Innovative pathways and partnerships: responding to student and employer demands

1. Innovative pathways and partnerships: responding to student and employer demands Prof. Linda Jones Director, OU-RCN Strategic Alliance The Open University

2. Contents: • The challenge of change • Employer and learner needs –do they coincide? • Partnership – does it help? • Models of partnership • Some examples of innovation • Conclusions – what can partnership deliver?

3. Service transformation to deliver improved services that: are person-centred enhance quality of patient care are local, accessible, convenient, integrated, expert support health and prevent ill health The challenge

4. The challenge “Our ambition should be nothing less than the creation of a world class NHS that prevents ill health, saves lives and improves the quality of people’s lives” (Darzi Our NHS, our future, Interim report, 2007) “Without increased skills, we would condemn ourselves to a lingering decline in competitiveness, diminishing growth and a bleaker future for all. The case for action is compelling and urgent.” (Leitch, Prosperity for all in the Global Economy: World Class Skills, 2006)

5. The tools More effective workforce planning • Assess knowledge, skills, competencies and behaviours required • More focus on existing staff – only 10% of NHS education and training budget currently spent on them but 70% of 2020 workforce already in work • Devise skills development for sub-professional grades; 6/10 NHS employees are below level 2 skills • Increase proportion with higher skills HE in workforce • Talent manage - create more leaders of change at all levels

6. Better educational commissioning “World class” – reduce attrition, maximise quality and value for money Encourage innovation, flexibility and responsiveness Create staff who are fit for purpose and fit for practice The tools

7. Employers want learning opportunities to: be work-based and competency-led focus on skills agenda up-skill and transform their workforce respond to service needs & national priorities increase organisational efficiency & effectiveness Staff want learning opportunities to offer: flexibility and currency relevant knowledge and skills career pathways and prospects for promotion potential for personal growth portable credit and/or valued qualifications Delivering the educational agenda: do interests coincide?

8. Can partnerships help? • Provide a wider perspective on learning – expertise of employers, education providers and other agencies • Embed a culture of learning in the organisation • Help to raise individual aspirations • Assist in needs analysis of workforce plans • Embrace benefits of demand-led education • Build flexible and adaptable provision to maximise returns (different sizes, APEL, building blocks) • Adapt successful approaches • Build on existing good quality provision

9. Divert resources Require cultural change Advantage competitors Loss of identity Mission drift Loss of independence Loss of control Extend resources Build on what exists Potential to grow market Stronger, shared identity Mission refocus Greater cohesion Potential for transformation But will partnerships deliver?

10. Some partnership types • Channel to market – product partner combines with market access partner • Co-delivery – partners bring particular expertise/status to jointly deliver an existing programme • Accreditation – programme development by one partner (or partners) quality assured by another • Co-creation – joint curriculum development, partners share resources and expertise to create something new

11. Channel to market – iTunes, UnionLearn Co-delivery – All pre-registration providers Accreditation FDF Employer-based Training Accreditation Notts. NHS Trust and OU Co-creation County Durham PCT and University of Teeside NW SHA, Connecting for Health, University of Chester Partnership case studies

12. Work-based training programmes designed by employers University of Bolton develops structured assessment and award Employees can gain academic credit as well as employer-based training certification FDF employer-based training accreditation pilot

13. Nottingham HCT and OU: an accreditation partnership • Work-based awards designed by the HCT to meet its workforce development needs • Organisations work together in developmental process to reach approved status – facilitation, interim assessment, quality checks • Creation of an academic infrastructure in the HCT • Strong academic partnership – academic reviewer, peer review and validation

14. Starts from workforce development needs Co-creation of customised education to meet specific needs of County Durham PCT’s community health workforce Academic credit for informal supervisory duties Use of problem-based learning drawing on learners’ skills and competences Joint Teeside-PCT steering committee County Durham and University of Teeside: co-creation

15. NW SHA, Connecting for Health, University of Chester: co-creation • Starts from workforce development needs • Co-creation of FD in Health Informatics to meet specific needs of health ICT workforce • Blended part-time learning: online, f2f, personal study • Responsive to NHS changes eg. eHealth, ‘Choose and Book’ system • Initially SHA sponsored and backfill funded

16. OU-RCN Strategic Alliance Elements of all partnership types: • Channel to market - develop joint marketing and business development to grow OU learners and RCN members • Co-delivery – transfer of RCN Distance Learning Unit and staff to the OU; blending OU and RCN learning to enhance education and training offer for health sector, especially nurses and support staff • Co-creation – Work with sector at nation and regional levels to develop and test innovative products and pathways and joint strategy for overseas work • Accreditation – combine RCN professional accreditation with OU academic accreditation for existing (and new) programmes

17. Eight tests of a healthy partnership • Partners can demonstrate real results through collaboration • Common interest supersedes partner interest • Partners use “we” when talking about partner matters • Partners are mutually accountable for task and outcomes • Partners share responsibilities and rewards • Partners strive to develop and maintain trust • Partners are willing to change what they do and how they do it • Partners seek to improve how the partnership performs www.lgpartnerships.com

18. Work-based learning partnerships (PSE consulting, Oct 07) • Relationship of partnership between commissioner and provider – new ways of doing business • Skilled leadership from both – at senior level • Mutual recognition of knowledge, skills, experience, capacity and resources • Learner support infrastructure • WBL viewed as essential component of organisational development – WBL as key delivery vehicle • Realistic, meaningful and achievable methods for evaluation

19. Involve all partners as early as possible Set clear objectives and markers of success Focus on results Be open to innovation Honest information exchange Clarity about roles Trust partners to do what they do best Be prepared to be challenged Ensure risk is shared Develop mechanisms to ensure sustainability Monitor and evaluate Allow partnership to develop in new directions Partnerships for Better Health (DoH,2007)

20. OU-RCN messages Pre-requisites Shared values, remit, structure, business focus Key players share educational vision and goals Essentials Organisations sign up to joint vision and objectives Benefits for key parts of both organisations Reticulists who can work between/across organisations Targets – set goals & measure success Sustainability Demonstrable success (not achievable without alliance) Cement: communication, incentives, trust, innovation Mainstreaming – embed in normal business

21. Partnerships can help to:“Develop a skilled flexible and productive workforce for the whole health sector in all UK nations, to raise the quality of health and healthcare for the public, patients and service users”(Skills for Health, 2008)