Sustaining our health and care workforce

Speakers: 

• Danny Mortimer, NHS Employers
• Barny Leavers, NHS England

Welcome to the conference and housekeeping. We kicked off the day by exploring latest workforce trends and employer priorities, framing the day with reflections on the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to then be supported by the key actions and takeaways from good practice throughout the rest of the day.

Speakers:

• Kevin Garrod, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
• Charlotte Williams, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust talked through their initiatives to place communities at the heart of what they do. As an anchor institution for the Essex community, they place great importance in employing locally, spending locally and supporting their local community into education and development opportunities. We found out more about how employers can benefit the area in which they’re based.

(Train, Retain, Reform)

Speakers: 

• Paul Walker and Michelle Lockwood, Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust
• Sarah Kilner and Ruth Auton, NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB
• Joanna Vintis, North East and North Cumbria ICB
• Helen Stainsby, North East and North Cumbria Practice

Tees, Esk and Wear shared their success being career advice ambassadors to local schools. NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB told their inspiring story about providing mini scrubs for schoolchildren to help them think about future health and social careers and a Practice revealed how their nurses on tour programme has provided a refreshing alternative way of working.

(Train)

Speakers:

• Jenna Richardson, Forces Employment 
• Leanne Cobham, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust    
• Katie Norris, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust

We heard from the Forces Employment Charity who discussed lived experience as an Armed Forces spouse, and the benefits they can bring to the health and care workforce, as well as her work connecting employers and the Armed Forces. She was joined by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust showcasing how to be a forces-friendly employer and attract and retain talent from the Armed Forces community. This was be exemplified by hearing about the lived experiences of a member of the Armed Forces community working in the trust.

(Reform)

Speakers: 

• Gayle Hennessey, and Annette Connor, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust    
• Jingming Gong, NHS Property Services
• Richard West and Dan Alder, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust    

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust took us through how they are running their Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeships Programme, available through direct entry from 18 years of age. Sussex Community trust demonstrated how they are ensuring a return on investment with the additional allied health professional apprenticeships posts they have secured. Lastly, we heard from NHS Property Services on their success with Estates and Facilities apprenticeships and how NHS organisations could think about the wide range of apprenticeships opportunities in non clinical roles.

(Train, Retain)

Speakers:

• Nicola George, and Zoe Oram, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust    
• Bill Webster, Bolton College

In this session we heard from University Hospitals Southampton who are working in partnership with their local colleges to shape and host employer-led industry placements and how this supports increasing pipelines to their workforce. They shared how an effective relationship with their local education providers supports this. To further explore this we were also joined by Bolton College, they have strong working relationships with their healthcare providers in their system. They gave insight into how working with your local education provider is beneficial to the students, the colleges, and health and care organisations.

(Train, Reform)

Speakers:

• Rachel Burton and Karen Jameson, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
• Emma Thomson, Pathway
• Andrew Wells, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

University Hospitals Birmingham presented on their Levelling up in the West Midlands project which provides increased job opportunities in health and care. East Lancashire Hospitals shared their experience of recruiting members of the local community into apprenticeships or healthcare support worker roles creating a talent pipeline towards being a registered nurse. They were also be joined by University College London discussing how they are recruiting people with lived experience of homelessness into the NHS, creating a fantastic new talent pipeline.

(Train, Reform)

This was an opportunity to network with other delegates in the virtual lounge over lunch. We facilitated tables on the train, retain and reform themes of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Speakers:

• Dawn Grant, Rob Brooks and Silke Moxon-Rielden, NHS England
• Anita Esser, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust   
• Sonia Denton Smith and Beverley Jones, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Colleagues from NHS England, and University Hospitals Southampton inspired us to ensure the continued development of the support worker workforce, using the support worker learning and development roadmap and further resources. Lastly, we heard from Gloucestershire Hospitals on how they delivered effective career conversations for their healthcare support workers in practice.

(Train, Retain, Reform)

Speakers:

• Emily Handley and Melanie Paine, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICS
• Sian Oliver-Walters, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Carly Boyce, Devon Alliance for International Recruitment 

This session which explored innovative recruitment approaches. We found out how Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICS have benefitted from their support worker recruitment bus initiative. And discovered what Sheffield Teaching Hospitals have gained from their bespoke NHS recruitment events to widen participation into admin entry roles and learn more about the exciting work of the Devon Alliance for International Recruitment.

(Train)

Speakers:

• Helen Bogan, NHS Employers
• Gemma Saunders, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Session lead: Helen
Events lead: Gemma

NHS Employers gave an overview of the support and resources available to be an Armed Forces friendly employer. We then heard from Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation who are a supportive reservist employer and a reserves member that works in the NHS and gave practical insight into what other employers can do to retain important members of their workforce.

(Retain)

Speakers:

• Melanie Harper, NHS Blood and Transplant    
• Sarah Newsome, Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
• Ruth Keeler, Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB

NHS Blood and Transplant talked through an exciting preemployment programme that showcases healthcare science roles and the career opportunities available. Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership shared their LEAP project, supporting learners on clinical work placements to thrive. We were also be joined by Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB on how they are delivering T Level industry placements across their system.

(Train, Reform)

Speakers:

• Laura Bernard, Suffolk and North Essex ICS
• Dominic Blaydon, Wakefield Health and Care Partnership
• Joe Minton, South Yorkshire ICB
• Claire Knight, South Yorkshire ICB

We heard from the Suffolk and North Essex ICS about how they recruit differently, using hyperlocal recruitment approaches such as a career roadshow bus, to offer jobs, training and advice to its local residents. Wakefield Health and Care Partnership will be discussing system approaches to recruitment. South Yorkshire ICB showcased their Health and Care academies in Barnsley, and how the academies positively impact the local area through offering training and development opportunities.

(Train, Reform)

Speakers: 

• Taneal Dalton, NHS England 

NHS England shared the progress they have made on the overhauling recruitment programme which is developing new approaches to non-medical recruitment in the NHS to improve the recruitment experience and increase diversity and efficiency across the workforce.

(Reform)

Speakers: 

• Michelle Hoole and Sarah Egley, Joined Up Care Derbyshire

The Joined Up Care Derbyshire ICS has initiated an innovative and effective Newly Qualified Nurses Rotational Programme. In this session we learned about the collaborative work of the programme, its flexible approach and its uplifting benefits. We discovered the key elements of the programme which come together to create The Derbyshire Nurse role.

(Train, Retain, Reform)

Speakers:

• Stefano Pochetti, NHS England
• Funmi Ajose, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

This session provided an insight into NHS South East’s fellowship programme for internationally educated nurses, discussed the identified need for a programme to support international recruitment and retention. 

(Retain)

Speakers:

• Richard Griffin, Kings College London
• Heather Bower, Royal College of Midwives
• Hanna Murphy, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Michelle Wayt, NHS Employers 

In the closing session of the day we heard about the introduction of midwifery degree apprenticeships. Kings College London and Royal College of Midwives shared research into the apprenticeship and the impact is had made to the profession. Leeds Teaching provided insight into introducing the apprenticeship within their trust.

The conference was then wrapped up and closed by Michelle highlighting key insights from the day.

(Train, Reform)