Posted on: 28 April 2023
Hello, my name is Tim.
I am the Programme Manager for Global Partnerships at West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), supported by a small core team within the People Directorate, but working closely with local, national and international partners.
Establishing Global Partnerships enable us to create high quality ethical international recruitment pathways, but also opportunities to share knowledge and learning between global health systems. One example being the West Yorkshire & Harrogate Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) partnership with Uganda.
We have a diverse international workforce across health and social care in West Yorkshire, and there is an opportunity to foster environments that enable all our people to have fulfilling and potentially global careers. Our international workforce are often hidden ‘experts in our midst’ who have global health knowledge, experience and connections that could perhaps lead to innovative ways to improve health outcomes and tackle inequalities.
In 2021 West Yorkshire ICB formed a partnership with the Global Health Directorate at Health Education England (HEE), now within NHS England. Our ambition is to establish an approach to Global work that is ethical, education-based, a two-way transfer of knowledge and skills, on that uses innovative approaches in both directions and enables the idea that our West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership is a good global citizen.
For two years we have been collaborating on developing ethical supply routes for international recruitment to the region, and establishing global partnerships including with Kerala in South West India, Uganda and St Vincent’s and the Grenadines in the Caribbean.
Our initial focus on introducing Ethical Migratory Pathways to West Yorkshire has been in radiography, utilising the HEE Diagnostic Radiography Programme to bring international radiographers to NHS trusts in West Yorkshire. We are also collaborating with the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance on a programme to internationally recruit Medical Oncologists via ethical routes, and with the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism programme to recruitment Psychiatrists and Mental Health Nurses.
West Yorkshire ICB has recently formed a global partnership with the Government of Kerala and ODEPC, this partnership builds upon the HEE Global Learners Programme which ran from 2018-21 recruiting over 600 nurses from Kerala to the NHS. Kerala has a history of supporting its Nationals to migrate overseas, it has high levels of nurse education delivered by State Government Nursing Colleges and has a 0% nurse vacancy level.
Some traditional migration routes from India involve multiple private recruitment agencies, a largely unregulated market which can provide poor value for money and experience, and often be financially costly to individual nurses and healthcare professionals. Working with our partners ODEPC (Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants Ltd) we are able to recruit from Kerala using an ethical recruitment pathway which focuses on people and their journey into and with the UK.
We have supported Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to work with ODEPC to recruit Senior Clinical Advisors to work on the NHS 111 service, following successful interviews in February YAS are expecting their first cohort of nurses from Kerala this month.
The pathway for Registered General Nurses from ODEPC Kerala to the UK is well established and several of our local NHS trusts are bringing nurses to West Yorkshire using it, including Bradford Teaching Hospitals who have welcomed 23 nurses in recent months, with more due soon.
Our partnership with Kerala has strong commitment from Ministers within the Keralan government, including leaders within nursing and medical education so we have an opportunity to develop recruitment pathways in other specialties and beyond the NHS into social care too. Opportunities extend to collaboration on research and education, as well as workforce.
Our ambition is to use and establish more ethical routes of international recruitment in health and social care, providing high quality experiences for our people arriving, helping them to settle well, thrive in their roles and feel at home in West Yorkshire.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, we will soon be launching some Global Partnerships webpages within the ICB site to share more updates and stories. If you are interested in learning more and discussing any of the global work happening please get in touch at: wyicb-wak.
Cohort three of this year’s Fellowship programme is looking for aspiring leaders from ethnically diverse communities
Hello, my name is Cherill.
I’m a System Development Lead at the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and a registered Physio. I wanted to use today’s blog to talk to you about the Fellowship Programme. I’m pleased to say that, as of 24 April, applications are open for cohort three this year’s Fellowship programme for aspiring leaders and will close on 16 June 2023.
I hope to encourage everyone reading this to commit to supporting this programme, whether that be through helping someone to apply, sharing information about the programme with your colleagues, or even applying yourself.
The basics
The Fellowship programme is an award-winning leadership development programme aimed specifically at colleagues from our ethnically diverse communities who are working within the health and care in West Yorkshire.
It was designed to help achieve our 10 big ambitions as a Partnership, as set out in our People Plan. The programme aims to increase the diversity of our leaders within health and care roles across the region. The programme has been running since 2020 and has a track record of success. In fact, in the first cohort alone nine of the 11 colleagues that completed the programme achieved a promotion within six months of finishing.
