The West Yorkshire People Plan
Our West Yorkshire People Plan sets out our ambitions for our ‘one workforce’ which includes those working in health, social care, the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, unpaid carers (approximately 400,000 people, as many dnot access formal support) and recognises the contribution made by our education sector in developing the current and future workforce.
The People Plan is a published document, the detail of which can be found on our workforce website at Five pillars of our People Plan: Workforce Transformation
Evidence-based, integrated, inclusive workforce plans
Tinform decision making in education and training, we have developed a workforce plan that is based upon the demands of maintaining the right workforce, responding tchange, new models of care and digital innovations. This plan is created following engagement across West Yorkshire NHS, Social Care and the Voluntary sectors and is practically developed in the following way:
1. Multi year workforce modelling
We are facilitating Multi Year Workforce Modelling workshops with each of our five places. These events are attended by staff from health and social care providers, the VCSE sector, education, and local authority. We recognise the need tcontinue tbetter understand the profile of our collective workforce by improving the quality and standard of data tinform decision making across sectors/roles. The workshops have identified the areas where improved data and scenariplanning would be useful (e.g., in children’s care services, VCSE and primary care). The requirement tincrease training placements in community settings was identified by all places. The output from these engagements has been tinform NHSE investment in education and training.
We recognise the complexity of working on multiple footprints and that demand must be informed by an understanding of the needs of the population and future models of delivering care, captured through sector, pathway/programme, and neighbourhood planning lenses. Building a consensus around the future size and shape of our workforce is key tsupporting workforce and service transformation and tachieving our vision.
ICBs and the places within them, require a range of data and intelligence tinform their interventions and undertake their responsibilities with evidence-based approaches.
2. West Yorkshire Workforce Observatory
The West Yorkshire Workforce Observatory involves researchers from higher education (HE) working in collaboration with the West Yorkshire ICS (Integrated Care System). It takes an innovative approach tworkforce planning across the system, that has been able tcreate innovative approaches tevidence-based workforce development. Examples include:
- Recruitment and retention of care workers review
- Review of strategic workforce planning in health and social care
- Planning the radiology workforce for cancer diagnostics in West Yorkshire
- A review of the health and social care digital workforce in West Yorkshire
3. Transformation Plan
A workforce transformation plan that describes and tracks/ evaluates specific investment in new roles and new ways of working defined within the planning process.
4. Strategic workforce planning cycle
We are developing a strategic workforce planning cycle guidance document in 2024 for places and programmes. This will enable places tbe better informed
of the wider annual workforce planning cycle and events, as well as information that sets out key details and expectations from a West Yorkshire perspective.
The process for the annual NHSE operational planning return includes collaboration with West Yorkshire ICB programmes and places. In working in this way, we have collated information for the narrative, ensuring all places are cited on information provided.
5. National information system pilot
The ambition of the National Information System Pilot is tcreate a comprehensive range of information and dashboards which will fully support ICBs ability tmonitor impact. The work is not limited tNHS workforce data and there is the potential texplore:
- User needs across workforce and education, finance, and activity data,
- Include primary and social care,
- Provide aggregation and benchmarking services,
- Focus on key questions,
- Develop new ESR (electronic staff record) data
Our ambition is that these initiatives will influence spending on education and training, allowing us ttarget key areas tbuild and develop our West Yorkshire workforce. West Yorkshire ICB is leading the National Information System pilot project nationally with NHS England.
Social and economic development
As part of our wider work on workforce integration, we need tconsider and address the ongoing economic effects that poverty and the cost of living crisis, industrial action have, and the impact these may have on our colleagues whose households may be impacted in these challenging times, and the additional anxiety this will bring. We need tfurther scope how the health and care sector can contribute tsocial and economic recovery, ensuring that as we plan our future workforce requirements, we maximise the potential of our anchor institutions tsupport growth and job opportunities within our local communities. (Anchor Institutions are large organisations able tsupport smaller organisations in a local geography)
Social care
The West Yorkshire ICB People Directorate working with social care colleagues is developing an International Recruitment infrastructure, the exploration of enhanced
placement capacity intsocial care and collaborative work tenhance the access ttraining for social care colleagues available within the health sector.
