Medipro has launched the MediPro Apprentice Tracker, an electronic PAD for ambulance apprentices that shows every learner’s progress in practice, live. It replaces the paper Practice Assessment Document with a secure system that apprentices, Occupationally Competent Persons (OCPs), tutors and employers use from a phone or computer.
We built it for our Level 3 Ambulance Support Worker (Emergency) apprentices, and it goes live for those starting in January 2027. A version for our Level 4 Associate Ambulance Practitioner programme is in development and will follow very soon. Other ambulance services face the same challenges, so we are opening the system to them under a commercial agreement.
From paper to live oversight: the challenges we set out to solve
Most of an ambulance apprentice’s learning happens on the road, not in a classroom. That is what makes the apprenticeship work. With a paper PAD spread across many stations and shift patterns, it also made progress hard to see. We built the MediPro Apprentice Tracker to overcome each of these challenges.
| The challenge with paper | How the Tracker solves it |
|---|---|
| No live view. Tutors saw a PAD only when the apprentice brought it in, so gaps showed up late. | Tutors and managers see every apprentice’s progress live, the moment a competency is signed. |
| Signatures that were hard to check. Many clinicians sign a PAD, and confirming each one took time. | Every signature is tied to a registered OCP’s personal PIN and timestamped. The Tracker also checks signatures with the OCPs themselves, automatically. |
| Clinical exposure that was hard to measure. Monthly tallies sat on paper. | Each month’s tally adds up into a running total, for every apprentice and across a whole group. |
| Wellbeing signals that arrived late. A learner who felt unsafe might not say so until a review. | A low “feeling safe” score or a worrying comment alerts the right person straight away. |
| Reporting that took hours. Progress for a contract review, Ofsted or a training session meant chasing paper. | Group, monthly and final sign-off reports are ready in seconds. |
The result: problems are spotted early, support reaches apprentices sooner, and every apprentice heads towards end-point assessment with a complete, checked record.
The solution: one live record for everyone involved
The MediPro Apprentice Tracker puts the whole PAD, the monthly Progress record and the clinical course online. It is built around the real Practice Assessment Document, so nothing is lost in the move from paper. Each person sees only what their role allows.
| Who | What they do in the Tracker |
|---|---|
| Apprentices | Record each month’s shifts worked, tally of events and reflections. See what is still needed. Ask for help or raise a concern in confidence. |
| OCPs (clinicians on the road) | Register once, then sign competencies on the apprentice’s phone with a personal PIN. No account or password needed. |
| Tutors and the Medipro Assessor | See every apprentice, act on flags, sign off each PAD component and give the final sign-off with their own login and electronic signature. |
| Employers | See their own apprentices’ progress and add notes. Confidential concerns and individual feedback answers stay private. |
| IQAs and EQAs | Read every record. The IQA records sampling in the Tracker. |
It works on any phone, tablet or computer. There is no app to download. If an apprentice loses signal on station, their own entries are kept on the phone and sync when signal returns.
Every signature is tied to a registered OCP and timestamped. Once an apprentice’s PAD is half signed, the Tracker automatically emails two OCPs at random to confirm their signatures. That gives providers and employers real confidence in the evidence.
Live overview and reporting
The biggest change is visibility. Tutors and managers no longer wait for a PAD to be brought in. They see the whole cohort, live, on one dashboard.
A live dashboard. Every apprentice on one screen: PAD criteria signed, shifts worked, Progress months, reviews, declarations and CERAD driving status. Tiles show at a glance who needs attention, whose PAD is complete and who is ready for final sign-off.
Flags raised by fixed rules. The Tracker flags issues the moment they appear, not weeks later. Examples include a missed Progress month, a learner inactive for 14 days, low clinical exposure, or event types still not seen after eight months. Safety signals follow fixed rules too. A low “feeling safe” score goes to the Safeguarding, Inclusion and Wellbeing Lead. A worrying comment goes to the Head of Centre the same day. Staff record what was done, and the flag closes.
