Developing a Team Approach to Workplace Learning

About THH• An acute hospital employing approx 2600

staff serving Heathrow Airport and major motorways

• Committed to learning and development for support staff e.g. Skills Pledge accredited NVQ Centre, active PDR process

• Close partnership working with UNISON with the development of ULRs & other initiatives

Background

•Part of an ongoing UNISON partnership programme to improve learning opportunities

•Offer a career framework that facilitates progression towards professional qualification

•Respond to service redesign and developments and look at specific competencies that would improve patient care in those with long term conditions

•Prepare for an increase in vacancy/retirement levels and to retain staff

• Identified clinical areas providing care to patients with long term conditions (London Stroke Strategy and Darzi:High Quality for All)

• Set up a Steering Group with key Stakeholders• Identified gaps in career development and

progression opportunities for bands 3• Consulted with staff and patients• Recognised an opportunity for Band 4 role

development

Initial Stages of the Project

The next stage

• Steering Group developed criteria for a work based learning programme to fit with qualifications as per A for C Band 4

• Invited several HEIs to present how they could design a programme to meet the criteria

• Full consensus for choice of provider (this included potential students)

• Further dialogue with the HEI to ensure that Skills for Health Learning Design Principles would be applied and that the qualification would be transferable

Cont.

• Curriculum sub committee to monitor the student experience and continue work to ensure design of 2nd year is fit for purpose

• Programme is competency based and meets the Skills for Health Learning Design Principles

• Following a partnership selection process 8 support staff started on a Foundation Degree in Health & Social Care : Assistant Practitioner in Long Term Conditions

Funding

•Full funding of fees and backfill support from NHS London

•Additional funding has been sought to develop mentoring guidelines for the work based element of the programme

Here and Now!

• Mentor and line manager induction and support

• Maintain essential partnership working

• Staff involvement

• Development of union Learning Reps

• Communication, communication communication…

Taking Forward Development of Band 4 Roles

• Job descriptions developed and in process of being ‘matched’

• Identify barriers and solutions to progress to implementation phase

Future Steps

• Fully evaluate the project and disseminate findings

• Adoption of Pilot by other areas in the Trust

• Ensure learning and development opportunities exist for the whole team to enable career progression up to and beyond FD