending contracts of employment, providing Medical Indemnity Cover for NHS activities, Occupational Health, employee assistance, enhanced DBS applications and checks, health and wellbeing support, statutory and mandatory training, payment of salaries and expenses, application of employment policies and procedures in collaboration with all

Stakeholders, providing HR facilities, restrictions/exclusions and disciplinary matters.

The Lead Employer itself offers a single point of contact coordinating with all stakeholders.

Host Organisation

Provides day-to-day management and supervision of training by ESs.

Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW)

Ensures the delivery of high-quality education and training which includes recruitment into training programmes, support and assessment programmes, faculty development and quality monitoring of placements.

All three stakeholders’ primary function is to ensure that trainees complete their training satisfactorily and in doing so provide an excellent service to the local health and social care Sector in Wales. 

 The benefits for the host organisations and HEIW are:

• Economies of scale savings for NHS Wales
• One point of contact for employment support and expertise for all trainees
• Streamlining of transactional processes
• Increased close working with GMC/BMA/GDC/GPC/NHS Wales Employers in relation to trainee contractual matters.

Over the next few months, the following documents will be sent out: