New Ways of Working
Statement of importance
New ways of working are essential because services are changing, are largely multi-disciplinary team based, with a need to provide a clear pathway for the service user and carer. The pressure from demand for services and insufficient supply of professionally qualified staff mean that traditional practice must be reviewed to ensure that the best use is being made of highly trained professionals. It is important that all staff, in whatever sector or setting, look at the functions they perform and consider alternative ways that some of these can be delivered.
Within CAMHS it is essential that we make best use of the highly trained staff within and across services and support them to work most efficiently and effectively. Substantial work needs to be done for services to examining its role and size, the needs of the population, and how it will function. Then the staffing requirements can be defined for each service, by role, profession and grade. There are great pressures and constraints on services and the workforce as they operate at present. A severe constraint for some is the ability to staff both current services and future expanded services. Many planners will expose gaps in the local workforce when analysing their local service requirements, the staffing demand and the potential supply of staff.
There are a number of possible ways in which to respond to the gaps in the workforce. For example, many organisations simply make the best use of current resources. Fewer organisations are really exploring how to do things differently, their numbers are now increasing across the country, supported by national initiatives in health and social care. Many organisations are aware that current resources, mainly staffing, are not being used efficiently, or managed as well as they could be.
Working practices do not meet service needs, there is duplication of effort and administrative systems can inhibit effective working. These organisations know that recruitment and retention can be further improved, and staff can be better supervised, supported and developed. There are opportunities to expand the workforce, such as expanding the non-professionally affiliated workforce and increasing workforce diversity. Innovative and radical solutions need to be tried and evaluated. These range from changing job roles and skill mix reviews through to creating new teams working differently to deliver the service. Health planning usually concentrates on NHS provision, views the private sector with suspicion and marginalises the voluntary sector. An integrated economy approach would involve all parties in planning, constructing and supplying a comprehensive child and adolescent mental health service.
Challenges
- Professional bodies can be protective of current boundaries and practice
- Fears of staff about their professional roles and change
- Insufficient change management processes in place to facilitate, support and drive forward the modernisation agenda
