ACCESS

Building on Success

Winter 2012/2013

(Accessible Word version)

ACCESS, the newsletter of the NES ACS Programme – supporting the people who make the system work.

Welcome to the Winter 2012 edition of ACCESS.

ACCESS is the newsletter for NHSScotland staff working in administrative,

estates and facilities services. It provides information about the projects and

resources being developed in the NES ACS Programme, all designed to

support your learning at work.

It’s now 4 years since we published the first edition of ACCESS and this

edition is dedicated to some of the people and projects we have worked with

since 2008. In particular, we celebrate the success of staff who have

participated in some of those projects or used ACS resources to help them

develop in their work or further their career. Here is a taste of what we have

inside:

Facilities Supervisors test out the new SVQ3 in Facilities Management

Staff in NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire explain how the KSF Essentials course helped them complete their personal development

plans and reviews (PDP/R)

A new series of case studies show how staff and managers are using the

Administrative Core Skills Map to support learning and development in

their Boards

We hear how ACCESS helped 2 administrators start their learning journeys – and how, now they have returned to learning, they are setting

their sights high!

We also show how people are using The Admin Centre, the one-stop

shop for work, learning and career resources for staff in administrative

services – and preview the forthcoming Estates & Facilities Portal for

staff in estates and facilities roles.

This year, we aim to reach more staff in administrative, estates and facilities roles than ever before. Interested in being involved? Here’s how….

Share your experiences and good ideas by writing an article for

ACCESS

If you have received an electronic copy of ACCESS, pass it on to a

colleague – and encourage them to join our mailing list!

Contact us for hard copies of ACCESS Newsletter to share with

colleagues.

We are always keen to hear your views about ACCESS. To contact us

with feedback and suggestions or to request hard copies:

e-mail: acs.project@nes.scot.nhs.uk

Telephone Angela on: 0131 656 3234

Contents

Qualified in Facilities Management

A Degree of Experience

Manager's Development Network

Coming Soon! The Estates & Facilities Portal

Spreading Good Practice

Making the most of The Admin Centre

Learning Experiences On Screen

Building on Evidence

Lessons from the Front Line

Call All Inspiring Leaders!

The ACS Programme goes International!

The Stairway to Success

QUALIFIED IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT: Estates and Facilities Managers celebrate their success!

In the last edition of ACCESS, we featured a new qualification for managers and supervisors in estates and facilities roles.

The new SVQ 3 in Facilities Management has been designed to help

individuals develop their knowledge and skills in managing a range of areas in

facilities. From managing people to managing resources and processes, this

work-based qualification enables participants to demonstrate how their

management skills meet national standards.

Now, the first group of NHSScotland staff to complete the qualification are

celebrating their success. The 18 managers and supervisors, drawn from the

Estates and Facilities departments of 5 NHS Boards, were participants in a

NES-funded pilot of the SVQ and received their certificates at a special event

held at Edinburgh Telford College on October 10th. Congratulating the

managers and supervisors on their achievement, NES Director of Educational

Development, Professor Brian Durward, underlined the vital role that Estates

and Facilities’ staff play in delivering the safe, effective and person centred

care. He also stressed the importance of helping managers learn and gain

recognition for their management skills so that they can help to meet the

needs of a changing service.

Elaine Pacitti of the ACS team explains why the pilot of the qualification was

so important in helping staff to meet those needs: “The aim of the pilot was to

examine how suitable the SVQ3 in Facilities Management is in preparing staff

to take on the higher-level learning needed for more senior roles within

Estates & Facilities Services in NHSScotland. The SVQ3 could provide an

important stepping stone for staff whose learning, until now, has been

primarily on the job. As a work-based qualification, the SVQ allows

participants to show what they have learned in the workplace and it can start

them on a learning journey to developing higher-level management skills. We

know that, in a few years, many senior managers will be retiring from support

services. Working with our partners in Health Facilities Scotland and in other

NHS Boards, we are looking at way of providing opportunities for those in

lower grades to develop the skills they need to progress in management. The

SVQ3 could be one of those opportunities.”

And how useful has the qualification been to the supervisors and managers

participating in the pilot? “We’re still working on the evaluation of the

programme” says Elaine, “but the initial feedback is very encouraging. We

have been speaking to the participants and to their managers, and many of

the reports are very positive. In particular, we are hearing a lot about the

impact of the qualification on the individuals’ confidence in their own skills,

their willingness to take on more responsibility and their feeling that they can

make a difference.”

More information about the SVQ3 in Facilities Management can be found on

the VQ Finder: http://www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk/facilities-management-

svq-3-sqa.aspx?jobFamily=Support%20Services

A DEGREE OF EXPERIENCEThe Autumn 2009 edition of ACCESS featured information about Edinburgh Napier University’s BA Business & Enterprise (BABE degree programme). This programme enables experienced administrators to gain a degree in business in less than 2 years. Allison Hall, a Project Officer with NES, decided to take the plunge. Here, she tells us about her learning journey.

Why did you decide to return to learning – and what made you choose this programme?

Like a lot of people working in administrative roles in NHSScotland, I had a lot

of work experience but no professional qualification to provide proof of my

skills. I had reached a stage where I felt that completing a degree would help

me expand my knowledge and increase in confidence – and this would bring

benefits to the team I work in and to our department.

I felt that the BABE programme would really meet my learning needs. It

offered recognition of my existing skills, knowledge and experience, which

was important to me, and meant that a shorter course was an option. The

programme seemed fairly unique in its approach to the recognition of prior

learning (RPL) and I liked the direction of Edinburgh Napier University in

breaking this new ground.

Tell us a bit about the programme.

I completed the programme in 2 parts. I started by doing the ILM Level 5

Certificate in Leadership and Management, which I completed in 5 months.

This was the ‘bridge’ which allowed me to enter the third year of the BA

Business and Enterprise degree programme. This second stage took a year

to complete. As a result I achieved my BA degree in just under 18 months,

rather than the three years which a normal route would take.

The course itself blended work-based learning with self study and the

opportunity to attend lectures within the University, all of which were important

to me. Going to lectures made me feel that I was able to take part in normal

University life. I had never experienced this before and I it found enriching.

How did you cope with working and learning at the same time?

I chose my courses carefully, linking them into my work to enhance my

learning, and worked hard to balance study and home life. I must mention the

support and encouragement I received at home from my husband. He had

completed a Masters programme and was well aware of the time and effort

needed to succeed.

I was also really fortunate to have very supportive colleagues in my

department. One mentored me and provided tremendous inspiration, while

another helped me to review my work, and shared their knowledge and

experience. Having colleagues who were willing to share their knowledge,

time - and patience - was really important and much appreciated.

Has gaining your degree affected the way you work?

I strongly believe that my employer has a more educated and professional

individual working for them now that I have undertaken this formal study. My

confidence and abilities have grown so that I am in tune with NES’s business

strategies and core activities. Project Management is an essential part of my

current role and this degree has provided me with the core principles of

business and the ability to engage in more complex tasks. On a more

personal note, I’m much more eager to support and encourage others as I

know the benefits I have gained from my studies.

What were the best – and the worst – things about your learning experience?

I have nothing but good things to say about my learning experience - no bad

things at all. I relished the opportunity to learn and grasped this with both

hands. In doing this, I believe I gained the best possible experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to encourage other people to take this route to further

learning. It was a very motivating and rewarding experience for me, especially

when I received the class medal on the day of my graduation which was a

complete but wonderful surprise!

And the future?

I’m very proud of what I have achieved so far, and plan to continue my studies

in the not too distant future.

MANAGERS’ DEVELOPMENT NETWORKDo you manage people or services? Then the Managers’ Development Network is for you! Ali McPhail, Learning & Development Advisor at NES, describes what the Network offers and invites you to join.

What is the MDN – and who is it for?

The Managers’ Development Network (MDN) was set up to help managers

across NHSScotland meet and work together, to share experience and to

learn from each other. It has been designed as an inclusive network, bringing

together managers from all areas of the service - any discipline, any grade,

any Health Board – who may have limited access to other development

routes. The Network supports individuals who have a management or

leadership role to understand their work in the wider context of the NHS in

Scotland, and to extend their personal development and skills.

The aims of the network are to:

provide opportunities for networking between professionals

provide opportunities for bite-sized learning

provide links to other sources of networking and learning

What does it offer?

The MDN offers a range of activities and resources for members of the

network. These include:

a series of workshops, held in locations across Scotland and virtually: Each workshop offers managers from across the NHS a

chance to network, helping individuals make contact with colleagues

they may not come across in day-to-day work but who are facing

similar challenges. Due to its inclusive nature, the potential size of the

network is enormous and so we try to offer events that will cover a

range of interests.

an online community: The MDN community webpage is host to some

fascinating blogs, currently sharing the learning of two national

trainees; discussion forums focusing on our reflections of MDN events

and podcasts; information about other networks and sources of

information as well as details of past and up-coming events.

We welcome new and existing members to join the community space as a

way of keeping your network alive.

Please join us at: http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/mdn

COMING SOON! The Estates & Facilities Portal

In Winter 2012, the ACS Programme will launch a brand new website designed to support the work, learning and career development of staff working in estates and facilities services. But what exactly could the Estates & Facilities Portal do for you?

As many of the stories in this edition of ACCESS show, many staff working in

estates and facilities services are keen to get involved in learning,

development and helping to make the services they provide the best they can

be. However, it can be difficult to find the information you need to help you

achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

The new Estates & Facilities Portal has been designed to make this task

easier by providing a ‘one-stop shop’ of online information and resources

tailored to the needs of staff in the different services which sit under the

‘Estates and Facilities’ umbrella. So what will that mean in practice? Here are

just a few of the features of this forthcoming resource:

Relevant, useful information and resources: The site has been

developed using the ideas and feedback from staff and managers across

NHSScotland, and one constant request has been for access to

information and learning resources which can really help staff and

managers in the workplace. The portal aims to gather in one place as

many as possible of the key resources which staff in estates and facilities

roles need to support their learning and development. From access to

Health Facilities Scotland workbooks and information about induction

standards through to links to a wide range of professional organisations

and journals, the Estates & Facilities portal will help support people at all

stages in their careers.

A user-friendly site designed for busy people: Another requirement has

been for something which is quick and easy to use – and which doesn’t

require advanced IT skills or constant access to a computer. We aim to

bring you as much information as possible simply at the click of a mouse,

with the option to print pages so that you can read them later or share

them with colleagues.

Resources tailored to your own area of the service: It can sometimes

be hard to identify what parts of a website are relevant to you. The Estates

& Facilities portal aims to overcome this problem by having individual

sections for different areas of the service. Wherever you work in estates or

facilities services, you should find resources which are specific to your own

area.

A site which develops to meet your changing needs: The ACS team is

committed to making sure that the new portal helps you get to the

information and learning resources which you really need. As part of this,

we will be depending on feedback from those visiting or using the site to

let us know how it can continue to improve to meet those needs.

The Estates & Facilities portal is due for launch at the end of 2012. If you

receive an electronic copy of ACCESS, we will let you know when the site

goes live.

If you would like us to let you know when the site goes live, please contact

acs.project@nes.scot.nhs.uk with your email address.

Remember, if you work in an administrative role in an estates and/or facilities

department, visit The Admin Centre (www.theadmincentre.nes.scot.nhs.uk)

for resources for administrators.

SPREADING GOOD PRACTICE

The role of Domestic Services staff in delivering person-centred care

Like The Admin Centre, the new Estates & Facilities portal will help to highlight how staff in support roles are helping to make improvements in the quality of healthcare services. In this short case study, housekeeper Margaret Snedden of NHS Forth Valley describes how she helped to make choosing meals easier for patients in a Care of the Elderly Ward.

Tell us a bit about the problem or opportunity which prompted this piece of work.

At Forth Valley General Hospital, patients receive weekly menu cards so that

they can choose what they would like to eat for each meal. However, I

realised that some of the elderly patients were finding it really hard to choose

what they wanted to eat from the menu. Communication was sometimes

difficult when patients were poorly or if they had additional difficulties, such as

being hard of hearing or having poor eyesight. This resulted in patients

sometimes getting meals they did not like. Also, as some of the patients have

dementia, they would sometimes forget what they had ordered for each meal

and would be a bit upset at receiving something that they thought was for

another patient.

It was easier when patients’ families were there to help the patient make their

choices but this could only happen at visiting times.

All of these situations meant patients did not always eat their meals. We all

know what it feels like to lose your appetite when you are not feeling well and

I thought the difficulties with making selections from the menu just made the

whole situation worse. It also contributed to a waste of food.

What did you decide to do?

At first, I spoke to the patients’ relatives when they were visiting and asked

them to help by writing down the patient’s menu choices for the next couple of

days on a piece of paper. Relatives know their family member’s likes and

dislikes so are in a great position to help make sure their relative gets

something they enjoy eating. The relatives would give me the piece of paper

and I then entered the menu choices in my hand held computer.