To be eligible to apply you must be working in health and care in West Yorkshire and be from an ethnically diverse community. This can include anyone working in NHS organisations, councils, Healthwatch, hospices, charities and the community, voluntary, and social enterprise sector.
Those eligible for the programme will also usually:
Either be in or looking to progress into their first leadership position- Have care giving responsibility as a qualified member of a profession
- May or may not be in a formal leadership role
- Have responsibility for people and/or services.
How does the programme work?
The Fellowship programme is 18 months long and split into two distinct parts, the first a six month developmental period based solely in fellows’ own organisations, and the second is a 12 month project placement for one day a week. Fellows can expect to spend one to two days per month on the development work in the first six months.
Why are we doing this?
We’re doing this because we know four things:
- We know that West Yorkshire is one of the most diverse areas in the United Kingdom, but our leadership in health and care does not yet reflect that
- We know that non-White British colleagues are more likely to be dismissed, disciplined or subject to unfair workplace treatment than white colleagues
- We know that non-White British citizens experience poorer health outcomes than white counterparts
- We know that we can do something about this.
The Fellowship programme looks to address these issues by supporting under-represented colleagues to progress their careers within West Yorkshire. This will help ensure our leadership teams are more diverse, and there is significant evidence that more diverse teams help support all our citizens to have better health outcomes, and our colleagues to have better experiences in work.
How to get Involved
To make this a success we need colleagues to get involved. This is everyone’s business, regardless of ethnicity. If you are interested in applying or want to find out more please visit the Fellowship page on our workforce website for more information. Alternatively, we are hosting online information sessions on the dates below. If you would like to attend a session to find out more about the programme, please email: wyicb-wak.sldteam@nhs.net
- Wednesday 3 May, 2-3pm
- Thursday 11 May, 11am -12 noon
- Monday 15 May, 6 – 7pm
- Wednesday 24 May, 7.30 – 8.30am
- Tuesday 30 May, 4 -5pm
- Thursday 8 June, 10 – 11am
If you are a senior leader then think about how you might support colleagues to apply for, and be a success on, the programme. We need leaders to help identify those across our partnership who would benefit from this programme. If you know someone then please nominate them using this executive sponsor form.
Finally, if you know someone if you think would be perfect for the programme then please tell them about it!
The Fellowship programme is not a silver bullet, nor will it be the solution to all problems. However, it can be one of the solutions and can contribute to making West Yorkshire the best place to work and live that it can possibly be.
Thank you for reading and have a good weekend,
Cherill
What else has been happening this week?
Thea Stein, Chief Executive of Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust to lead Nuffield Trust think tank
Thea Stein who has led Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH) for the past nine years, has been selected as the next Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust independent health think tank, an independent organisation with a remit on research and policy analysis and a clear focus on health and social care across the UK. This appointment will mark the end of her time at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust.
Brodie Clark, CBE and Chair of LCH said: “Thea’s leadership over many difficult and challenging times has been unwavering and of the highest value. Equally, her contribution to the city-wide and West Yorkshire healthcare system has been innovative, thoughtful and impactful. She will be a great loss on both counts.
Her care and support of staff across the organisation is a major hallmark of her tenure at LCH. She has led this organisation with care and compassion.”
The process of recruiting her successor will take place over the summer period and it is likely that Thea will remain in post at LCH until late summer.
Further information can be found on the Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust website.
NHS services over the bank holidays and planned industrial action
The NHS in West Yorkshire is urging people to plan ahead for their healthcare needs in the run up to what is expected to be a particularly busy time for health and care services in the region. This year, there are two bank holidays at the start of May (1 and 8 May). In addition, the May Day bank holiday (1 May) will coincide with planned strike action by nurses and some ambulance service staff.
The safety and care of people who use our services is our highest priority, and it is important that people continue to use our services when they need them. NHS teams across West Yorkshire will be working throughout the bank holiday and strike period to keep people safe and well, but there may be an impact on services.
We’ve issued a media release asking everyone to work with us to ensure they’re prepared for their medical needs over the bank holiday period and during the strike action. We’ve also shared a comprehensive communications plan and toolkit with colleagues across the partnership.
