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accessStepping out on a new learning pathway
Winter 2013/2014
What does 2020 mean for you?
ACCESS, the newsletter of the NES ACS Programme – supporting the people who make the system work.
Welcome to ACCESS Winter 2013/2014.
Do you work in administrative or estates and facilities services in NHSScotland - Then Access is for you!
Access provides information about the projects and resources being developed in the NES ACS Programme, all designed to support your learning at work.
2013 saw the launch of a new vision for the way we work in NHSScotland – and learning for all staff is at the heart of this vision. This edition of ACCESS looks at how Everyone Matters: the 2020 Workforce Vision relates to you and your learning if you are working in administrative or estates & facilities services.
Some of the resources and information featured in this edition include:
An Introduction to Everyone Matters and what the vision for the NHSScotland workforce in 2020 means for you
Are you getting the most out of your PDPR discussion? A new guide shows you how your PDPR can help you move forward in your career in NHSScotland.
Education Pathways – the new way to look at learning for careers in non-clinical roles in NHSScotland
The Estates & Facilities Portal, the new one-stop shop of resources and information for staff working in estates or facilities roles in NHSScotland
Keeping in touch. We plan to send email alerts as new resources become available.
Look for this symbol in individual articles.
© NHS Education for Scotland 2014. You can copy or reproduce the information in this document for use within NHSScotland and for non-commercial educational purposes. Use of this document for commercial purposes is permitted only with the written permission of NES.
NESD0236 | Designed and typeset by the NES Design Service.
Contents
If you are interested in finding out more about the resources and projects described in ACCESS, please contact us at:[email protected].
And remember that we always need your feedback on ACCESS itself – so if you have any ideas which you would like to see featured in future editions, please let us know!
To order hard copies of ACCESS, or to join our mailing list, please contact the ACS Team at: [email protected]
Everyone Matters 3
Planning the way forward 4
Are you making the most of your learning? 6
Education Pathways for Estates and Facilities Staff 7
Introducing The Estates & Facilities Portal 8
Lessons from the front line 10
Moving forward With Modern Apprenticeships 11
What’s new on the VQ Finder? 12
Getting the skills you need for learning 13
What have YOU done with ACS Resources? 14
Helping to stop the spread of infection 15
Page 2
Everyone MattersPutting NHSScotland’s 2020 Workforce Vision Into ActionLast year, a Scotland-wide conversation took place with NHSScotland staff and other stakeholders to find out what the NHSScotland workforce needs to look like by 2020. Shirley Rogers of the Scottish Government’s Health Workforce Team explains how the results have helped to shape the Government’s policy – and what that means for staff in support roles.
In 2013, we asked a wide range of people what was needed to help us meet the challenges facing NHSScotland as we move towards 2020. Over 10,000 people responded, and here are some of the things that were said:
In response to what staff said, Everyone Matters: 2020 Workforce Vision was published in June 2013. It makes a commitment to address the issues that were raised, valuing the workforce and treating people well. It also sets out a vision and values for the whole of NHSScotland.
What does the 2020 Workforce Vision mean for support staff?Support staff work in administrative, estates & facilities and clinical roles. Together, they make up over one-third of the NHSScotland workforce. Recent high-profile events and reports highlight the important role of these staff in providing safe, effective, person-centred care. However, feedback from staff and extensive conversations with NHS Boards over the past year have shown that the development needs of support staff need to be better recognised and supported.
The implementation plan for the 2020 Workforce Vision asks Boards to ensure that they provide fair and appropriate access to learning and development. As a result, the implementation plan for the 2020 Workforce Vision asks Boards to ensure that they provide fair and appropriate access to learning and development for support staff.
Importantly, the 2020 Workforce Vision also stresses the need for everyone working in the service to share the same values for the service, and to ensure these values guide their work. These values are: Care and compassion Dignity and respect Openness, honesty and
responsibility Quality and teamwork.
What will happen next?Over the next year or so, all NHS Boards will begin to take action to tackle the things that staff have said need to change and be done better. There are five priority areas for change. Working together, we need to make sure that: everyone shares the same values for
the service and uses them to guide the decisions they take and the way we treat each other;
the right people with the right skills are in the right jobs and that there are enough people to do the work;
personal development planning and review (PDPR) discussions are meaningful, ensuring that support staff have fair access to learning and development, and that everyone has the skills needed to help improve the quality of services;
the care we provide is more joined up – across primary and secondary care, and with partners and other Boards;
leaders and managers have the skills to manage people and they lead by example.