Then one day an elderly gentleman was transferred to my ward from another

part of the hospital. He brought a weekly menu planner with him that had

been completed by his daughter. It listed his meal choices for the coming

week. She gave it to me and when I saw it I had a light bulb moment! This

was just what I had been looking for!

How did you go about making the change needed?

I took the form to the Ward Sister who was in charge at that time to ask if we

could try using it on our ward. She thought this was a good idea so agreed

that we could start using it right away. I arranged to collect a blank version of

the form, made photocopies and then we started to give it to the patients’

relatives in the afternoon visiting time.

What results have you seen since making the change?

The changes started being effective right away. The biggest and most

important benefit has been for the patients. They are receiving what they like

to eat, which is important at any time but especially when their appetite is poor

due to their illness. The patients’ relatives really like using it. They talk to their

relatives about what they want to eat, fill in the menu planner, then I enter

their choices on my computer.

It also makes life a little bit easier for the housekeeping staff. We feel more

confident that our patients are getting food they enjoy eating and the right

portion sizes for them. It also means that less food is wasted.

Has the change resulted in any unexpected benefits for patients or for your team?

The visitors think this is a brilliant idea. It gives them something to focus on

with their relative, lets them be involved in their care and gives them

reassurance their relative is getting food they enjoy eating.

The ACS team would like to thank Margaret and her colleagues in service

provider Serco for their help in preparing this case study.

A fuller version of this case study – including an update on how this idea has

developed further – will be published on the forthcoming Estates & Facilities

Portal.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE ADMIN CENTRESummer 2011 saw the launch of The Admin Centre, the online ‘one-stop

shop’ for staff and managers working in administrative services across

NHSScotland. Since then, the site has attracted a growing number of users

every month. But, with so much information available on the site, how can you

be sure that you are making the most of the resources which The Admin

Centre has to offer? Here are some reminders of how the site can help

support your work, learning and career development.

Click on the WORKING tab to find learning resources and information to help in your everyday work:

Need to improve your minute-taking or letter writing skills? Need to know

more about medical terminology? Click on Communication on the menu

for bite-sized learning and access to medical dictionaries.

Do you need to improve your Excel skills, use Word more efficiently, or

learn how to use a new operating system such as Microsoft Office 10?

Click on Information technology and information skills to access

Microsoft tutorials.

Not sure about the rules governing the handling of patient data? Want to

update your record-handling skills? Click on Handling Information to

access Scottish Government guidance and for information about the

Health Records Certificate of Technical Competence.

Click on ‘Your role in national initiatives’ to see how developments at a

national level link to the work you’re doing.

How my job makes a difference gives individuals working in

administrative roles the opportunity to show how their role helps

NHSScotland to deliver safe, effective and person-centred healthcare

services. Why not contribute by emailing acs.project@nes.scot.nhs.uk ?

Click on the LEARNING tab to find information and resources to help you plan your own learning:

Are you new to NHSScotland, or are you managing a new recruit?

Learning and the KSF provides a short guide to personal development

planning and review (PDP/R) and Starting in your role links you to

information about the Mandatory Induction Standards for Healthcare

Support Workers.

Would you like to return to learning – but feeling a bit nervous about the

prospect? Click on Skills for learning to find resources to help you gain

the confidence to start studying again.

Do you manage people or are you a KSF reviewer? Identifying learning can help you support your staff to develop their personal development

plans (PDP), while Coaching and mentoring has resources to help you

develop your own skills in supporting learning.

Want to develop your own management skills? Click on Improving your management skills for learning resources and information about a wide

range of development programmes.

Click on the CAREERS tab to find out more about the wide range of professions which sit within Administrative Services in NHSScotland, and how to plan your own career pathway:

Not sure if you have the skills to transfer to a different role? Click on

Reflecting on where you are for guidance on identifying and describing

your own skills.

Not sure what opportunities there might be – or where to find them? Click

on Knowing how to get there for information about avenues you can

explore to help you plan your own career.

Are you interested in making your career in one of the professions listed in

this area of The Admin Centre? Click on the name of a professional group to take you to information about professional bodies, qualifications

and journals relevant to that profession.

Don’t forget the HOME PAGE:

An Athens Password is needed for some of the resources on the

website. The password allows you to use resources you would otherwise

have to pay for. Click on Get an Athens Password for more information

and to register.

We depend on your feedback to help us improve The Admin Centre.