New Partnership TikTok and Instagram accounts
We have launched both a West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership TikTok and Instagram account. Please do follow us on TikTok at @WYHealthcarePartnership and on Instagram at @WYHealthandCarePartnership and share via your usual routes.
Last week, we launched with a series of TikTok videos highlighting some of the work done by our Partnership. Please do share and engage where appropriate.
@wyhealthcarepartnership We've launched our Learning Disability Challenge! This animation describes the work of the Challenge. This spring, we will be talking more about working with people with learning disabilities. #fyp #neurodivergent #learningdisability ♬ original sound - WY Health and Care Partnership
New Admiral nursing service - Specialist dementia nurses based at St James’s
Living with dementia can be challenging and confusing. The person with the diagnosis might be worried about what they may have to face in the future. And the people around them might be unsure how best to support them, and where to turn for help. In conjunction with Dementia UK a new Admiral Nurses team has recently been launched at St James’s Hospital in Leeds. Carla Rogers and Debbie Foster are dementia specialists dedicated to helping families face dementia with support.
Find out more on the new Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust website.
This mum can and did
As part of our ongoing mums can campaign we are reminding young pregnant women wanting to quit smoking that support is available. The Mums Can website signposts pregnant young smokers to free, friendly, non-judgemental advice, safer alternatives and proven techniques to help them make a change.
23 year old Joanna (not real name) who is expecting her first baby took advantage of the support available. Following a conversation with Maternity Health Adviser, Naomi Hegney, Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Trust, about lifestyle, smoking habits, healthy eating during pregnancy and vitamins, together they agreed a care plan. That care plan included weekly support on the phone and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches through the post. After five weeks of using the patches Joanna felt she no longer needed them.
Joanna said:
“Naomi has been so supportive throughout my journey to stopping smoking, checking in regularly and offering me great advice and reassurance every time we spoke. I’m not sure I’d have managed to get to this stage without her support! She’s a credit to the NHS!”
For more information and case studies visit: www.mums-can.co.uk.
Wheelchair World Cup rugby star Rob Hawkins opens new children’s community health hub in Elland
Halifax Panthers’ star and Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup winner, Rob Hawkins, cut the ribbon at the new Rainbow Community Hub healthcare centre in Elland, part of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) last week.
The Rainbow Hub, based in the Clock House, on the Rosemount Estate, Elland, is a purpose-designed facility for local children from across Calderdale and Huddersfield with complex care conditions. It is the new home of the Rainbow Child Development Unit, previously located at Calderdale Royal Hospital.
The centre provides clinics, therapies and treatments and is also the base for nursing teams specialising in children’s community, diabetes and epilepsy care, bringing services together under one roof.
The facility includes the very latest technology, funded partly through the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Charity including a state-of-the-art sensory room, moving ‘floorscapes’ in reception, which change to touch, and moving ‘ceilingscapes’ in treatment rooms, on which parents can upload family videos from their phones for children to watch. There is also a large soft play area with indoor swing and a changing places area with an accessible shower and changing facilities.
Families who helped with the design and sponsored events were among the special guests on the day.
The opening of the new facility is this one of the first stages of wider plans to transform hospital services and improve patient care and experience across Calderdale and Huddersfield. The location of the former centre will become part of new clinical buildings when the site at Calderdale Royal is developed as part of the Trust’s £200million hospital reconfiguration programme.
A video tour of the facilities has also been released, through the eyes (and voice) of a child. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG_JYIsL4iI
Improving Population Health Programme Board
The Improving Population Health Programme Board met on Friday 21 April to discuss the programme’s draft forward plan. The board considered how our programme directly and indirectly supports the delivery of the NHS objectives for 2023/24 detailed in the 2023/24 priorities and operational planning guidance, the NHS Forward View, the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership’s Five-Year Plan and 10 big ambitions.
As a programme we think about how we work together to embed a culture of improving population health and reducing inequalities through increasing system capacity, capability and intelligence. We took the opportunity to reflect on current and future health challenges for people and communities and how we can best contribute to healthier lives. Our forward view will be finalised next month and the board is planning a development day.
We thanked Fredi Garbe interim Associate Director, who has been covering for Sarah Smith who returns from maternity leave next month, for her invaluable support, commitment to tackling health inequalities and leadership during the last year. Dr James Thomas, Medical Director, Chair of the Clinical Forum and Joint Senior Responsible Owner for the Improving Population Health Programme chaired this month’s meeting.