Communications & Engagement Plan draft 2 - Welcome To Waltham

Engagement & Communications Plan

April 2011

Engagement & Communications Plan 2

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 3

About Waltham Forest & Redbridge Local Optometric Committee ......................................................................... 3

Background .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

Context for Communications Plan ........................................................................................................................... 5

Purpose of Communications & Engagement Plan ...................................................................................................... 6

Aims ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Stakeholder Analysis ................................................................................................................................................... 8

Identifying Stakeholders .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Prioritising our Stakeholders .................................................................................................................................. 14

Understanding our Stakeholders ........................................................................................................................... 15

Communications Plan ............................................................................................................................................... 16

Understanding our current position ........................................................................................................................ 16

Action Plan ............................................................................................................................................................. 17


Introduction

About Waltham Forest & Redbridge Local Optometric Committee

WF & Redbridge LOC is the statutory body that represents practitioners providing general ophthalmic services in the two boroughs.

Following the Annual General Meeting of the WF & Redbridge LOC in March 2011, we have moved swiftly with a clear direction of travel which is steered by demonstrating responsiveness to the changes laid out in the White Paper, Liberating the NHS, as well setting out our organisational vision.

Our organisational aims • To work with optometry practices and across the health system to improve eye health outcomes and reduce

inequalities in the provision of care • To work with partners to deliver eye care services which meet local need • To work with partners to develop community orientated eye care services • To work with optometrists to recruit, retain and develop the current and future workforce • To advise commissioners on matters affecting optometrists providing General Ophthalmic services • To enable optometrists in the area to formulate collective views and develop ideas for improvement and better ways of

working • To advise commissioners on the scope and efficiency of eye care services locally • To provide a range of educational events for local optometrists, ensuring opportunities for peer support and

developing relationships with secondary care ophthalmologists

In order for us to successfully support local optometrists in developing and communicating their collective views skills and views, WF & Redbridge LOC need to:

• Be well connected with key decision makers, local councilors, local Health & Wellbeing Boards and other stakeholders • Have effective working relationships with commissioners and clinicians and other professionals across primary and

secondary care • Have a clear plan for communications and engagement • Work with commissioners to develop local eye health groups to capture views and advice across patient and clinician

groups


Background

Waltham Forest & Redbridge Local Optometric Committee are working to develop a programme of Pathway Redesign for local Eye Care services, and the first step we have taken is to set out how we intend to involve local stakeholders and partners in our efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of care. The ability to engage effectively will be key to our objectives of supporting clinical innovation and the improvement of local eye care services and pathways.

The Redesign Programme has been driven by the changes laid out in the White Paper, and we are keen to work to support local Optometrists and work with our clinical colleagues in secondary care to drive forward innovation and quality aimed at improving clinical and patient outcomes.

The WF & Redbridge LOC welcome the commitment outlined in the White Paper to GP Consortia engaging with the full range of health and social care professionals. Already operating within the visionary provider market depicted in the White Paper, community optical practices have an excellent history of delivering high quality, accessible services as well as delivering significant savings to the NHS, and we believe that this will provide us with a firm footing in demonstrating to both the transitional commissioning organisation, and newly formed GP Consortia, that we are able to work with them in addressing their challenging agendas.

The Redesign Programme adopts a whole systems approach, and therefore it is crucial that we are able to identify and engage with all stakeholders and partners with a concern or interest in the changes we are proposing.

As we move forward with the Redesign Programme, we will seek to work with Commissioners and partners across the health economy to secure better joint working solutions and improved quality of care. Our aim will be to ensure that robust engagement with the optical community is embedded in commissioning processes. We anticipate that by exercising ongoing dialogue with commissioners and partners, we will be able to take forward enhanced services in a sustainable manner, without some of the “stop and start” pilots we have seen previously, assuring eye care providers and patients of continuity.

We look forward to developing local optometrists and dispensing opticians, and sharing our encouragement with them that GP Consortia will work in a flexible manner, which enables new and innovative ways of delivering care focused on the needs of the patient.

Through the development of a comprehensive Communications & Engagement Plan, we hope to demonstrate to our stakeholders that we look forward to working in partnership with them, adopting a professional and coherent approach.