Please take a few minutes to complete The Admin Centre Survey and to

click the ‘like’ boxes on pages which you like!

LEARNING EXPERIENCES ON SCREEN

In Autumn 2009, ACCESS featured an article about a pilot project designed to

help staff make the most of their KSF Personal Development Plan & Review

(PDP/R). The KSF Essentials courses aimed to help staff understand the KSF

profile for their role, how to gather evidence to show how they met the profile

and how to identify learning for their PDP.

Between 2009 and 2011, the ACS team worked in partnership with the

Workers’ Educational Association, Unison and NHS Boards to bring the

courses to around 500 staff. Now, a series of short films is available featuring

some of those who took part in the project talking about how they feel they

have benefited from the courses. The ‘talking heads’ videos show a range of

people from different backgrounds talking about what they learned from the

courses. They include:

Lorna Docherty, a domestic supervisor from NHS Lanarkshire, describing

how she learned the importance of effective one-to-one PDP/R

discussions with her staff;

Margaret Brolly, a welfare officer from NHS Lothian, talking about how the

course helped her to gather appropriate evidence for her PDR;

Nikki Inglis, a lead waiting list co-ordinator from NHS Lothian, explaining

how the PDP/R process has helped in her career progression;

Susan Dunne, the Deputy Director of Organisational Development at NHS

Lanarkshire, describing how the KSF Essentials courses helped staff in

her Board participate more effectively in the PDP/R processes.

The films can be used to help new recruits or new KSF reviewers understand

the importance of personal development and review, and how they can make

the most of PDP/R discussions.

To view the KSF Essentials film clips, go to the Knowledge Network (www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk), click on the Learning and CPD tab, then choose ‘Develop your career / Learning and the KSF’ from the menu on the page.

http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/home/learning-and-cpd/develop-your-career/learning--the-ksf.aspx

BUILDING ON EVIDENCE

Testing the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in NHSScotland

In Spring 2010, ACCESS turned the spotlight on the recognition of prior learning (RPL), describing how individuals might use learning completed in the workplace to help them gain credit towards further formal learning. Now, a new NES project has been launched to see how staff and employers can make the most of learning which has been recorded but not formally certificated.

A lot of the learning which staff across NHSScotland undertake happens in

and through work, and personal development planning an review processes

(PDP/R) have been designed to plan and record this learning. However, when

you enrol on formal qualifications, this evidence of learning is rarely taken into

account. This lack of recognition can lead to duplication of learning and

increased costs.

NES has now provided funding for five pilot projects within NHS Boards with

the aim of developing transferable systems and processes for RPL in

NHSScotland. Each project supports a group of staff who are working towards

an identified qualification. These qualifications include SVQs in Healthcare

Support, HNC/D in Care and Administrative Practice and a degree in an

estates-related area. Working with a project leader, staff will be asked to

provide evidence of their learning drawn from sources such as their personal

development reviews and workbooks completed in in-house learning

programmes. They will then work with their project’s learning provider –

usually a college or university - to identify if and how this evidence can be

used to support RPL claims.

An important aspect of the pilot projects is that they focus on staff who may

have had limited opportunities to complete formal qualifications, but bring with

them a wealth of work experience. One example of this is the project in NHS

Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where a number of supervisors in the Estates

department are being supported to use evidence of experiential learning to

help them enter a degree programme.

Karen Adams of the ACS team is the project lead at NES. She explains:

‘There are many staff who have learned their skills – including management

skills - through more senior posts, they will often have a requirement for a

particular level of qualification. This means that staff with considerable

relevant experience may not be in a position to compete for these posts. We

are hoping that, through the RPL projects, we will be able to test how

individuals can use their evidence of workbased learning to support their own

career development. We also hope that, through working in partnership with a

range of learning providers, the pilot projects will support the development of

processes and guidance to support all those involved in the RPL process –

individuals, assessors, employers, learning providers and awarding bodies.’

For more information about the about the NHS RPL Pilot Project, visit the NES

website:

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/educational-

development.aspx

LESSONS FROM THE FRONT LINE:

New case studies highlight the work of administrative services

Making use of new resources and ideas is always easier if you have the chance to see examples of what others have done. In recent months, we have added two new sets of case studies to The Admin Centre, designed to show how administrative staff and managers are making use of ACS resources and how they are contributing to quality improvement.