What does it mean for you?The majority of the 2020 workforce already work in the service or are in training, so most of us will see changes to the way we work and how services are delivered. Your Board should tell you what is happening to prepare the workforce for 2020 and respond to the challenges we face. If you haven’t heard, ask your line manager for an update.
For more information and resources about Everyone Matters: the 2020 Workforce Vision, visit the Workforce Vision website at: www.workforcevision.scot.nhs.uk
We need to make sure there are enough staff where they
are needed.
It’s time to move away from traditional roles and create a
more flexible workforce.
Our leaders will need to demonstrate the values we
expect staff to adopt.
More consistency of training opportunities for all staff.
Contents
Page 3
Planning the way forwardAre YOU making the most of your Personal Development Plan and Review (PDPR)?It’s now a few years since NHSScotland introduced Personal Development Plans and Reviews (PDPR) for everyone on Agenda for Change (AfC) pay bands. But are you and your reviewer making the most of this opportunity? Anne Campbell, KSF Lead for Scotland, introduces some of the resources which can help you make PDPR discussions meaningful and useful.
The KSF PDPR process was introduced across NHSScotland in 2006. The aim was simple: to give each member of staff the chance – at least once a year - to review how well they are doing in their role, and to identify any additional learning they need to help them improve or extend their skills. By having regular discussions about their work with their reviewer, staff can identify what they do well, see where they might need additional skills, plan their learning and how they might want their career to progress.
But just how well is this system working in practice? We know that, across the country, the way people approach their PDPR can vary greatly. Some staff members and their reviewers have taken the opportunity to see how the individual and their work can benefit from a good PDPR discussion. In other
places, however, it has been a bit of a ‘tick-box’ exercise – something to be completed quickly and perhaps forgotten about for another year. So how can everyone – reviewers and reviewees alike – make sure that PDPR
is a positive, meaningful experience which helps staff and the service? In the past year, we have been working on a number of different things to help everyone make the most of their PDPR. Here are just a few which you might find helpful:
KSF Guidance Website – help for everyone!
The new KSF Guidance Website (www.ksf.scot.nhs.uk) is a one-stop shop for everyone. With separate sections on Personal Development Review and Personal Development Planning, it provides a wealth of information on areas such as:
Resources for Reviewers – PDPR Online Workshop
How to prepare for your PDPR discussion
How to gather evidence for your PDR
Identifying learning opportunities in the workplace
Good practice for reviewers and managers
It also provides a very clear guide about the links between the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) and the PDPR system.
This new online workshop, developed by NES and the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), has experienced reviewers talking about what makes a good review discussion. The workshop
gives lots of practical ideas for reviewers and, supported by an online workbook, it provides a really easy-to-use learning resource for new reviewers.
www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/home/learning-and-cpd/develop-your-career/personal-development-planning--review-%28pdpr%29.aspx
Page 4
Planning your learning 1: Making the most of the VQ Finder
The VQ Finder (www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk) holds information on qualifications relevant to a wide range of NHSScotland staff. Whether you are trying to find a qualification which is right for you, or you are looking for funding for learning, the VQ Finder is the place to look. Importantly, it will also provide a home for information about Education Pathways (see page 7) and case studies about NHSScotland staff who have followed those paths.
Making the most of your evidence
As part of the PDPR process, you need to show how you use your skills in your work, and how you are applying your learning. You need to gather information or evidence to show this. But did you know that, if you record this information appropriately, you could use your evidence to help you access or gain credit towards a qualification?
For some time, NES has been working with NHS Boards and a range of partners to help staff in NHSScotland use their evidence to make claims for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning). By recording your evidence carefully, you could use your PDPR records to help you move more quickly through a qualification linked to your work.
Guidance on RPL and how to record your evidence will be available on the VQ Finder (www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk) by mid 2014. In the meantime, see the article on page 6 for an example of RPL in action.
Planning your learning 2: Skills for reviewers and reviewees
Personal Development Planning involves both people involved in the conversation – reviewer and reviewee – understanding what learning is available, and how to access that learning. Both The Admin Centre (www.theadmincentre.nes.scot.nhs.uk) and The Estates & Facilities Portal (www.estatesandfacilities.nes.scot.nhs.uk) provide a large number of resources to support both sides of the conversation.
