Skip to content Skip to search

Investing in people

9. How are you investing in the basic skills of your workforce to increase their self-esteem and capacities?

This question is about how you help to develop the NHS workforce (the largest workforce in the country) in a way that contributes to community cohesion. You can do this by helping staff especially those from disadvantaged communities to build up their skills and confidence, to feel they belong in their local community and to become role models and ambassadors for community cohesion.

Self assessment questions

  • Do you work with local colleges and other training resources to develop programmes for staff who need/want to improve their skills in literacy, numeracy and language (particularly English)?
  • Are you aware of the national "Skilled for health" initiative and have you considered using it locally?
  • Do you provide training and information for staff on understanding and respecting difference within the workforce and the wider community?
  • Do you evaluate the effectiveness of any training you provide or commission and take appropriate action to improve effectiveness?

Some examples of good practice

'Skilled for Health' is a national programme that combines essential skills with health improvement. It aims to address both the low skills and health inequalities prevalent within traditionally disadvantaged communities. The programme is managed by a national partnership involving Department of Health, Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills and the learning and health charity ContinYou.  It is working with low-skilled workers at a number of national sector sites including the prison service, the Royal Mail, Army families and the NHS workforce and at community sites in four regions. The programme commenced in May 2007 and will be completed in March 2009.

Contact: Jonathan Berry, tel: 02476 588440

The Kirklees Pathfinder provided training to frontline staff, managers, community activists and elected members to increase skills, understanding and confidence to build community cohesion into mainstream service delivery. This was important in terms of personal development as well as strengthening the approach to equality, diversity and cohesion.

Blackburn with Darwen Council worked with Lancashire Learning and Skills Council, TUC Learning services, trade unions and employers to raise awareness of cultures and communities in the workplace. They produced a cohesion toolkit to help with the development of cohesion in the workplace through training and staff development. Using a structure of targets and evidence of achievement the toolkit proposed an 'Investor in Cohesion' award for cohesion in the workplace. The toolkit contained carefully written and tested material to help staff, led by a trainer, to explore and understand different aspects of culture, faith, race, gender and disability. The objective is to help staff who may be from widely different backgrounds and experience to appreciate and value those differences and to work better together because of their improved understanding.

See 'Community cohesion - an action guide' (LGA, 2004)

The NHS employs many people who do not speak English as their first language. In designing training and development programmes for such staff, it is important to consider the issue of language. Should we automatically translate material into community languages or should we encourage people to speak English. In the discussion of good practice under question iv above we have set out the arguments for an approach which encourages the use of English but provides tapering support using translation for a temporary period.