This plan, therefore, sets out the process for engaging, consulting and communicating with commissioners, partners, patients and all other stakeholders on the development of a range of pathways focused on:

By taking a whole systems approach and developing our ability to engage effectively with stakeholders, we aim to identify further opportunities for constructive collaboration with partners.

Context for Communications Plan

The key drivers for the development of this Communications and Engagement Plan are:

• The commitment of the WF & Redbridge LOC to develop as an organisation • The White Paper, Equity & Excellence: Liberating the NHS (July 2010) • Liberating the NHS: Eye Care, Making a Reality of Equity & Excellence (Dec 2010) • UK Vision Strategy Response to the White Paper • The choice agenda: increasing and enabling patient choice through better information • The development of Health & Wellbeing Boards and participation in needs assessments

QUALITY • Working with

Commissioners to Improve the patient

journey and quality of care

INNOVATION • Supporting local

optometrists to drive forward change through their clinical expertise

PRODUCTIVITY • Working with secondary care partners to improve

processes and make better use of resources

PREVENTION • Working with Public Health colleagues to

promote earlier intervention


Purpose of Communications & Engagement Plan

The Communications & Engagement Plan has been developed as a foundation for the WF & Redbridge LOC to move forward and develop as an organisation delivering against a strategic vision and set of goals.

We aim to develop, with our partners, an inclusive approach to the delivery of care and improved pathways. In order for us to do this, it is essential that we maximize all engagement opportunities and achieve shared ownership of objectives, as well as any challenges that may be incurred along the way.

We will work across the local optometric community to encourage eye care service providers to share this joined up approach, and will work to establish a core stakeholder unit, which brings together key views and interests, providing a voice to those who need to be heard.

We believe that the redesign of eye care pathways outlined in the programme will deliver improved clinical and patient outcomes. As clinical excellence and patient safety continue to steer the work of local optometrists, it is imperative that service and pathway improvements are developed to be fit for purpose. Engagement with all our stakeholders will provide assurance of this, and provide ratification across the health system that protocol and guidelines are safe and committed to improving the quality of care provided.

The development of our communications and engagement plan as part of the pathway redesign programme underpins our commitment to:

• Reflect local need in the delivery of eye care services • Strengthen working partnerships which will be integral to the development of pathways to provide improved clinical and

patient pathways

Through effective engagement we seek to be part of the drive to ensure outstanding care and treatment of patients. Good communications will be key to building confidence in our business development and the improvement of pathways and services for patients.

Our engagement model has been developed by identifying:

• The groups and organisations we need to engage with • The specific criteria sought from each group

We anticipate that our engagement model will be clinically driven and patient centred, whilst establishing effective link and good working relationships with professionals across the health and care system, including the voluntary and community sectors.


Objectives

Our strategy for communications and engagement supports our business plan objectives as an organisation seeking ongoing development:

• To increase the value we provide to: o Patients o Public o Wider health economy

• To improve and maintain the reputation of providers of eye care services • To strengthen our relationships with partners across the health system

o Adopting a whole systems approach to delivering better health outcomes and raising the profile of the local health system

• To work collaboratively with partners to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities • To form an active role in the agenda to promote prevention and early intervention • To plan effectively for the future • To influence local innovation in the delivery of eye care services

Aims

By establishing the right approach to engagement at the outset of the proposed pathway redesign programme, we aim to:

• Understand the requirements of local commissioners • Establish a coordinated approach to communications and engagement with a structured plan • Ensure clarity about the pathway changes we are proposing • Collaborate on the design and implementation of services • Enable groups from the identified stakeholder categories to be involved and engaged in the redesign of eye care

pathways • Ensure that all proposed pathways are inclusive and committed to reducing health inequalities • To develop and improve internal communications with community optometrists, ensuring that practitioners feel

recognized for their commitment and skills


Stakeholder Analysis

WF & Redbridge have undertaken an exercise to identify and manage their stakeholders to facilitate the planned engagement going forward, and to ensure that the views of all people who are likely to be affected by the proposed redesign programme are captured.

We understand that stakeholder analysis should be reviewed regularly and that any gaps identified should be addressed in partnership with agencies across the health and care system.