Follow the Learning tab for resources to help you:
make the most of your workplace as a place of learning
identify your own core skills, and how you can develop these further
develop your coaching and mentoring skills.
Follow the Working tab for ‘bite-sized’ learning resources in a wide range of areas, including resources linked to KSF core dimensions:
Communication, including customer care and computer skills
Health and safety
Supporting equality and diversity
Quality and service improvement
Please contact:[email protected] if you would like us to alert you when RPL guidance becomes available.
Page 5
Are You Making the Most of Your Learning?As the article on personal development planning & review (PDPR) on page 4 highlights, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can help you gain credit for learning you do in the workplace. Now a new national resource shows how staff who have completed either the Healthcare Support Workers’ (HCSW) Induction Standards Workbook, or one of the Health Facilities Scotland (HFS) Workbooks for Facilities Staff, can use this information to help them complete an SVQ qualification.
Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) are important for NHSScotland. Rather than testing learning you might complete as part of a course, the SVQ assesses knowledge and competence in the workplace. To complete the qualification, you need to show how your work – and your understanding – meet the standards laid out in the SVQ units.
This measuring of competence is also a feature of a range of workbooks designed for staff in support roles. The Healthcare Support Workers’ Workbook – which helps new staff show how they are meeting national induction standards – and a series of workbooks produced by HFS for staff in facilities services all ask people to record how they are applying their knowledge and skills in their job. But what can you do with this evidence once you have collected it? Importantly, you can use it as part of your PDPR discussion and record it on your KSF record. And now you can use the evidence to help you achieve an SVQ.
In 2013, NES and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) worked together to see how evidence which staff gather in the following workbooks might link – or ‘map’ – to the evidence required in two different SVQs:
Evidence in.... Can provide evidence for...
The Healthcare Support Worker Induction Standards Workbook
The HFS Catering Services Workbook
SVQ2 Healthcare Support (clinical and non-clinical)
The HFS Domestic Services Workbook
The HFS Linen Services Workbook
The HFS Portering Services Workbook
The HFS Security Services Workbook
SVQ2 Health Support Worker (Non clinical)
SVQ2 Facilities Services
According to Karen Adams, who oversaw the project for NES, the new ‘evidence maps’ provide an important tool to help people make the most of the learning they do in the workplace. ‘All too often, we collect evidence then feel we have to start again. But, with these evidence maps, we have a guide to show us how evidence gathered for one aim – to meet the HCSW Induction Standards, for example – can be used again to meet another goal.’
Karen is keen to point out, however, that the maps are only a guide. ‘The most important thing is the quality of the evidence which is recorded in the workbook. If you don’t put down enough detail – what you have learned, and examples of how you are applying it – you won’t be able to transfer your evidence to the SVQ. Simply ‘ticking the box’ isn’t enough. The SVQ Assessor is the person who can tell you if you have enough detail to really show what you have learned
and what you can do. The message to everyone – individual staff members and their managers - is that it is worth taking time to record evidence well, because it can bring benefits in the long term.’
For more information about this project and to access the ‘evidence maps’ in Excel format, visit the ‘Qualifications Explained’ section of the VQ Finder and click on SVQs (www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk )
The HCSW Induction Standards Workbook can be accessed on the HCSW Toolkit (www.hcswtoolkit.nes.scot.nhs.uk/hcsw-standards-and-codes )
The HFS Workbooks can be accessed via the ‘Learning’ tab on the Estates & Facilities Portal (www.estatesandfacilities.nes.scot.nhs.uk).
Page 6
Education Pathways for Estates and Facilities StaffHeading in the right directionIf you are interested in taking a qualification to develop your career, how do you know which one is right for you? For staff working in Estates or Facilities Services, the answer is coming soon!
In August 2013, 50 NHS managers from across estates and facilities services met to work with representatives from NES, Health Facilities Scotland (HFS) and education institutions to start work on new Education Pathways for staff. The aim was to work together to agree on the different qualifications relevant to a wide range of estates and facilities roles.
The NES/HFS Education Pathways project is designed to help everyone in the service – individuals, managers and planners – understand the most appropriate qualifications for different areas of the service, and, importantly, how these qualifications can help people move between different areas if they want to develop their career.
