The workforce supply project at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Our learning from the project 

Data counts

“Number one would be that staffing data counts. We now have a monthly AHP Staffing Report that informs us. It is specifically designed so we know the number of AHPs in post and what profession they are, as well the number of AHP Support Workers we have. Changes or additions to the data results in certain actions being triggered. For example, when we have new starters, they are automatically booked in for a welcome to the trust meeting with various AHP staff members, including the Associate Director for AHPs. This has been received incredibly well and is a great investment in terms of valuing staff. The data also tells us if we have a leaver, this then triggers us to ensure we follow up the exit interview and identify any learning we can make.

“When utilising the data, we are also able to track and trace aspects like demographics, age range of our staff and so on. We can then map out, for example, how close staff are to retirement and where potential gaps in staffing may arise if no action is taken.

“The data also tells us exactly how many students we have, how long they are going be on placement and where they are. This again triggers actions such as meet and greet sessions which are booked in with the relevant team members.”

“By gathering and even more importantly using the correct data, we have been able to ‘demist the crystal ball’ and see more clearly into the future of our workforce pipeline.”

Proactive recruitment 

“The second learning point has been around improving our recruitment strategies; the project has highlighted that we must become more proactive in our recruitment strategy. We now have a new mantra when it comes to recruitment which is – ‘don't wait for new staff to come to us - we've got to go and find them!’ We need to sell both the experience of working for the trust as well as living in Lincolnshire.

Valuing and developing our staff

“The third point is about valuing and developing our existing support staff and newly qualified staff, making sure that our AHPs and our AHP leaders of the future are well equipped with the right skills that they need for them and their career pathways. Our AHP support workers are such an integral part of our team, and we want to retain them. We want them to feel valued and have opportunities available to them for development within our trust.

“The feedback we have had from them has been incredibly positive. Through this project we have sown the seeds for positive change to occur. The results are starting to become evident, as AHP support workers are seemingly taking this on themselves connecting with each other not just within our trust but across the system which is just fantastic.

Leadership mentoring

“Finally, this project has also provided a great opportunity for individuals e.g., clinicians to move into leadership roles without having to go directly into management posts. Providing leadership mentoring also allows for productive succession planning to take place.”

The difference at LPFT following the project and how it helps the organisation

Leading together  

“The project has really brought us together and we have become an AHP leadership team rather than AHP leaders leading in our own separate areas. This has impacted on the influence we can have as a collective, because we are all now contributing to different things, and it is a team effort with a shared vision.

“For example, before this project started, we did not have a formal return to practice procedure in place and we do now. We are also interviewing two international recruits this week and have a pre-interview procedure now in place.”

Specific leadership for AHP staff  

“Another meaningful difference within the trust is the deep dive that we have been able to do into what matters for our AHP staff, what keeps them here, what makes them feel valued, and why are they working for our organisation. We have always looked at what is important to our staff, but having this project has enabled us to go a step further and ask our staff, what can we do better for you?

“Having the staffing data easily accessible has been very useful when going to workforce planning meetings and being able to present the reality of who we have and where the AHP gaps are.

“Talking to services about the specialist skills of AHPs has resulted in a real growth of, for example, Speech and Language Therapists and Dietitians. As a result of the project people are now realising the expert skills that these professions can bring to multidisciplinary teams to improve the quality of care being delivered.

“This project has helped us grow our AHP workforce, they bring something completely different to the table in a way that complements the skills of our nursing, medical, psychology, pharmacy and other staff. It goes back to the skill mix within teams, multi-professional collaboration enhances the delivery of holistic, safe, quality care to patients.”

The impact the project has in LPFT and the value of HEE’s input

Organisational and system working

“There is now a better form of understanding across our business intelligence, HR and finance teams of what we do and how we operate. Becoming more connected with wider teams allows us to influence strategic workforce planning conversations.

“This better understanding across wider teams of what we do and how we operate has allowed us to go and trial ideas such as proactively utilising social media to advertise recruitment sessions which allow people to come and chat to us about working in LPFT. We have then fed back in meetings how successful these ideas have been.

“There is a collective stronger understanding of the importance of data analysis in terms of workforce planning. We understand more about recruitment and what drives retention of staff regionally and nationally. The project has built capacity and helped form a confident, strong team that is committed to outcomes that improve the safety and quality of care we deliver to our populations.

“As a system we have been liaising closely with AHP workforce colleagues at other trusts that also started the project and through the AHP faculty we have created subgroups that have led to system wide benefits for the AHP workforce.

“HEE’s input and support has been exceptional and extremely practical. HEE has not just provided the funding; they have enabled how that funding has been used, the webinars also provided a great networking opportunity with other workforce leads around the region and country.”