Our work with stakeholders will be focused on:

Encouraging innovation to

deliver improved

pathways of care and services locally

Promoting our strategy to support community

optometrists

Working with partners to

reduce health inequalities and

increase prevention &

early intervention

Increasing access to services

Capturing the views of health

professionals and patients

and the public

Strengthening the voice of all those who are interested in

eye care


Identifying Stakeholders

WF & Redbridge LOC have sought to identify stakeholders within the following key categories:

Commissioners Transitional commissioning organisation Newly formed GP Consortia

• ONEL • GP Consortia

Collaborators Those with who WF & Redbridge LOC seek to work with to develop and deliver improved pathways and services

• Clinicians and health professionals across primary and secondary care

• Social care managers • Voluntary and Community sectors

Contributors Those from whom WF & Redbridge LOC seek input in order to implement proposed pathway changes

• General Practice • Specialist nurses • Primary Care Optometrists • Secondary Care clinicians and managers • Social care managers

Channels Those who will be able to provide effective communication channels to previously hard top reach groups

• Local Authority engagement champions • Councilors • Non-Executive Directors

Commentators Those whose opinions of local eye care services will be heard by others

• Public and patient involvement • Local HealthWatch • Media

Consumers Patients, their families and carers • Patient • Public

Champions Those who believe in and will actively promote the proposed changes

• Optometric statutory and support bodies • Neighbouring LOCs • Clinicians

Competitors Organisations offering similar or alternative services to those that may be provided by our local optical community

• Independent Healthcare providers


Patient and Public Engagement Development of the Redesign Programme will involve evaluating patient experience to help us identify improved methods of service delivery and better ways of working.

We intend to work as a group and with local partners to find the best ways of engaging with local people and enabling them to feed in their views and experience.

We have already undertaken work with the local optometry community and partners in social care and the community and voluntary sector to hold events, which promote awareness of eye health and services available for people who are visually impaired.

We understand the importance of making appropriate information widely available and accessible to patients and the public, and we will continue our efforts to ensure this, and enable patients to make informed choices about their treatment and care.

We look forward to continuing our work with voluntary and community groups to develop local eye care forums and will use such mechanisms to ensure robust understanding of how proposed changes can benefit patients and their families.

Identify mechanisms

to enable patient and

public engagement

WF LINks LA engagement champions

Organising information

and awareness days- SAID

Use these events to "recruit" patients to

focus groups

"Recruit' patients who

have recently

experienced services

Ensure there is widely available

information about access to eye care

services


Clinical Engagement The White Paper, Liberating the NHS, sets out future direction for service change with local clinicians driving redesign and quality improvements. We welcome this and look forward to working with primary and secondary care clinicians to capture innovation from eye care providers, as well as using those sources to help us gather intelligence about local population needs.

Extensive clinical engagement will ensure that:

• Risk management and patient safety are embedded within the pathway changes • Clinical and appropriate external input into pathway redesign takes place • The pathway changes have suitable and adequate clinical input to provide a support mechanism, for the continued

professional development of community optometrists • Clinical risk is managed comprehensively • Effective working relationships are maintained with key clinical stakeholders

The range of clinical stakeholders we will seek to engage with include:

• Community optometrists • Dispensing opticians • Ophthalmic nurses • Optometric advisors • Ophthalmic medical practitioners • Consultant ophthalmologists • GPs, including developing GPs with special interest skills


Working with transitional commissioning organisations and newly formed GP Consortia WF & Redbridge LOC hope to be able to work with ONEL during the transitional commissioning phase to develop pathways for eye care, which offer innovative solutions to improving care and choice for patients, while making cost savings. We believe that during this crucial time of change, with such a demanding agenda for ONEL, eye care will provide an excellent example of how innovation can drive productivity and efficiency during the transition period.

We understand that it will be a priority for GP Consortia to actively court a wide degree of engagement in the commissioning process, and we look forward to being part of this, and supporting them to meet their requirement to deliver QIPP, and reshape and improve services.

