By Ruth Parker, Improvement and Development Practitioner with CLIC

The merger in October 2019 of Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) and North Cumbria University Hospital Trust (NCUHT) brought together the Patient Experience team from (CPFT), Patient Advice and Liaison Service and Complaints from (NCUHT) into one team. 

Alison Budd Director of Nursing and Quality suggested a Rapid Process Improvement Workshop (RPIW) would be a great opportunity for the 3 teams to work together to develop and better system of working to improve the service to patients their family and carers. The RPIW week would be supported by CLIC.

The week of 18th October began with a full day of training, to equipped the team members with all the tools they needed to make real and lasting change. 

Trust staff rallied to support the week with encouragement and assistance coming from clinical staff, consultants, matrons, allied health professionals and nursing staff who were keen to help our team develop a new way to work.

Patient representative Sue Gallagher, contributed invaluable knowledge from a patient’s perspective.

The week was supported by Nikki Bridson, Business Manager, Quality and Nursing who offered ‘outside eyes’ and kept the focus for us all. 

We looked at how the teams currently work and how they would like to work in the future. They suggested 69 ideas for improvement and wrote 24 A3 project plans to make changes. The team have identified who will work on each of the A3 project plans and now come together once per week for 10 minutes to demonstrate progress.

One of the first tasks the team undertook was to re-write the letters which are sent to patients on the receipt of a complaint. Sue was able to give assistance in this, making the letters seem less formal and helping by suggesting what about the process would be key for patients and families.

A smaller group worked together with Liz Klein to redesigned a process to resolve issues for patients at the bedside, with a clear escalation to someone who would assist in resolving issues early.

The team is developing a communications strategy to improve its visibility in the trust and to encourage patients to make any concerns known, in line with the new focus on all staff being able to resolve issues locally.

The RPIW brought the 3 teams together and they quickly left their old organisational ties behind to begin working closely on taking the best from both organisations, bringing in some new ideas.

The RPIW week was the beginning of the improvement journey. CLIC will continue to support the team over the next 30, 60, 90 days to make the exciting changes identified during the week become a reality, improving the care for patients and job satisfaction for staff.

If you would like more information on a RPIW with the CLIC team, please contact: info@theclic.org.uk 

For more information on A3s and other improvement tools, please go to the Cumbria Production System Toolkit.

"The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the world's most popular personality assessment, found in 79% of the FTSE 100. It provides a robust foundation for life-long personal development, using a constructive, flexible and liberating framework for understanding individual differences and strengths.

MBTI insights reveal how we see and interact with the world, our motivations and the motivations of others. This creates a strong foundation for personal growth and development, underpinning enhanced personal effectiveness."

OPP, 2014

Some of you will have explored your personality preferences in an MBTI Feedback Session with CLIC, and for those of you that have, we are pleased to announce that we have set-up an online community where we can share information, resources, and hold online discussions: www.theclic.org.uk/resources/communities/25-mbti-information-and-resources (please note that you will need to have an account on the CLIC website and be signed-in in order to access the community).

If you have any questions about MBTI, why not post these in the community, or alternatively you can contact the CLIC Team at info@theclic.org.uk 

Innovation in Education Category, Sponsored by Health Education England North East

1st place - Development of Integrated Competency Hubs – Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

During clinical skills workshops, it became apparent that community-based staff were struggling with clinical skills training due to the geography and infrastructure of the Cumbria region, which often results in long journey times between community work bases and the two acute hospitals. In response to this, Integrated Competency Hubs have been developed, with Hub Co-coordinators matching the skills required by the community-based staff member with the relevant patient attending for treatment. In this way, staff have accessible provision for maintaining competency, which improves staff wellbeing and ultimately improves the patient experience.

The Innovators:

Debra Sargent, Clinical Education and Workplace Learning Facilitator

Sue Harper, Clinical Education

Sheena Bleasdale, Clinical Manager

Jen Riera, Ward Sister, Maryport Hospital

Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Leadership Master’s Degree Apprenticeship Programme
CLIC with CETAD, Lancaster University 

As North Cumbria continues to develop as an Integrated Care System we know the role of our senior leaders is vital to shaping our successful future. This senior leader apprenticeship standard focusses on developing knowledge, skills and behaviours of leaders in organisational performance, Interpersonal excellence and personal and interpersonal effectiveness. We are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to senior leaders across our system. This is fully funded through our Apprenticeship levy.

This development is aimed at Band 8 and above leaders who are working in strategic roles. Those in Band 7 roles will be considered if their role is system orientated and has a strategic element.

You will not be considered if you already have a master’s in a leadership subject.

If you do not currently have a first degree Lancaster University will require you to complete a pre entry written piece of work.

The Apprenticeship programme duration is typically 26 months, during this time you will complete ten modules each awarded 10 credits at masters’ level and one elective module. These modules are fully facilitated online but also require you to attend Lancaster University for eight one day workshops. You will need to complete a 20 credit and 60 credit work based projects associated to your modules which will require you to submit written work. Your work based projects will align to our System priorities.

There is an opportunity for those who have completed CLIC programmes or other recent leadership development to gain credits from this learning via recognition and accreditation for prior learning process. (APL) The CETAD tutors will support you through this process.

Key dates for the programme

•  Information briefing session – Friday 7th February 2020, NHS Offices, CLIC, 4 Wavell Drive, Rosehill, Carlisle, CA1 2SE
  • 10:00am
  • 12:30pm
  • 3:00pm
•  Complete and submit Expression of interest form by the end of February
•  RAPL process begins June 2020
•  RAPL submission / RAPL professional discussion
•  Apprenticeship Introduction
•  Apprenticeship final submission

These briefing sessions are compulsory for applicants and their line manager. You will not be assigned a place without attendance.

The briefing sessions will give you information about the apprenticeship and what is involved in committing to it. There will be opportunity to have your questions answered. You will meet people who are currently studying and gain insight into what is required to complete this study.

Please could you let us know which session you will be attending at info@theclic.org.uk 

If you need any further information please contact info@theclic.org.uk 

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