‘Having clear education pathways which we all agree on is the first step towards creating clear career paths for staff in estates and facilities services’ says Neil Redhead, Facilities Support Manager at HFS. ‘We find that staff can often feel stuck, unable to see how their skills can transfer into another area or another role, and how their career might develop. We also know that most roles at higher levels require specific qualifications – and staff often find themselves ruled out of applying for these higher-level roles because they haven’t had the chance to take qualifications. The education pathways will show how qualifications build on one another to provide stepping stones for people who are looking for career development. We know that not everyone wants to do qualifications – and that’s fine. As long as people are doing their job well, that’s what matters. But for those who want to focus on having a career, the education pathways will provide the guidance they need to help them make the right choices of qualifications.’
The Education Pathways project will continue throughout Spring 2014. Information about the pathways will be included in the VQ Finder (www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk) and The Estates & Facilities Portal (www.estatesandfacilities.nes.scot.nhs.uk/) from March 2014. If you would like more information about this project, email: [email protected]
Are You Making the Most of Your Learning?
Page 7
The Estates & Facilities Portalwww.estatesandfacilities.nes.scot.nhs.ukDo you work in estates services or facilities services? Then this new website has been designed for you! Launched in September 2013, The Estates & Facilities Portal helps you access information and learning to help you in your everyday work and in planning your career.
The website has individual sections for many of the occupations gathered together in Estates and Facilities Services1. Each section includes a wide range of information and resources, from the specialised knowledge which you might need for your work to learning resources to help you develop your transferable skills. Here are just some of the things you will find if you click on your own service area.
1. Please note: We have tried to include as many areas of the service as possible in the website. If you can’t see resources relevant to your area, please let us know by emailing: [email protected]
Click on the QUALIFICATIONS tab to find out about qualifications and how to access them: ● Want to know what qualifications are relevant to your
job? You can access all of the information about the Education Pathways for Estates and Facilities from here.
● Want to find out about funding, or where you can apply for courses? You can search the VQ Finder from this section.
Click on the WORKING tab in your service area to find learning resources and information to help in your everyday work:● Do you know about the standards, policies and
the law relating to your work? The Working section includes information specific to your service area.
● Do you know how you can help stop the spread of Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI)? Click on Keeping people safe and the environment clean to access short learning programmes and information about HAI and other health & safety topics.
● Would you like to improve your writing skills, or how you handle discussions with colleagues? You can find help with Communication Skills and Team Working by clicking on Providing a service.
● Are you a service manager? Click on Managing to find resources specific to your service.
● Click on ‘Your role in national initiatives’ to see how developments at a national level link to the work you’re doing.
Caterin
gEstates
Grounds Services Laundry & Linen Portering
Transp
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Click on the LEARNING tab in your service area to find information and resources to help you plan your own learning:● Are you new to NHSScotland? Learning and the
KSF links you to essential information to support your personal development plan and review (PDPR).
● Are you managing a new recruit? Learning in the workplace helps you find important information about induction and the Healthcare Support Workers’ Induction Standards.
● Would you like to return to learning – but feeling a bit nervous about the prospect? Click on Skills for learning to find resources to help you gain the confidence to start studying again.
● Do you manage people or are you a KSF reviewer? Resources for managers has lots of resources to help you – from coaching & mentoring skills to how to help your staff access learning. Clicking Developing your own management skills takes you to resources to help you manage change and develop your own leadership skills.
Click on the CAREERS tab in your service area to find out more about the wide range of professions which sit within Estates & Facilities Services in NHSScotland, and how to plan your own career pathway: ● Not sure if you have the skills to transfer to
a different role? Click on Skills for Career Development for lots of information to help you decide where you want to go – and how to get there.
● Are you interested in making your career in one of the professions listed in this area of The Estates & Facilities Portal? Making your career in... will take you to information about professional bodies, qualifications and journals relevant to the different professional areas.
Don’t forget the HOME PAGE: ● An Athens Password is needed for some of the
resources on the website. The password allows you to use resources you would otherwise have to pay for. Click on Get an Athens Password for more information and to register.
● We depend on your feedback to help us improve The Estates & Facilities Portal. Please take a few minutes to complete The Estates & Facilities Portal Survey to tell us what you like – and what’s missing!