Running totals of clinical exposure. Each month’s tally of events adds up automatically, by event type. Staff can see at once that an apprentice has attended 3 cardiac arrests and 17 adult assessments, but no maternity calls yet.
Group reports in seconds. Before a return training session, tutors tick the apprentices attending and download one PDF. It shows each learner’s progress and running tally, and which apprentices have not yet seen each type of event. That helps tutors plan the session around real gaps.
Monthly management report. A PDF report arrives on the first of each month, with progress, wellbeing scores, flags and PAD signatory checks across the programme.
A final sign-off check. Before an apprentice finishes, one card shows whether everything is done: competencies, declarations, behaviour assessments, Progress months, the Assessor’s sign-off of all 17 components, CERAD and confirmed signatory checks. No more searching through paper before end-point assessment.
All screenshots show example learners, not real people.
A word from our Apprenticeship Director
“Ambulance apprentices do their most important learning on the road, across dozens of stations and shift patterns. For years, that meant relying on a paper PAD and finding out about gaps far too late. The MediPro Apprentice Tracker changes that. Our tutors can now see every apprentice’s progress, their clinical exposure and any wellbeing concerns as they happen, and act straight away. It gives our apprentices, their OCPs and their employer the same clear picture. We built it around how ambulance apprentices actually learn, and we would welcome conversations with other services facing the same challenge.”
Kirsty Wharton, Apprenticeship Director, Medipro
Secure by design
Apprentice records are sensitive, so security came first.
- Hosted in the UK on Medipro’s own Microsoft Azure service, with backups also held in the UK.
- No passwords for learners. Apprentices and employers sign in with a one-time code sent by email. Medipro staff use their Microsoft 365 accounts.
- Access checked on every save. Each person sees only what their role allows. The server enforces this, not the screen.
- Confidential concerns stay confidential. Only the senior team can read them. Employers never see individual feedback answers.
- No patient information is recorded anywhere in the system.
- Records are kept for 6 years after the apprenticeship ends, then deleted automatically.
- A printed backup record matches the electronic PAD exactly, so learning carries on if a device fails.
Rolling out in 2027
The Tracker goes live for our Level 3 Ambulance Support Worker (Emergency) apprentices starting in January 2027. We are also developing a version for our Level 4 Associate Ambulance Practitioner programme, which will follow very soon.
Available to other ambulance services
The MediPro Apprentice Tracker has been developed over many months by our education team, drawing on our experience of delivering ambulance apprenticeships since 2008. We know other NHS ambulance services and training providers face the same challenge of monitoring apprentices in practice.
We are now offering the Tracker to other services under a commercial agreement. That could include:
- your own secure copy of the Tracker, set up for your apprentices, stations and staff
- your PAD and Progress records, so the electronic record matches the document you use
- training for your tutors, managers and OCPs, with ready-made guides and FAQs
- ongoing support and updates
If your service would benefit from a live view of every apprentice, we would be glad to talk. Email apprenticeships@medipro.co.uk, call 01325 609030, or use the contact form on our website to arrange a demonstration.
Frequently asked questions
What is an electronic PAD?
A Practice Assessment Document records the competencies an apprentice shows in practice, and who signed them off. An electronic PAD holds the same record online, so tutors and employers can see progress live instead of waiting for paper.
Do OCPs need an account?
No. An OCP registers once on an apprentice’s phone, then signs with a personal PIN. Every signature is timestamped and tied to that OCP.
Can it work without signal?
Yes, for the apprentice’s own entries. They are kept on the phone and sync when signal returns. OCP signing needs signal, because the PIN is checked securely.
What can employers see?
Their own apprentices’ PAD progress, Progress months, shifts worked, CERAD and clinical course progress. Not confidential concerns or individual feedback answers.
How does it help with end-point assessment?
The final sign-off check shows in one place whether every requirement is complete, including the Assessor’s sign-off of each component and confirmed signatory checks.
Can our ambulance service use it?
Yes. We offer the Tracker to other services under a commercial agreement. Contact apprenticeships@medipro.co.uk to arrange a demonstration.