NHS Tayside Healthcare Academy
01 October 2009
The NHS Tayside Healthcare Academy (NHSTHCA) is part of a modern, innovative Human Resources and Workforce Development Strategy, which aims to ensure a sustainable quality workforce, which is responsive to local population need. It offers 3 programmes, a 6 week Pre-Employment Programme, Modern Apprenticeships and a 36 week SVQ 2 level Foundation programme.
The vision for the NHSTHCA was, as largest employer in Tayside to lead by example by being more socially responsible, acknowledging the greatest determinant of ill health is poverty, and take a new approach to public health and recruitment by providing employment to support health. The Academy aims to help unemployed and excluded groups into employment and long term healthcare careers.
NHS Tayside covers 3000 square miles, and provides healthcare to a population 390,000, across primary and secondary care environments. Tayside has both urban and remote and rural environments, as well as areas of significant deprivation.
The Academy received start up non-recurring funding from the then Scottish Executive and is an example of true partnership working between Job Centre Plus, Skills Development Scotland, Careers Scotland, local Further Education Colleges and the NHS.
The development was established is Spring 2006, with one Development Officer and the first students entered the Academy on August 2006. In the first 7 months 69% of students have secured permanent employment with NHS Tayside. The Academy now has a team of 3, a Development Officer (Band 7), Development Practitioner (Band 6) and Administrator/Placement Co-ordinator (Band 4) the posts are substantively funded by NHS Tayside.
The development of the NHS Tayside Healthcare Academy was a recommendation within the NHS Tayside Strategic Workforce Development Plan (2006), and is a key part of the Inclusion and Diversity Agenda. Its objectives are to provide employment opportunities for a wide variety of people who are, presently unemployed, or from excluded groups, and through clear partnership based workforce development and planning, address and positively influence the health agenda.
Key Objectives;
- To reflect the Social Inclusion and the Equality and Diversity policy agenda
- To contribute to the overall long term health of the region through the creation of employment and development opportunities
- Create innovative workforce recruitment and retention solutions to support and sustain quality healthcare
- Provide quality services with a focus on essential support services
All successful applicants are offered a voluntary week with Worknet, an organisation with promotes self esteem, and literacy and numeracy skills. Over 80% of students take up this opportunity, prior to commencing the programme.
The pre employment programme itself consists of 126 hours of college tuition and 3 placements of 4 days, each in a different area of the health service. Placements are very varied, the philosophy around this is the allow students to understand all the contributions directly, and indirectly to patient care. This is to help build a culture which values all contributions equally, and understands it takes everyone to make the patient journey a success.
The Academy also offers a 36 week Foundation Programme SVQ 2 level programme in Dundee form August 2008. This programme is aimed at a variety of people, including those made redundant in recent factory closures, but could also capture young people who are leaving school with few opportunities or qualifications. By broadening the entry gate, we were reducing the potential of stigma and labelling of those individuals who entered NHS Tayside through the Academy 6 week pre-employment route.
The Modern Apprenticeship Scheme commenced September 2006. This was the first time NHS Tayside had offered apprenticeships for 22 years, there were 6 vacancies, 2 Electricians, 2 Mechanical Fitters, and 2 Plumbers, over 200 people applied for these opportunities. This year (2007) we advertised for a Joiner, an Electrician, a Painter, a Plumber and 2 Mechanical Fitters, and received 589 applications, and a similar number in 2008 whilst this represents a positive recruitment policy for NHS Tayside, we underestimated what we had exposed in the lack of opportunities for Young People, and understood that we would leave a large number of people disappointed. The Works and Estates department were delighted to have apprentices back within the workplace, and from an organisational perspective this scheme is about growing our own talent, and relying less on costly external contracts.
The Academy model could be transferred to any organisation, to provide excluded groups with the opportunity to sustainable employment and careers. The NHS Tayside model being considered by other NHS Scotland Boards.
For further information please contact:
Debbie Donald, Head of Strategic Workforce Development, NHS Tayside