Staff focus - other support
Agencies
Here is a select, alphabetical listing of agencies that provide important resources relating to this clinical governance theme. We have focussed on agencies operating in the United Kingdom.
Continuing professional development
Flying Start NHS (Scotland)
Flying Start NHS has been developed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to provide support for the transition from student to newly qualified health professional. It supports learning in practice through a development programme consisting of units on a range of topics. The topics include communication, clinical skills, teamwork, safe practice, research for practice, equality and diversity, reflective practice, CPD. There is also a special section on the mentoring role which includes a mentor network.
There is also Flying Start England based on the Scottish version but with a special Preceptor Area which includes a forum, FAQs and links to resources.
NHS e-libraries
There are national e-libraries for each of the four UK countries providing online resources and information about local services. Access to some of the databases, full-text journals and electronic books is limited to NHS and social care staff in the relevant country, but there is also much information that is free to all. This page on the RCN website provides details of and links to the e-library in each UK country.
NHS Scotland e-Library: Education Provision for Clinical Governance
This portal within the Scottish e-Library provides an online catalogue of modules and courses that staff can take to compliment and increase their knowledge and skills in clinical governance. The database can be searched using a range of criteria or modules can be browsed by theme.
Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI)
The focus of the QNI is improving the nursing care of people in their own homes through helping community nurses to make improvements in their practice. This includes mounting campaigns, promoting the future of district nursing and providing resources, advice and contacts to support nurses in the community in their professional work. The Institute also funds projects led by community nurses that improve care for their patients. Nurses who fulfil the required criteria can apply to hold the title of Queen’s Nurse. See also Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland.
National and regulatory bodies
Health Education England
Health Education England (HEE) has been working as a shadow Special Health Authority from October 2012 and will be taking on full duties on 1 April 2013. It has five national functions which include providing national leadership on planning and developing the health care and public health workforce, ensuring security of supply of this workforce, and promoting high quality education and training. HEE also has a responsibility for appointing and supporting the development of Local Education Training Boards. It is through these Boards that providers and professionals will work to improve the quality of education and training outcomes.
The Strategic Intent Document published by HEE in February 2013 is intended to be the beginning of a conversation with stakeholders. It seeks views on a small number of proposed strategic priorities for 2013/14 under each of the domains of the Education Outcomes Framework – see Introducing Health Education England: Our strategic intent.
NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is a special health board responsible for supporting NHS services in Scotland by developing and delivering education and training for those who work in NHS Scotland. Their mission is “to provide educational solutions that support excellence in healthcare for the people of Scotland”. A products and services database (PASDA) provides information about their educational and research initiatives. The education and training section is organised by discipline and there is a section for nursing and midwifery.
Northern Ireland Practice and Education for Nursing and Midwifery (NIPEC)
NIPEC 'aims to improve the quality of health and care by supporting the practice education and performance of nurses and midwives', and provides advice and guidance on best practice and matters relating to nursing and midwifery. Although no longer acting as the agent of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in quality assuring programmes of education for nurses and midwives, NIPEC continues to work with the NMC to support and promote high standards of education and training, and quality assures Department of Health, Social Services and Public Health (DHSSPS) commissioned and developed education and training. NIPEC's projects include the Development Framework designed to support continuing professional development and a Practice and Quality Development Database which aims to encourage access to examples of good practice.
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
The Nursing and Midwifery Council is an organisation set up by Parliament "to protect the public by ensuring that nurses and midwives provide high standards of care to their patients and clients". It is responsible for maintaining the register of qualified nurses and midwives and provides a publicly available mechanism for searching the register. The NMC sets standards for both education and practice and these are presented in guidance documents which can be downloaded from the website.
Workforce and role development
Consultant Nurse, Midwife and Health Professionals Cymru Forum (CNMHP) website
The CNMHP group consists of expert consultant nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, a radiographer and paramedic "who cover the full spectrum of age ranges, vulnerable patients which include pregnant women, children, older people, mental health and learning disability and other specialisms such as cardiac, emergency, substance misuse, cancer and critical care". The overall aim of the group is to make a significant contribution to health and well-being for the population of Wales. The website provides information about the members of the group, organisational documents and reports and conferences.
Institute of Health Visiting
The Institute was launched in November 2012 and aims to “promote excellence in health visiting practice to benefit all children, families and communities”. It aims to improve quality and consistency in health visiting practice by: acting as a Centre of Excellence for improving capacity and capability in health visiting and setting professional standards for continuing professional development.
NHS Employers
NHS Employers is part of the NHS Confederation. The organisation represents trusts in England on workforce issues and aims to keep employers up to date with the latest workforce thinking through providing information and practical advice and enabling them to network and share knowledge. NHS Employers works with employers in four priority areas: pay and negotiations; recruitment and planning the workforce; healthy and productive workplaces; employment policy and practice.
Skills for Health (SfH)
Skills for Health is the UK sector skills council for health. It provides resources to develop a more skilled and flexible workforce and acts as the voice of healthcare employers in the skills system. SfH has a key role in developing national occupational standards (NOS) and national workforce competences. NOS 'describe the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to undertake a particular task or job to a nationally recognised level of competence. They focus on what the person needs to be able to do, as well as what they must know and understand to work effectively.' The SfH website includes sections on: developing your organisations talent; rethinking roles and services; planning workforce strategy, and there are pages for the different UK countries and regions.
Workforce modernisation and development (Wales)
This section within the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare in Wales describes the work of the Workforce Development Team and provides details of the main projects that are being undertaken as part of the Workforce Modernisation agenda.