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Portering Security Services Sterile Services Page 9
introduce it. The case studies also give some helpful tips for others who may wish to use the idea in their own area of the service. There are 11 case studies, each highlighting an important service development. Examples include: Brian Nolan, Support Services
Manager and Karen McKay, Linen and Transport Manager of NHS Forth Valley, describe how they and their team helped reduce the waiting time for patients being transported by porters;
Angela Brown, Area Domestic Manager, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, describes how, when her team altered their shift time slightly, they were able to meet patient needs and service needs more effectively. The change helped them to speed up patient movement processes by having more staff on hand at peak times to service rooms so they could be made available more quickly.
David Ironside and his colleagues in the Procurement Department, NHS Grampian, have introduced both timetabled and ad hoc services to transport people and specimens between different hospital sites in Aberdeen. They introduced this change after reviewing existing practice and working together to make better use of the existing NHS Grampian shuttle bus network between sites.
As Everyone Matters shows, all staff working in NHSScotland have important roles to play in improving the quality of healthcare services. Elaine Pacitti shows how staff working in estates and facilities services are helping to make improvements – and how their case studies are helping others to understand how important this work is.
Making use of new resources and ideas is always easier if you have the chance to see examples of what others have done. This idea lies at the heart of a new guide which has been designed to help staff in estates and facilities services understand how their work relates to the NHSScotland Quality Strategy, and how they can contribute to the improvement of service quality.
In recent months, the NES Quality Improvement (QI) team have been working with staff across Scotland to create a series of case studies, each showing how individuals working in estates or facilities roles have helped to introduce improvements in their area of the service. Each case study has been provided by the staff themselves and gives a description of why the improvement was needed and the steps the staff members took to
The 11 case studies accompany a new publication: The Estates and Facilities Guide to the Quality Strategy and Quality Improvement. This short guide is designed for staff in estates or facilities roles across NHSScotland. It provides an easy-to-use introduction to the Quality Strategy and to the key principles of Quality Improvement. The Guide and accompanying cases studies will be available from both The Estates and Facilities Portal and the Quality Improvement Hub website soon.
Lessons from the front lineEstates and Facilities staff helping to improve the quality of services
Please contact:[email protected] if you would like to be alerted when the Estates and Facilities Guide to the Quality Strategy and Quality Improvement becomes available.
You can download copies of The Estates and Facilities Guide to The Quality Strategy and Quality Improvement soon from the Estates & Facilities Portal (www.estatesandfacilities.nes.scot.nhs.uk) and from the Quality Improvement Hub website (www.qihub.scot.nhs.uk)You can also access e-learning modules to help you learn more about Quality Improvement. Simply go to www.qihub.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-learning/qi-e-learning.aspx
Page 10
Moving Forward With Modern Apprenticeships
The apprentice still needs a supportive manager or mentor in the workplace – but we now know that the manager or mentor also needs some support. It takes time and skill to help a new recruit learn what they need for their role. As a result, NES has been looking at how to help managers and mentors develop the skills they need to support effective learning.
There are now MA Programmes running in a number of NHS Boards around Scotland – and more Boards are considering how they can use MAs as one of the tools to help people learn in the workplace. If you are a manager and you think MAs would be useful in your area of the service, you should contact your Learning & Development Department to discuss this.
NES has published 2 guides to help staff in NHSScotland make best use of MAs. • Working to Learn and Learning to
Work: An introduction to MAs• Moving Forward With Modern
Apprenticeships: A step-by-step guide to setting up MA Programmes in NHSScotland
Both guides are available for download via the ‘Qualifications Explained’ section of the VQ Finder (www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk).You can also order hard copies by emailing [email protected]
In 2011, NES hosted the first national event which looked at apprenticeships in NHSScotland. Since that time, the number of apprentices in different areas of the service – and particularly in administrative and estates roles – has increased greatly. But what are ‘Modern Apprenticeships’ – and why should staff and managers in NHSScotland know more about them? Karen Adams of the NES ACS Team explains.
When you hear the word ‘apprentice’, what do you think of? For many of us, apprentices were young people who left school to join an industry or craft. They learned their profession by working with – and being mentored by – experienced tradespeople who passed on their skills to the younger generation.
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the idea of apprenticeships. Now, however, they are available in a very wide range of areas. In NHSScotland, the range of apprenticeships covers ‘traditional’ areas such as estates and newer areas such as business & administration, dental nursing and care. We have realised that, if services are going to continue beyond 2020, we need new recruits to learn how to deliver those services.
