The workforce supply project at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Our learning from the project

“We started the AHP workforce supply project by focusing on gaining a better insight of the trust’s AHP workforce data and intelligence. This was evident through careful analysis of the Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system, correction of any discrepancies with occupation specific coding and identification of the real number of AHPs working within each care group. Another learning point was seeing the total distribution of AHP registered staff and associated AHP support workers within our trust, providing a richer understanding of workforce demographics, an essential element for future workforce planning. We also realised the importance of working closely with our AHP departments to explore the supply and demand of their individual services, whilst collaborating as AHPs to meet the changing and complex needs of our diverse local patient populations.

“The project also enabled us to scope individual AHP services and the challenges they faced with vacancies and staff turnover, amidst ongoing staffing shortages. This led to a greater focus on innovative strategies to recruit new staff, whilst retaining our existing AHP workforce. Retention strategies were a crucial part of this work, looking at what we currently provided and where there were gaps in terms of competencies, or career progression opportunities for upskilling AHP staff and AHP support workers. We found the adoption of a six-step workforce planning methodology really useful in supporting the creation of our AHP workforce strategic supply plan. This particular model applies six key logical steps that include defining the plan; mapping service change, defining the required workforce, understanding workforce availability, planning to deliver the required workforce, and implementation, monitoring and refresh as a final stage.

“Collaborative working at a system, regional and national level was another learning point through the links that we formed with the BOB AHP Faculty, surrounding organisations, and the integrated care system (ICS). This collaborative working has sustained momentum even after the project has ended.”

The difference at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust following the project and how it helps the organisation

“My AHP education and workforce specific role was created as a direct result of the HEE pump priming investment that was offered to organisations as part of the national AHP workforce supply project. This role helped seal the delivery of additional senior AHP leadership capacity at our trust, and also provided central education and workforce support for eight different allied health groups. Having a dedicated role responsible for developing the AHP education portfolio and improving the retention of our AHP workforce has been one of the biggest achievements from this project. There has also been a real cultural transformation as a result of the project, with a greater recognition and inclusion of AHPs in all trust agenda items alongside commitment from the senior and executive teams.

“With this cultural transformation within the organisation we now have a collaborative central AHP forum and various other multi-professional committees in place that include a greater AHP voice and visibility of the workforce. Although my role is not substantive, it supports all the discussions and planning elements at a leadership level and complements the work of the AHP professional leads who directly run the individual AHP services.

“When looking at specific examples of how this project has benefitted our AHP services, we know that improving the recruitment and retention of AHPs such as therapeutic radiographers, will greatly support the COVID recovery response and the crucial work needed to tackle a backlog of cancer referrals. Supporting our operating department practitioners and developing the theatre workforce will also be a key part of ensuring elective services recover and support the additional pressures required to meet the needs of our local patient populations. Another example is how focusing our workforce expansion energy on having additional community based AHPs will help support the integrated care elements and the primary care network partnerships that we need to strengthen as part of providing more innovative care that is closer to home for our patients.

“To streamline our therapy workforce i.e. arts therapies, physiotherapy, occupational therapy (OT) and speech and language therapy (SLT), we now have more educator input in our OT, physiotherapy and SLT teams to help support learners and develop existing staff. AHPs touch every profession on a positive scale, therefore knowing how to increase their capacity and upskill particular areas such as advanced practice roles for AHP will again be a big positive and help clear backlog and drive innovation and expansion. We are also working more closely with our finance teams and nursing colleagues towards building new business cases, with the project providing much needed intelligence to support the delivery of our future workforce plans and momentum.”

Personal impact of the and the value of HEE’s input

“With regards to my own professional development, I have moved from a radiotherapy Practice Educator role into an AHP Lead role at our Trust. This has been a great learning curve over the last year as I was also studying towards my master’s in management and healthcare. I have always had a keen interest in AHP workforce transformation and Therapeutic Radiography education, and this project has been a perfect opportunity for aligning all my personal and professional interests for the benefit of the AHP workforce and our organisation. I have also found the local, regional and national support from HEE and the AHP faculties game changing in the way I now see senior and systems level leadership, and the way we as organisations work more collaboratively to develop and sustain AHPs towards providing 21^st century healthcare services. 

“This HEE funding has instigated organisations and trusts to put certain processes in place for AHP leadership and AHP workforce transformation. HEE have provided and continue to provide that support and voice behind the scenes from an education and workforce perspective. By having this project ongoing in the background and having a central role within the trust to push these transformational elements, I feel that it has enabled our Trust Leads to see the value of focusing on workforce improvement even when times are challenging. This is because it allows them to retain and value existing staff, whilst recruiting the AHPs of tomorrow.”