OPTOMETRIC COMMUNITY

SECONDARY CARE

INDEPENDENT EYE CARE

PROVIDERS

GPs WITH SPECIAL

INTEREST

LOCAL EYE CARE

FORUMS

SECONDARY CARE OPHTHALMOLOGY

Produce local audit of workforce capacity, skills and enthusiasm

Gather views on proposed pathway changes

Establish how changes will impact/benefit hospital services

Build picture of growing competition in market to provide similar or alternative services

Discuss opportunities for development

Gather views on education and training opportunities

Clinical Engagement


Engaging Public Health Colleagues We look forward to working with Public Health colleagues to address Prevention agendas and we support the early implementation of the Health & Wellbeing Board in Waltham Forest, and hope that we may engage effectively to promote awareness of eye health and the importance of regular sight tests. By working with Local Authority partners, we aim to make use of their effective communication channels with the public, and ensure that we continue to deliver care in a way that reflects local need and opinion. Through the provision of comprehensive information and advice, and earlier interventions, we aim to increase the awareness of patients of their own capacity to safeguard and improve the health of their eyes.

Engaging Health & Social Care Professionals Through effective engagement we aim to ensure that professionals across health and social care, such as other Primary Care Practitioners and Social Care Managers, are aware of local eye care services and how their patients and service users can access these. With the implementation of increasing numbers of integrated pathways across the health system, we look forward to working with a range of partners to focus on patient centred care, and are already engaged with social care managers around services for people with low vision.

Working with Local Authorities In eye care, early detection and treatment are crucial to preventing visual impairment and blindness; this also plays a part in reducing significant downstream costs for the NHS. WF & Redbridge LOC are keen to have an active role in targeting those most at risk of visual impairment in local communities, e.g. BME communities and older people, to reduce avoidable sight loss.

The LOC believe they could make a valuable contribution to Joint Strategic Needs Assessment by ensuring the inclusion of eye health, and would be keen to engage with partners on this work. Low vision provides a good example of where there is a requirement for joint needs assessment. We aim to strengthen the relationship we have with the Low Vision Forum in Waltham Forest with the goal of promoting better integration of services and appropriate joined up commissioning. Low Vision services require good engagement between commissioners and the LOC to ensure that the health and social care needs of patients with a visual impairment or blindness are effectively met.


Prioritising our Stakeholders

We intend to categorise and prioritise our stakeholders according to levels of perceived interest in the redesign of eye care pathways. Using the matrix below, we have organised our stakeholders by their level of required involvement and aim to plan communications accordingly:

INVOLVE • Stakeholders who need to be actively involved in and supportive of pathway redesign

PARTNER • Stakeholders we need to work in partnership with

INFORM • Stakeholders who need to be aware of our work and kept informed of main developments

CONSIDER • Stakeholders we need to consider for particular areas of our work

IMPO

RTA

NC

E A

ND

IN

FLU

ENC

E

High

Low

ONEL

GP CONSORTIA

COMMUNITY OPTOMS

PRACTICE MANAGERS

ACUTE TRUSTS

LOCSU

GPs

SPECIALIST NURSES

SOCIAL CARE

MANAGERS

PUBLIC HEALTH

INTEREST OF STAKEHOLDERS

Low High

PATIENTS & PUBLIC

NEIGHBOURING LOCs

HEALTH & WELLBEING

BOARD


Understanding our Stakeholders

In order to progress the redesign of eye care pathways, we will need to understand our stakeholders’ interests. Analysis of stakeholders will seek to establish:

• How they are likely to feel about and react to the proposed changes o What are their interests in the redesign programme? o What motivates them? o What is their current opinion of eye care services in the area?

§ Is their opinion based on current information? § Who influences their opinion generally?

o If their reaction to proposed changes is not positive, how can we gain their support? o If we cannot win their support, how would we manage their opposition o Would their opposition mean the redesign programme couldn’t progress?

• What the best methods of engaging with them will be o What information will they need from us? o How would they like to receive information?

Assessing readiness for change Understanding stakeholders’ readiness for change will help us to build a picture of who is for and against the proposed pathway changes. This picture will develop as we move further forward with engaging our stakeholders.

This will help us to define any influencing activities that we may need to undertake.

To manage our stakeholders effectively, we will need to formulate actions to work with those who do not view the changes positively, and sustain the support we have gained.

