learningorganisation

Learning Organisation

The NHSScotland is developing as a learning organisation in which learning is integral to service planning and management processes.

18 NHSScotland 'branded learning centres' that have met the strict quality assurance criteria of SUfI / Learndirect Scotland, with another 2 on the way
Access for NHSScotland staff to over 300 Learndirect centres.
Access to a national database of over 60,000 learning opportunities.
3,000 NHSScotland Personal Learning Credits for staff to be used to support uptake of WEA/UNISON development programmes and SVQs.

What is a learning organisation?

One that promotes and supports learning by all its staff, as part of a continuous process of development. It encourages self-development at all levels of the organisation, giving staff the opportunity to develop their potential and have their achievements recognised.

How is Learning Together helping the NHSScotland develop as a learning organisation?

The set up of a new education and training organisation for all healthcare professions in Scotland was a key recommendation of Learning Together. NHS Education for Scotland (NES) was established as a Special Health Board in April 2002. Its aim is to contribute to the highest quality of health care in NHS Scotland by promoting best practice in the education and lifelong learning of all its staff. The new body will build on the work of the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland (NBS), the Postqualification Education Board for Health Service Pharmacists (PQEB) and the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCPMDE). In time it will be extending its activities to cover all staff groups.

Learning together centrally funded projects - it's clear to see how the following centrally funded projects are helping the NHSScotland develop as a 'Learning Organisation' ...

15 NHS 'branded learning centres' that have met the strict quality assurance criteria of SUfI / Learndirect Scotland, with another 12 on the way

Access for NHS staff to over 300 Learndirect centres.

Access to a national database of over 60,000 learning opportunities.

3,000 NHS Personal Learning Credits for staff to be used to support uptake of WEA/UNISON development programmes and SVQs.

10,000 places to acquire the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) over 3 years.

200 bursaries to study for the Open University Business School Certificate in Management.

Learning Together good practice bids - 37 'good practice' bids from many local NHS systems have been funded. Bids were scored in relation to the key points within the LT Strategy - some of the successful bids that showed the NHS as a 'Learning Organisation' were as follows:

Borders Primary Care NHS Trust providing an integrated plan for learning for safe practice in child protection, including GPs and practice staff, Acute trust staff and social workers.

Lothian Primary Care Trust increasing awareness of barriers to communication with the deaf, and shared learning with deaf people how to remove these barriers.

Lothian University NHS Trust providing a SVQ Level 3 programmeas part of an integrated career pathway for clinical support workers to enhance team working, break down interdisciplinary boundaries and develop an integrative approach to identifying and meeting patient needs.

Yorkhill NHS Trust providing learning opportunities for procurement / supplies staff across Scotland

Promoting learning

The immensly popular Learning Together Conference at Heriot Watt University in October 2001 attracted many hundreds of staff over a two-day period, however, although this was a fully funded event, many staff would not be able to attend.

As a result the Learning Together team set about planning to take the message to the NHSScotland. They commissioned a single decker bus and fitted it out with a variety of display panels, leaflets and and interactive material promoting all the Learning Together initiatives. A route was planned out that would cover as many NHSScotland sites as possible, unfortunately, the Islands off Scotland were not included as the bus could not fit on the ferry for technical reasons.