Volunteering
In West Yorkshire (WY), we believe volunteering adds a unique and effective dimension tthe way we reach and support our diverse population tmaintain or improve their health and wellbeing. Our ambition as an ICB (Integrated Care Board) is toffer the right opportunity, in the right place, at the right time tanyone whwants tvolunteer in the Integrated Care System. Building on our West Yorkshire Volunteering Principles, through developing an Integrated Volunteering Strategy for West Yorkshire, we aim tstrengthen collaboration across organisations, enabling easier movement of volunteers, and improving volunteer experience, opportunities, and support.
We recognise that across WY, organisations and sectors have developed volunteering in different ways, and our West Yorkshire Integrated Volunteering Approaches Group (IVAG) aims tbuild on this, aligning approaches tvolunteering across organisations and sectors.
Through greater collaboration, sharing learning and resources, offering more inclusive pathways intvolunteering and potentially intwork, and building on good practice, our ambition is tcontribute tsystem wide workforce transformation – including current workforce challenges, patient and volunteer experience, health, and well-being outcomes for those experiencing the greatest health inequalities and building system resilience.
Education and training
Supported by the Integrated Care Board, workforce development examples, which respond tthe improvement / development of local services include:
The Calderdale Framework and STAR model are simple but effective methodologies tsupport workforce transformation, enabling those responsible for delivering healthcare services texplore workforce challenges in more detail, and develop bespoke action plans taddress them. Continuing support for facilitation of workshops and training of staff in these models are key tenabling engagement with the staff and the specifics of their local challenges.
Examples of the Calderdale framework:
- Leeds Children’s Hospital are working with clinical teams in the children’s day surgery unit thelp tmaximise the effectiveness of the workforce, ensuring that the registered staff perform tasks only they can do, supported by a skilled, safe, and competent support workforce, benefitting staff, patients, and their families.
- Airedale NHS Foundation Trust working with the breast surgery and breast imaging teams, we have identified elements of the service that can be delegated tother professions and skills that can be shared across professions tcreate resilience in the service and free up clinical nurse specialist time tfocus on more complex cases. Through competency framework mapping, upskilling opportunities have been identified for assistant practitioners. There are plans tdevelop a proposal for how the Genomic testing service can be delivered.
- Creative Care: SWYPFT are trialling the recruitment of 8 full time creative practitioners across acute psychiatric wards texpand the workforce on wards, leading group and 1:1 activities, developing creative care plans for inpatients and linking tSocial Prescribing and cultural/ community assets on discharge. Aiming tincrease capacity of existing staff, reduce incidents on wards and, long-term, tpositively impact average length of stay and readmission rates.
Service redesign
WYAAT (West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts) has a well-established Theatre Forum group with representation from all six West Yorkshire and Harrogate Trusts. Created in March 2022, this group provides a platform for theatre staff tcome together on a regular basis tengage and discuss current workforce issues. We have made progress on several workforce initiatives, which has recently led tus forming three subgroups focused on recruitment, retention (including education, health, and wellbeing) and transformation.
The WYAAT forum offers an opportunity tdiscuss ideas and generate unique and constructive solutions taddress some of the workforce issues collaboratively as well as celebrate some of the amazing work that is happening across our hospitals.
We have representation from regional NHSE at this group whprovide support, advice, and guidance and recognised the WYAAT theatre model as an exemplar. WYAAT are alspart of the ‘National Building Outstanding Theatres Team’ (BOTT) whare keen for this group tplay a significant part in the key deliverables of the national programme.
New ways of delivering care and service delivery
We recognise the value that students bring tservice delivery and have been working tensure that our students play a contributory role in service delivery in an environment that is safe for them and our patients. We have several initiatives that support this:
- The Multi-professional student-led clinic project aims tincrease placement capacity across all practices, whilst maintaining, and sometimes improving, quality. It significantly supports capacity issues by targeting waiting lists, and in turn this is contributing tpatient safety and satisfaction. This moves towards greater focus on work in the community and a greater attraction for students twant twork in the community following their experience with patients. For the learner, this project becomes an invaluable placement experience in building confidence with increased patient exposure, developing early leadership skills and gaining a sense of value from feeling part of a team. For general practice it is becoming a valuable resource in reducing service pressures, supporting staff wellbeing and feedback suggests it has had a significant success in tackling health inequalities.