So how do these ‘modern’ apprenticeships compare with our traditional ideas of apprenticeships? There are many similarities: they still involve the apprentice working and
learning at the same time; they still depend on experienced staff to provide the guidance and support which a new recruit needs to learn the job; and they are still – in the main – taken up by young people. However, there are some differences.
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) are one of Scotland’s national training programmes. Rather than ‘belonging’ to individual trades or industries, they are supported by Skills Development Scotland. The result is that, whatever type of MA an individual does, they know they are working to nationally-agreed standards.
Each Modern Apprenticeship (MA) follows a very formal structure, called an MA Framework. The MA Framework describes the training and qualifications which the apprentice needs to complete. This usually includes the Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) related to their role.
The training which the apprentice needs to do is shared between the employer and a college or training provider. The employer and training provider work closely together to make sure that the apprentice reaches the national standards laid out in the MA Framework.
Although most apprentices are young people between the ages of 16 and 25, MAs are also open to older recruits. This is especially important for people who might be looking for a career change and who would like to work and learn at the same time.
Page 11
Modern Apprentices working in NHSScotland
The Learners tab takes you to guidance on making the right choices for you. In addition to guidance on choosing a qualification and finding funding, you can now access a course search for a college or training provider in your area. Simply click on ‘Where Can I Go To Learn?’
The Employers tab links to information for managers whose staff want to take qualifications. The qualifications are regularly updated to provide information on all NHS focussed vocational qualifications. This section provides some of the answers you need to help you make the right choices.
The VQ Finder is NES’s one-stop shop for information about learning and qualifications for NHSScotland staff working in the different services needed to make the health system work. It provides information about more than 300 work-related qualifications in areas from pharmacy services and health & social care to business & administration and estates & facilities services.
As well as providing details on individual qualifications, it gives lots of valuable information about how to access qualifications. And now it is being revised to include even more resources. So are you making the most of what’s on offer? Here is just some of the information you can find if you click on the tabs at the top of the home page:
New in 2014! Many of the new resources described in this edition of ACCESS will be added to the VQ Finder in the next few months. These include:
A new ‘Education Pathways’ section. The first set of resources in this section will be information and case studies about the Estates & Facilities Education Pathway.
Information and resources to support Modern Apprenticeships, which will appear in the Qualifications Explained section. More detailed information on individual types of qualifications will also be included in this section.
More visible links to our Education Partners. This section will take you to a wide range of resources provided by different partner agencies such as the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework partnership (SCQF) and the Open University.
Learning Providers helps colleges and training providers understand some of the most important aspects of learning and development in NHSScotland. It provides a guide to the NHS Knowledge & Skills Framework (KSF) and how this links to the learning staff need.
Qualifications Explained gives important information about the range of qualifications which are available nationally in Scotland. Importantly, it helps you to understand the key differences between different types of qualifications such as SVQs, HNDs and Professional Development Awards – and helps you to identify the most appropriate type for your situation.
We are very keen to hear what you think of the VQ Finder and the new resources. You can give us feedback in a number of ways:
Complete the online questionnaire featured on the Home Page
Tell us if information is helpful by clicking on the I found this useful box
Email us at [email protected] with comments and suggestions.
Your feedback
What’s new on the VQ Finder?
Please remember: We depend on your feedback to help us make the VQ Finder – and all of the other resources featured in ACCESS - as useful as possible!
Please contact:[email protected] if you would like us to alert you when these sections have been updated.
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Many ACCESS readers have told us that they feel nervous about returning to learning. Part of the challenge can be feeling you have the skills to study successfully. However, help is on the way! The Literacies Portal is a new website being developed by NES, working with Education Scotland and staff in NHS Boards.
What are ‘functional literacies’?The term ‘functional literacies’ covers a wide range of skills. Having good functional literacies means that you can do the things you need to do in your everyday life: read and write so you can work or study effectively; use numbers in the ways you need to; use computers to find and record information; and communicate effectively in English. The new website will provide support for NHS staff across these different skills.
