Project Team: Heather Short, Geoffrey Wilkinson
Funded by: Funded by SHA commissioned by North Somerset PCT
Project lead: Christine (Tina) Fear
This project is primarily concerned with supporting the development of the care home workforce; it is anticipated it will have a measurable impact on current working practices and service delivery. It is therefore expected that the whole workforce will be involved in this developmental opportunity for service improvement. The approach is one that anticipates the full involvement of all parties as active participants in identifying needs and means to meet them. The project sets out to work with the care home workforce in North Somerset to support them in their care for older residents. The aim is to work with the whole workforce of each of the North Somerset care homes. Facilitators from the University of the West of England have introduced programmes of learning with topics identified by care home staff themselves. Expertise is being sought from North Somerset PCT, LA, UWE, CQC staff to support programmes of learning.
Programmes of Learning
There are three programmes of learning currently in progress across North Somerset facilitated by three university lecturers from University of the West of England, Bristol. Each programme consists of monthly study days in three different care home locations (one in Clevedon, & two in Weston-Super-Mare). A fourth programme of learning is planned for January 2010. The study days are varied in learning styles and in essence begin with feedback on the dissemination of each care homes action plan from the previous topic; this is followed by expert presentations on the timetabled topic (new topic), followed by discussions regarding the application of the material in service settings. The final hour of each study day is dedicated to action learning sets and developing an individual action plan for each care home so that participants are able to formulate their feedback from the session and determine how best to present it in their workplace so that the learning is communicated to, and becomes imbued in, practice settings. Each care home involved in the project is contacted by telephone/email/visit between study days to offer support in putting their action plan into place. Each care home has been provided with a Portfolio to include literature provided, action plans, how they will disseminate this to all staff within their workplace and a reflection on their learning.
Project duration: May 2009 – October 2010
For further information contact: Christine (Tina) Fear
Christine.Fear@uwe.ac.uk
+44 (0) 117 328 8456