STAKEHOLDER IN FAVOUR NEUTRAL OPPOSED Patients ¤

Adult Social Services ¤

Primary Care Optometrists ¤

General Practice ¤

Voluntary and Community Se tor

¤

Secondary Care Consultants

ONEL

GP Consortia


Communications Plan

Understanding our current position

With little experience of developing a comprehensive communications plan, our first step has been to evaluate our current ability to communicate and engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders. Using a SWOT analysis, we have been able to identify the gaps in our communications skills and experience, as well as to define the progress we have made to date.

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

1. Defined organisational objectives 2. Strong working relationships already in place with:

• Secondary Care Consultants • General Practice • Optometry Practices

1. Lack of experience in wider stakeholder engagement 2. Historical challenges in getting our voice heard 3. Seeking to engage around pathway redesign during

transitional period for commissioning organisation

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

1. Developing a foundation to work with partners across the health system to develop integrated pathways

2. Gain strength and recognition for community optometrists in a changing provider landscape

3. Play a significant role in Prevention and Health Improvement campaigns

4. Gain stakeholder support 5. Potential to work alongside commissioners to achieve

savings 6. Develop education and training opportunities for local

optometrists 7. Demonstrate commitment to QIPP agenda

1. Stakeholder apathy 2. Ability to meet the differing priorities of all partners 3. Stakeholder opposition 4. Future uncertainties 5. Progress may be slowed down by NHS

commissioning transitional phase 6. Time constraints of some partners may affect

successful engagement with them


Action Plan

WF & Redbridge LOC aim to take a proactive approach to planning their internal and external communications, and have developed an immediate action plan going forward.

Aim Action Method Timescale Establish our understanding of

the current situation Shared organisational understanding of commissioning changes

LOC workshop for optometrists

June 2011

Shared organisational understanding of the changing provider landscape

LOC workshop for optometrists

June 2011

Understanding the QIPP agenda LOC workshop for optometrists

June 2011

Evaluating our ability to communicate and engage

effectively

Understanding our level of ability to execute communications plan

SWOT analysis April 2011

Understanding our roles and responsibilities in effecting pathway redesign

Discussion with ONEL

May 2011

Defining our communications objectives

Identifying the key messages we wish to communicate, and the channels we should use to do so

Communications matrix and planning

April 2011

Implementation of Communications & Engagement Plan

Utilizing the right channels and methods to engage with identified stakeholders

Ongoing

Develop detailed communications action plan as part of project management to implement redesign programme


In order to help us define specific actions and topics for engagement with specific stakeholder groups, we have developed the following matrix to enhance our action plan:

Pathway Redesign Communications Matrix

ONEL/ GP Consortia

Acute Trust Community Optoms

LOCSU GPs Other Health Professionals (Inc. Specialist

Nurses)

Social Care Managers

Patients & Public

Outline Proposal

Present outline and discuss



Convene project Group to take forward Pathway Redesign Programme

Involve in project group




Involve in project group for Low Vision pathway

Patient Pathways Consult on patient pathways

Consult on patient pathways






Hold Focus group to examine pathways

Service outlines and specifications

Develop service outline and specifications

Develop service outline and specifications

Consult on service outline



Develop service outline for pathways involving other Health Professionals (e.g. Diabetes)

Develop service outline for pathways involving Social Care (e.g. Low Vision)

Engage service user representation to consult on service outline

Clinical Protocol

Develop Clinical protocol

Develop Clinical protocol

Consult on Clinical Protocol





Engage Service user representation to consult on Clinical Protocol

Managing Referrals

Agree best way to manage referrals for each pathways

Agree best way to manage referrals for each pathways

Consult on best way to manage referrals

Consult on best way to manage referrals

Cost and Benefits Present Cost/Benefit analysis

Workforce Development

Present Community Optoms workforce development plan

Engage in Community Optoms workforce development plan

Develop Community Optoms workforce development plan

Develop Community Optoms workforce development plan

Develop website


ONEL/ GP Consortia

Acute Trust Community Optoms

LOCSU GPs Other Health Professionals (Inc. Specialist

Nurses)

Social Care Managers

Patients & Public

Integrated pathways

Develop integrated pathways






Engage Service user representation to consult on integrated pathways

Implementation Infrastructure

Develop enabling infrastructure for implementation



Documents

Communications & Engagement Plan draft 2 - Welcome To Waltham