Who is the website for – and what will be in it?The Literacies Portal is designed for four main groups of people. It will help:
individuals who would like help with their own skills: The Individual Learners section will help people contact local agencies and find courses in their own area.
managers whose staff may need help with these skills: The Managers section includes guidance on how to identify when an individual might need support, and how to discuss these needs with their staff member.
staff responsible for supporting learning in the workplace: The Educators section includes information about national policies, skills development and how to develop the skills needed to support literacies.
all NHS staff working with patients or clients who may need help with these skills: A Patients & Service Users section helps staff recognise communication barriers and how they can overcome these.
Reading and summarising information?
Working with numbers?
Using computers to create
documents?
Feeling confident in my use of
English?
Finding information on the internet?
Writing reports and completing forms?
The Literacies Portal will be launched later this year.
If you would like to be kept up to date with progress over the next few months, please email us at: [email protected]
Getting the skills you need for learning
Page 13
What have YOU done with ACS Resources?
Since the ACS Programme began in 2008, we have worked with lots of you – NHS staff and education providers – to develop a wide range of resources to support learning. Some of these are shown below.
Core Skills for Administrative Staff – skills map and case
studies
Information on HFS workbooks‘Bite-sized’
learning
Bite-sized learning for staff and managers
The Administrator’s Guide to the Quality Strategy & Quality
Improvement
The Estates & Facilities Portal – the one-stop shop for staff in estates or
facilities services: www.estatesandfacilities.nes.scot.nhs.uk
The VQ Finder – all you need to know to help you
choose a qualification: www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk
Publications – magazines, newsletters and guidance leaflets
online and in hard copyDatabase of qualifications
ACCESS magazine
Well-Qualified Workforce – a handy guide to qualifications
and the SCQF
MA Guides
Postcard reminders about online resources
SCQF Postcards and Posters
Information about funding
Guidance on choosing a qualification
Learning resources
The Admin Centre – the one-stop shop for administrative staff
supporting work, learning and careers: www.theadmincentre.nes.scot.nhs.uk
National standards and policies for service areas
Information about the
education system
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Helping to stop the spread of infection New online training programmeDid you know that approximately 5 out of every 100 people admitted to hos-pital are likely to catch a healthcare-associated infection2? Germs such as MRSA or C Diff can cause infections and pose a danger to patients, visitors and staff. All NHS staff need to play a role in preventing them spreading. But how can you do this if you are work-ing in administration, or in estates and facilities services? Recently, NES launched a new online training programme to help staff in non-clinical roles learn how they can prevent or control the spread of infection. If you are new in your role, or if you would like to update your knowledge about HAI, then the HAI Induction/Refresher Programme is for you. The programme covers the basic precautions and procedures necessary to prevent the spread of infection to patients/clients, visitors and staff.
Sarah Freeman of the NES HAI team told us: ‘If you are working in a non-clinical role, it’s important to remember that you can help keep patients and other service users safe by following some simple procedures. This online programme is designed to help you ensure safe working practices and a safe environment for everyone coming into a healthcare environment.’
You can access the HAI Induction/Refresher Programme for Non-Clinical staff by clicking on Keeping People Safe and the Environment Clean in the Working section of The Estates & Facilities Portal: (http://www.estatesandfacilities.nes.scot.nhs.uk/working/catering/keeping-people-safe-and-the-environment-clean/healthcare-associated-infection-(hai)-and-infection-control/)
As the article about Everyone Matters: the Workforce Vision 2020 shows, learning and development for staff in support roles is becoming even more important – both for the service and for individuals. We have lots of resources to help support your learning.
But, with more than 40,000 people working in administrative or estates and facilities roles, reaching people who might want to use these resources is difficult.
This is where we need your help!
Have you or your colleagues used any of these resources? How useful were they? We would like to hear any stories about how the information has helped you in your work and learning.
Do enough people in your service know about the resources? If not, how can we spread the word? If you would like hard copies of materials to share with colleagues, please contact us. If you are part of a group of staff who would like some ideas on how to use the resources, let us know. We may be able to arrange a workshop or demonstration in your own workplace.
Please help us to help you make the most of these free resources.
To share your stories, give us feedback or request hard copies of publications, please email: [email protected]
Give us your feedback!
2. Healthcare associated infections (HAI): Information for the public; Published by Health Protection Scotland (2013)
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NHS Education for ScotlandWestport 102West PortEdinburghEH3 9DN
T: 0131 656 3200F: 0131 656 3201
Published Winter 2014
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