Developing the

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Developing the Aspire programme- Valuing the
Support Worker Role

• Dawne West Widening Participation Lead

2
Background

• Project funded for two years by Skills for Health
• Project offered the opportunity to
• Identify competences for support worker role -
  giving greater clarity
• Review current training provision and, if
  required, develop flexible training and education
  relevant to the role
• Develop structured career progression routes for
  support workers

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Aspire

• Stage 1 Analysis
• Issues
• Significant variations between services in
  numbers employed at particular bands
• S/W play significant role in delivering the
  service to service users
• Limited number of band 4 support workers
• Currently no clear career pathway to progress
  through the bands
• Staff couldnt always be released for training
• Planning of personal development tends to be
  ad-hoc

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Aspire

• Stage 2
• Map the tasks and duties against the National
  Occupational Standards (NOS)
• Linked to KSF
• Performance Criteria

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Review education training package

• Current off the shelf packages (NVQ Health
  Social Care) do meet requirements of staff and
  Trust
• Low mental health content
• Evidence of competence not learning
• Key skills and knowledge required at start of
  employment
• Lack of assessors
• Low take up in Trust

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Aspire

• Stage 3 - Develop training and learning to
  support the identified competences for bands 2, 3
  and 4
• Developed in partnership with TVU
• Funding also received from Progress South Central
• Input from many staff from different settings
  around the Trust

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Aspire

• Objectives
• To enable support workers to be competent and
  confident in their role
• Flexible award
• Deliver key learning at beginning of employment
  to embed good practice
• Include work based learning

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Aspire

• Learning practical skills using simulation
• Skills for Life in built into programme pathway
• Small units with individual credits to build up
  into an award
• Nationally recognisable award
• Suitable for all support workers within the Trust
  
• Support progression allowing staff to progress
  from band 2 3 4 and beyond.

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• The Support Worker Development Programme
• Promoting mental health, wellbeing and lifestyle
• Accredited by OCN Credit4Learning
• Aspire Programme
• A
• s upport worker
• p rogramme
• i nstilling values
• r ealising potential
• e mbedding good practice

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Learning Pathway
0-6 months Introductory Award Level 2 - 12
credits New starters Bands 2 3
6 18 months Certificate Level 2 - 16
credits Bands 2 3
6 18 months Diploma Level 3 40 / 60
credits Band 3 only
Principles of Care Essential Skills
Principles of Care Equality Diversity
Corporate Induction
Principles of Care Introduction
Principles of Care Developing Professional
Relationship
Principles of Care Complex Communications
Recovery Person Centred Approach Delivering
Approaches to Care
Recovery Person Centred approach Introduction
Recovery Person Centred Approach Understanding
Approaches to Care
Principles of Care Maintaining Professional
Relationships
Mental Health LD Understanding complex needs
Mental Health LD Introduction
Mental Health LD Promoting Safer Therapeutic
Services
Therapeutic Approaches Providing Therapeutic
Approaches
Skills for Life - if required
Therapeutic Approaches Introduction
Therapeutic Approaches Understanding Therapeutic
Approaches
Mental Health LD Supporting people with complex
needs
optional 20 credit unit
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Progression Routes for Support Workers
Band 3 Support Worker
Band 4 Support Worker Role
Band 2 Support Worker
1 year to convert to BSc(Hons) - Mental
Health - Leadership
ASPIREIntroductory Award level 2
ASPIRE Certificate level 2
ASPIRE Diploma level 3
ASPIRE Foundation Degree Level 4/5
Corporate Induction
?Mental Health / LD Nurse Training Entry into
year 2
PSI
IAPT Low Intensity Worker training
RMN / OT Training
STR Role
CBT
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Aspire

• Implementation
• Launch end of 2009 for band 2 3 support Workers
• Introductory Award for new recruits
• Certificate Level 2 award for bands 2 3

13
Aspire

• Skills for Life Programme integrated within award
  pathway
• Recruitment package developed which will include
  literacy and numeracy tests
• Existing staff assessed for Skills for Life and
  offered training as required at the beginning of
  the programme

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Aspire

• Supervisor Support
• Key to the success of this programme will be the
  support of supervisors within the work place
• Support in place to assist the supervisors
• Workshops prior to the programme running
• Toolkit
• Network for supervisors for peer support

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Aspire

• BHFT to become a test centre for this programme
  and have a dedicated Programme Lead
• Some learning delivered in-house and some
  externally
• - Develop a bank of internal trainers to
  deliver this programme
• Using expertise within the Trust

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Aspire

• This programme offers the Trust the opportunity
  to
• Ensure support workers have the confidence and
  competence to carry out their roles
• Improve productivity
• Improve recruitment and retention
• Improve service and care offered to service users
• Improve progression opportunities for SWs
• Aim to show evidence of this via robust
  evaluation

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Evaluation

• Evaluation of programme planned to measure return
  on investment and impact
• Using metrics developed from The Beeches
  Management Centre
• Unleashing Talent A learning and Productivity
  Demonstrator
• Capacity
• Work organisation
• Quality of care
• Skills, development and application
• Allocative efficiency

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Benefits for the Trust, Team, Support Workers and
Service Users

• Support workers can be confident and competent in
  their role
• Relevant training and education to support role
• Offer building blocks of learning to build into
  nationally accredited award
• Help recruitment and retention
• Improve service for service users
• Progression routes available for support workers

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• Thank you for your time
• Dawne.west_at_berkshire.nhs.uk
• 07768 250045