Making Progression Happen: Priorities for Effective InterOrganisational Collaboration

1
Making Progression Happen Priorities for
Effective Inter-Organisational Collaboration

• Helen Evered and Kyle Smith, University of
  Portsmouth
• Tracey Pugh and Julie Wintrup, University of
  Southampton

2
Overview

• Effective inter-organisational and inter-personal
  relationships are pivotal to a positive student
  experience of work based learning
• Progression to professional programmes can be
  successful if providers of both understand the
  impediments and opportunities for students
• Organisation of work placements has to be a
  priority for Foundation degree students given the
  absence of affiliation with a professional group

3
Effective inter-organisational and inter-personal
relationships are pivotal to student experience

• Influencing formal networks through presence
  prompt, accurate, consistent data - explained
  formal reporting mechanisms (eg Annual Report)
  sharing good news such as NSS understanding
  others agendas keeping up to date with local
  and national directives and targets.

4
Effective inter-organisational and inter-personal
relationships are pivotal to student experience

• Developing or joining new networks, such as
  Foundation degree Steering Group employer
  workshops alumni events accessing / influencing
  internal networks, schools and committees
  champions, internal and external HEA SIGs,
  student-led conferences locality networks work
  placements user and carer networks across
  boundaries.

5
Effective inter-organisational and inter-personal
relationships are pivotal to student experience

• Initiating / supporting new networks
• LLN CG network projects spanning FE/HE,
  bordering LLNs (progression opportunities)
  entrants, students and graduates statutory and
  voluntary sectors employers and providers
• Joint CG projects new study skills modules with
  Early Years CG

6
Organisations and individuals pivotal to current
and future students work based learning
experience

• For one Fd programme 92 work placements, 112
  mentors, 14 NHS Trusts, 50 PVI organisations,1LA,
  16 Lifelong Learning Facilitators, 1 SHA (several
  individuals), 1000s of service users and carers,
  Fd work placement team, other schools work
  placement teams, previous students of Fd and
  other programmes, professional bodies, first line
  managers, middle managers, policy makers (local
  and national), fellow students

7
How those relationships impact upon student
experience

• Short term student experience most influenced by
  mentors / supervisors, team colleagues, managers
• Medium term student may be sponsored by
  employer, or need study leave or work placement
  employers require information and clarity from
  programme provider a three way responsibility
• Long term Credibility and currency of degree
  will affect new role developments, job creation
  and person specifications

8
Universities Agreement
Profession specific
Health Social Care
Mental Health
Rehabilitation
Learning Difficulties
Children Families
9
Organisation of placements has to be a priority
for Foundation degrees
9
10
Background to Health Social Care

• programme is approximately 50 Work Based
  Learning (WBL)
• the students interests are varied across the
  whole of the health social care sector

11
Students comments on WBL

• valuable experience
• open my eyes to new opportunities
• increased my knowledge of health and social care
  environments and services available
• wbl was the most challenging part of the
  programme and also the most rewarding

12
Changing landscape of WBL
2 years ago
Current
13
Process of change and building relationships

• This was two fold
• Firstly improving relationships with employers
  and Mentors
• Secondly working with the Learning Environment
  Facilitators who were placing Health care
  students mainly within the NHS

14
Improving relationships with employers and
mentors

• previously organised workshops for
  employers/mentors had only resulted in limited
  effect
• the approach we took was to go out to do mainly
  individual WBL visits with some presentations to
  regional groups

15
Improving relationships with employers and
mentors

• the result has been not only an increase in the
  number of Fd placements but also as seen earlier
  a significant change in the type of placements
  offered.
• also an increased awareness and understanding of
  Foundation degrees and new roles within the
  workplace

16
Working with the Learning Environment Facilitators

• our process of allocating placements had to be
  linked with these facilitators, so that they had
  an awareness of all students in their locality
• as their remit changed they became more
  responsible for all Health Social students on
  placement rather than being profession specific
  facilitators
• this is still an evolving position and we
  continue to build positive relationships with them

17
The benefits of this student centred approach are

• students individual needs are met as far is
  reasonably practicable
• the student experience is varied and gives them a
  better understanding of health and social care a
  whole wherever they may work after graduation
• increase in student satisfaction and recruitment
  of students for employers