- Primary care - multi-professional student led clinics are in the early pilot stages running across twlarge west Yorkshire PCN’s currently focussed on managing serious mental illness reviews. The West Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce and Training Hub have appointed a student led clinic manager whwill support the roll out of the student led clinics across West Yorkshire.
- The Learning Environments and Placements Programme has worked alongside Leeds Community Podiatry and The University of Huddersfield in piloting a number of student-led Podiatry clinics - the first of 10 clinical sessions were piloted in January 2023. In the pilot, the areas focused upon were Heel Pain clinics, new assessments of patients whwere placed on waiting lists in 2021, and clinics treassess ‘at risk’ patients whhad not had a face-to-face appointment for over 15 months. A thorough assessment was undertaken of each patient, which included additional Patient Education advice on how tsafely manage their condition at home. Because of the Patient Education element within the clinics, we were able textend review times and increase capacity. Generally, one registered Podiatrist would have around 45 appointment slots in a five-day period. Five days of student led clinics created 120 additional appointments, which is an increase in capacity of 166%.
- Urgent care - We are currently exploring the possibility of student led clinics within urgent care thelp support waiting times for minor injuries.
- Elective care - We are alsexploring the possibility of student led clinics tsupport rehabilitation tprevent deconditioning and reduce the length of hospital stays following surgery and those awaiting discharge.
- Students working as bank staff – Nursing and AHP (Allied Health Professionals) programmes across West Yorkshire now include the care certificate. This enables our students tundertake bank work as health care assistants, supporting service delivery as well as developing their competence and confidence.
Workforce priorities
For some time now, employers, service providers, service leads across health and social care, the voluntary sector have come together in Wakefield, Calderdale, Kirklees, Bradford, and Leeds tidentify workforce priorities that can be seen as “System Wide”, meaning that there are things that can be worked on for all of West Yorkshire. We call these ongoing events “Multi Year Modelling.”
The priorities gathered were presented tthe Integrated Care Board in a specific Workforce section of the meeting in February and following endorsement by the Board, for this and at a later Board meeting the proposal for an approach tDentistry, further work with providers, professional groups and Post Graduate Education leaders has shaped the 3 priority work streams as follows:
1. Dentistry
- We will develop a workforce strategy and plan
- We are developing a workforce response tthe work endorsed by the ICB Board. This will include delivery of a range of solutions outlined in the paper presented tthe Board:
- A new way of working where General Practitioners with a special interest in Oral Health will undertake activity, taking some pressure of community care in foundation practices, with upskilling, as part of the model.
- Local centres for dental development (possibly twin West Yorkshire, yet tbe decided)
- Provide a focus for specialised care
- Provide training in community settings
- Delivers a mini specialist care centre
- Community based reason for people twork and develop their trade/career
- Support toverseas recruitment
2. Community / prevention / neighbourhoods workforce framework
- Identifying opportunity and the creation and utilisation of new roles, innovation in recruitment, retention, placement opportunities, career, and education/learning pathways.
3. Expanding community placement
- This workstream will:
- enable effective learning environments
- expand clinical placements
- expand nursing and allied health professional roles
West Yorkshire Healthcare Science Workforce group
The West Yorkshire Healthcare Science Workforce Group is a newly formed group, in which there are 52 professional specialisms. Collectively West Yorkshire ICB and the Healthcare Science Workforce group will work together this year to:
- Undertake an analysis of current activity and demand for diagnostic service that require health care scientist’s input
- Undertake an urgent workforce review of the identified HCS hotspots and develop a robust action plan tmitigate current shortfall gaps, considering the age demographic and require growth of the workforce tmeet service demand.
- Development of a longer-term training and education plan that is reflective of regional requirements for all HCS specialism.
