Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

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Human resources and training

The development and implementation of HR policies is crucial to obtaining and retaining a high performing workforce.  The policies need to reflect the strategic objectives of organisations together with recognising the impact of wider demographic, sociological and technological trends and consider the medium and longer-term implications of these.  Therefore the workforce requirements need to be considered strategically and help deliver national priorities as set out in local delivery or business plans.  It is essential that there is a clear 'line of sight' between HR practices and the delivery of high quality services. Of central importance is creating the 'right' culture and developing 'customer' focused values. This section outlines the thinking behind these goals, and explains the various strategies that are helping to achieve them.

A High Quality Workforce: The review of NHS student support

Published: 03/04/2009

The NHS bursary scheme, which provides financial support to students undertaking NHS commissioned healthcare courses, is being reviewed. This review was announced in A High Quality Workforce published in June 2008. A Steering Group is developing and analysing a series of options for the future of NHS student support and assessing how well they meet the aims of the review. Once they have completed the first stage of their analysis, we will consult widely to seek the views of others with an interest, including people who are currently considering entering healthcare professional training.

HR High Impact Changes: An evidence based resource

This document is designed as a resource to support the 10 High Impact HR Changes as outlined in "A National Framework to Support Local Workforce Strategy Development". It is designed to support HR Directors and their staff in the development of local approaches.

A national framework to support local workforce development: A guide for HR directors in the NHS and social care

Published 15 December 2005. The document is intended to provide a National Framework for use by HR Directors in the development of local workforce strategies.

NHS workforce scorecard

The NHS workforce scorecard is a tool, developed locally to enable HR interventions to be aligned with the overall goals of an organisation. It measures the contribution of HR to patient value and service improvement (Gateway reference: 5931).

Delivering the NHS Improvement Plan: the workforce contribution

Published 9 November 2004. The NHS Improvement Plan sets the agenda for delivering better patient services over the next four years. SHAs and their local health communities have prepared capacity plans for 2008 that will underpin key aspects of the NHS Improvement Plan. These will be signed off by the end of October and will support the development of broader Local Delivery Plans (LDP) for signing off next spring. This document highlights the strategic workforce issues that support LDPs and identifies further resources that are available.

More staff

The increase of staff numbers is one of two key objectives in the NHS Plan to deliver an improved health service. Improved patient access and choice, shorter waiting times, and improved standards of care depend on it. This section outlines the strategies the NHS is using to expand its workforce.

Model employer

Policies designed to make the NHS a better, fairer and more flexible employer can be found in this section. Measures to ensure equality and diversity, childcare options, pensions, occupational health issues and Improving Working Lives (IWL) are all addressed.

Model career

Lifelong learning and regular role renewal are key parts of the department’s strategy to keep public healthcare fresh. Further information about the strategy may be found here.

Strengthening Workforce Planning

A High Quality Workforce published in June 2008 outlined a more transparent and coherent workforce planning system, based on local integrated planning with strong, evidence based, clinical input and support at a regional and national level.

Modernising pay

Guidance on the Agenda for Change pay modernisation programme, and details of contracts for practitioners and managers.

Professional standards

Information about the programme of reform to ensure better and safer care for all, by raising the professional standards of everyone who works in health and social care.

Education, training and development

The opportunity for all staff to learn and develop is a crucial factor in achieving new ways of patient-centred working to take forward the modernisation and delivery of education and continuing professional development beyond registration, ensuring this supports the needs of patients and carers, health-care teams and individuals and related service and organisational priorities.

Workforce capacity

The Workforce Capacity team works with both the NHS and social care providers to ensure that they have the workforce to deliver the NHS agenda.

Improving staff morale

On improving staff attitudes across the NHS.

Building people management skills

The NHS Plan makes a firm commitment to developing the human resources profession in the NHS. Policies designed to deliver on this commitment can be found here.

Performance management and research and development

Information on how the HR management of individual NHS agencies may be assessed.

National Task Force on Violence

This section contains the report and action plan, self-audit tool for employers, checklist for employees and overview of research, published by the National Task Force on Violence Against Social Care Staff in 2000.

Additional links

Related Links

NHS Employers

NHS Employers took over, from November 2004, responsibility from the Department of Health for much of the NHS human resources agenda.

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