Case Studies 1: Helping to improve the quality of services

The Winter 2011 edition of ACCESS introduced The Administrator’s Guide to the Quality Strategy and Quality Improvement. This short guide

provides administrators across NHSScotland with an easy-to-use introduction

to the Quality Strategy – the main policy driving changes in NHSScotland –

and to the key principles of Quality Improvement.

The Guide is now supported by a series of case studies, each showing how

an individual working in an administrative role has helped to introduce

improvements in their area of the service. Each case study provides a

description of why the improvement was needed and the steps which the

individual took to introduce it, along with some helpful tips for others who may

wish to use the idea in their own area of the service.

There are 9 case studies, each highlighting an important service

development. Examples include:

Health records manager Margaret Simpson of NHS Lothian describing

how she and her team helped to streamline hospital admissions

processes to reduce the waiting time for patients.

Joanne Gibson, a practice manager in NHS Ayrshire & Arran, talking

about the work undertaken by her team to help improve services for

patients with learning disabilities.

Ashley Triebel, a team secretary with a Community Addiction Team in

NHS Borders, describing the work undertaken by her team to help

ensure that all appointments met the target of a maximum 3-week wait.

Lisa Welsh, a health records service improvement manager working in

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, describing how she worked with

colleagues to develop systems for the safe and appropriate destruction

of patient records.

All of the case studies, along with The Administrator’s Guide to the Quality Strategy and Quality Improvement, can be downloaded from

The Admin Centre. You can also access e-learning modules to help you

learn more about Quality Improvement. Simply go to

www.theadmincentre.nes.scot.uk, click on the ‘Working’ tab and choose

‘The Quality Strategy and Quality Improvement’ from the menu.

Case Studies 2: Using the administrative skills map to guide development

In 2010, we told you about the development of a ‘map’ of core skills required by administrators in NHSScotland. Working in partnership with a number of NHS Boards, the ACS Programme helped to identify sets of core skills required by administrative staff working at the same level, regardless of where they work in the service.

The aim of the core skills map project was to provide support for individuals

and managers: to help them identify which transferable skills they have, and

to see what core skills they might develop so that they could plan career

progression. By linking all of the skills statements to the KSF, the map also

provided support for the PDP/R processes, helping individuals and reviewers

to see more clearly how the skills administrators need link to the KSF.

Between 2010 and 2011, a number of projects were set up to test the

usefulness of the skills map. You can see the results of these projects in a

series of case studies published on The Admin Centre. The case studies

show how the skills map was used to:

create a development programme for personal assistants in NHS

Borders;

introduce an SVQ programme for administrative staff in NHS Dumfries

& Galloway;

help NHS Lanarkshire improve effective IT skills through a programme

of coaching;

help NHS National Waiting Times Centre create a development

programme for administrative staff;

help NHS Western Isles redesign patient services and support KSF

PDP/R discussions.

The case studies, along with the Administrative Skills Map, can be accessed

via The Admin Centre. Go to www.theadmincentre.nes.scot.nhs.uk, click on

the ‘Learning’ tab and choose ‘Core skills for administrators’ from the

menu.

CALLING ALL INSPIRING LEADERS!

Opportunities to join the Management Training Scheme

Did you know that NES runs a management training scheme (MTS)?

The aim of the scheme is to identify, recruit and develop a small number of

individuals who have the potential to become senior managers within NHS

Scotland and so make a long term contribution to public services in Scotland.

For 2013 the focus of the scheme is on financial management and general

management.

The three year development programme, open to anyone with a degree in any

subject, provides:

a comprehensive insight into all aspects of health improvement and

healthcare delivery through national and local induction and orientation

programmes.

management placements that will provide challenging opportunities to

develop operational and strategic management and leadership

competencies.

a Masters-level qualification, skill development and a personal

development package to underpin experiential learning with academic

knowledge.

a comprehensive package of support, particularly through mentoring,

action learning and coaching, plus good line management.

We are especially keen to receive applications from current members of

NHSScotland staff. For more information, check out the MTS website

www.mts.scot.nhs.uk. Closing date for applications is 7th January 2013, with a

planned start date of August 2013.

THE ACS PROGRAMME GOES INTERNATIONAL!

November 2012 saw the first international event for the NES ACS Programme, when 56 Medical Secretaries visited Scotland to find out what we are doing to support staff in Patient Services across NHSScotland.