- Digital staff passports / porting of staff across systems, places, and service providers
- Another priority identified as part of the Multi Year Modelling process was the ability tshift resources tthe parts of the system that have the greatest need (e.g., social care, urgent care).
- The NHS Digital Staff Passport is an easy-to-use app that would assist the ability for staff twork across systems, places, and service providers. The App holds staff members’ essential information – including personal, employment (excluding pay), skills and occupational health. The passport will ensure the quick and secure transfer of information that’s required, for transfer between organisations.
Supporting workforce wellbeing
As an indicator of the value our system places on supporting workforce wellbeing, we have committed tbuild on the non-recurrent funding provided by NHS England testablish Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs, by recurrently supporting our ‘hub’ tcontinue as a permanent offer tstaff across health, social care and the VCSE sector.
Moving int2024 our priorities for the hub continue tinclude:
- Transition the temporary hub arrangements inta permanent structure – including continued deliver of direct therapy provision tthose staff whrefer intthe service
- Develop the Critical Incident Support Model talign with Emergency Planning & Preparedness work
- Develop the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership microsite and social media presence tsupport staff mental wellbeing.
Global Partnerships
The aim of our Global Partnerships programme is testablish West Yorkshire as a great Global Citizen. A key element of this is working in close collaboration with NHSE on several small- scale pilots tdevelop new ethical, sustainable international recruitment pathways for roles in the collaborative West Yorkshire Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Programme (five psychiatrists and twenty-five mental health nurses) and Cancer Alliance (five medical oncologists) and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (five senior clinical advisors for the NHS 111 service). Once these pathways have been piloted and evaluated, they will then be usable at a larger scale by all organisations within the Partnership, which will reduce reliance on agency costs.
In 2022, the ICB established a partnership with the Government of Kerala in India that provides an ethical and sustainable supply of nurses tall West Yorkshire health and social care partners. This pathway for large scale nursing recruitment, along with all other ethical migratory pathways developed for other clinical specialties. The evaluation is due tconclude in Summer 2024 and will inform ongoing quality improvement of the recruitment process and experience for staff and organisations.
Our Global team and partners are developing educational programmes in West Yorkshire and Kerala which will become part of the pathway of internationally nurses joining trusts in Mental Health roles. Similarly, we are developing a Social Care pathway with Kerala tbring nurses, Senior Care Workers, and Healthcare Assistant tthe region.
These recruitment pipelines of internationally educated colleagues will continue tgrow through 2024 and are likely tbecome sustainable workstreams over the next five years.
Global Partnerships such as the SCALE partnership between the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) and the Ministry of Health Uganda will continue tcollaborate and improve the lives of mothers and babies, in West Yorkshire and in Uganda, through virtual learning programmes, observerships and fellowships. We will evaluate the impact of Global Health partnerships within West Yorkshire including those with St Vincent’s and the Grenadines, and Montserrat. We will champion the role of our global workforce and create opportunities for internationally educated colleagues tuse their global health knowledge and experience tbring new perspectives and innovations, contributing towards new ways of working and reducing health inequalities.
System leadership
The aim of the West Yorkshire system and leadership development work is tsupport the partnership tachieve our 10 big ambitions through enabling culture change, encouraging collaboration, and supporting our partners in fulfilling their potential by developing leadership capacity and capabilities. The specific priorities of system and leadership development are to:
- Increase the diversity of our workforce sit represents our community through promoting the partnership co-designed inclusive recruitment approach.
- Increase the diversity of our leadership through delivering the fellowship leadership programme across WY, reciprocal mentoring programme, ILM coaching programme and the coaching hub, and developing a talent pool of diverse future leaders.
- Enable the development of our partnership inta system where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts through leading and facilitating OD and system development with the component parts of our partnership including places, provider collaboratives, programmes and the ICB, embedding values and behaviours development intour approach. The primary focus of this in 24/25 will be tenable a high functioning ICB by providing OD support timplement the new operating model.
- Enable the delivery of the five-year strategy and joint forward plan through facilitating and equipping the component parts of the partnership with OD tools and skills.