This first study visit to Scotland was organised by Iceland’s two national

associations for medical secretaries. Alerted to the work of the ACS

Programme in Scotland by a colleague who was visiting NES to find out about

training for pharmacists, visit organiser Sigríður Ástvaldsdóttir contacted the

ACS team to find out more about the support available for those providing

secretarial support for clinicians in NHSScotland.

The event provided the opportunity to compare the career and development

opportunities for medical secretarial staff in Scotland and Iceland.

With a population of 320,000, Iceland has in place a national training

programme for all people entering medical secretarial roles, This contrasts

with the varying types of training undertaken by staff in similar roles working in

different areas of NHSScotland.

However, like Scotland, clear career pathways for medical secretaries in

Iceland were seen to be limited. As a result, the Icelandic visitors were very

interested in hearing about NES’s work to support learning and career

progression in the workplace. This included information about:

the Core Skills for Administrators project, designed to highlight the key

transferable skills which all administrative staff have and how these

might help them move into different roles across the service.

The Admin Centre, offering support to meet a wide range of needs.

new resources to support effective information governance, including a

new online learning programme developed by NES

The General Practice Managers’ Vocational Training Scheme, designed for practice managers in primary care settings.

The visit also included opportunities for networking between the Icelandic

medical secretaries and a number invited to attend from NHS Greater

Glasgow & Clyde – and the chance for members of the ACS Team to learn a

few words of Icelandic to wish the visitors ‘góð ferð heim’ (a good journey

home)!

For more information about ‘Safe Information Handling’, the new online

learning resource, visit

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/educational-development/

initiatives/safe-information-handling.aspx

For more information about the Practice Managers’ Vocational Training

Scheme, visit http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-

discipline/medicine/general-practice/practice-manager-development/general-

practice-managers-vocational-training-scheme.aspx

THE STAIRWAY TO SUCCESS:

An Administrator’s Learning Journey

One important aim of ACCESS has always been to share stories about learning journeys to show how staff in administrative, estates and facilities services are using learning opportunities to develop themselves and their careers. So when a member of the ACS Team embarked on a learning journey of her own, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss!

My name is Angela Bennett and I started working for NES in September 2009

as an Administrative Assistant in the Educational Development Directorate.

My role includes supporting the team working on the ACS Programme.

In 2010, the opportunity arose for me to participate in an in-house learning

programme in NES, aimed at developing administrative skills in the

workplace. As I hadn’t studied formally for over 30 years, the prospect of

undertaking any kind of formal training was more than a little daunting but I

felt that this course was an ideal way to start.

The programme was split into two parts; the first consisted of ‘on the job’

learning using a workbook which guided me through each of the different

learning points with exercises, research reading and small assignments; the

second part was based on the more traditional classroom style learning.

I completed the programme in March 2011 and the confidence I gained from

doing this motivated me into looking at taking a recognised qualification.

In June 2011, I enrolled on the SVQ Level 3 in Business & Administration. At

the beginning I was quite anxious and worried as to whether this was what I

wanted to do. However, with the support of my assessor and line manager

any doubts soon disappeared. The SVQ is a great way to start formal

learning as it is a work-based learning qualification. I was able to choose

units that were relevant to the work I do - organising meetings & events,

minute taking and creating spreadsheets. I gathered evidence which was

required to complete the units. This consisted of emails, written documents,

observation statements from my SVQ assessor and work testimonies from

colleagues. I even managed to use the workbooks I had completed on the

previous course as evidence!

One of the most important factors about this approach to learning was that it

was based so firmly on what I do in my day-to-day work. It allowed me to use

what I would do normally, but encouraged me to think more deeply about why

I was doing it, and how the work I do fits in with the work of the department as

a whole. As a result, I could work through the qualification quite quickly but

also see how I could help make improvements at work. I was really pleased

when, in January 2012, I completed the course and was awarded my first

certificate.

When I first came to NES I never imagined starting on this journey and I am grateful for the support of my family, line manager and colleagues. The encouragement I received from everyone gave me the confidence I needed to take the first steps back into learning. So much so that, in September, I started an HNC in Administration & Information Technology. I am really enjoying the process and know that the skills and knowledge I have gained and continue to gain will help me develop in my role. I now feel more confident and able to participate and contribute more to the work of the ACS Programme and NES.

For more information about the SVQ3 in Business & Administration, HNC in

Administration & Information Technology and other qualifications relevant to

administrative staff, visit the VQ Finder:

http://www.vqfinder.nes.scot.nhs.uk/qualification-finder.aspx?

jobfamily=Administration%20and%20Business