Continuous Learning Framework Pilot Programme Evaluation By Susan Donnelly 1
Contents 1 Introduction Page 3 2 Summary Statistics Page 4 3 Background Page 5 4 Evaluation report Page 8 5 End of programme review Page 12 6 Recommendations Page 13 Appendix I Continuous Learning Framework - Working in Partnership with Others Appendix II Evidence Assessment Mapping 2
Introduction The Continuous Learning Framework (CLF) pilot programme was aimed at Community Care Workers who have direct responsibility for frontline operational activity across community care services within East Lothian. The pilot programme was implemented to explicitly meet the organisational needs to improve frontline services for service users and to enhance continuous professional development and develop a culture of learning. The pilot programme was used to test, trial and explore the personal capabilities through experiential learning and the final outcome will be explicitly shared with our organisation prior to the launch of our strategic implementation project. In summary, CLF was introduced to improve the capacity and capability of Adult Social Care to support delivery of the organisation s strategic and operational aims and to support the Changing Lives report, To find new ways of working that position social work services alongside the work of partners, public, voluntary and private sectors, to shift the balance towards greater focus on proactively preventing problems and intervening to resolve issues. The key objectives for the pilot are that by the end of the pilot programme group members are able to: Establish a higher competency in hard and soft social care skills. Introduce peer mentoring and explore learning organisation opportunities. Develop flexibility in the workforce through competency and confidence. Pilot implementation process to be recommended by CLF group. The implementation should include the use of Action Learning sets, identification of champions for CLF learning and mentors for individual learning opportunities. Evaluation during and after the project to be centred on outcomes for service users and carers. Direction for further roll out of the CLF and a full implementation plan supported by the learning from the pilot. The development needs of Community Care Workers, either new to Adult Social Care or existing staff, were also identified by our management team as skill sets that require further development and investment. This group also considered Adult Social Care s wider context and operational Strategy when exploring learning outcomes that were fit for purpose. This was used to decide on what was needed and how best to deliver this in a way that is compatible with the organisational context and culture, and that is aligned with East Lothian s staff governance and statutory requirements. The CLF pilot therefore uses a blended learning approach to provide staff in Adult Social Care with the necessary skills to support delivery of the organisation s strategic and operational aims. 3
Summary Statistics In the six month period between June 2011 to December 2011: 8 separate CLF meetings have been planned, 8 of these where delivered, 1 was cancelled due to adverse weather. Covering 1 CLF personal capability Working in Partnership with Others Covering 8 different topics Held in 1 location at East Lothian Council, Randall House, Adult Social Care premises With 6 attendees, (representing 20 Community Care Workers) 4
Background This report has been produced to evaluate the Continuous Learning Framework Pilot programme that has been chaired internally by Susan Donnelly, Workforce Development,East Lothian Council, Adult Social Care. The focus of this report will provide feedback collated across the Continuous Learning Framework pilot programmes that commenced in June 2011 to December 2011. The evaluation report provides information on the benefits from an individual and employer perspective and future developments or recommendations that have been proposed by the group who participated in the programme. Purpose and Approach The purpose of the CLF pilot programme is that by the end of the programme we are able to achieve our key objectives, and further support emerging service needs such as; Advise on the Strategic implementation project for CLF Improve partnership working with others Improve the induction experience of new staff within Adult Social Care Develop generic working skills across various sections of the service to support career progression, staff development to be able to cope with increasing service demands. Target Group The programme was aimed at community care workers (CCWs). The aim was to provide CCWs with the opportunity to enhance their practical skills and knowledge to become CLF champions and to help develop the service into a learning organisation. Furthermore to establish accessible and relevant opportunities for new or continuing skills development that would enhance their own personal development in conjunction with peer mentoring to support others. Format It was decided that a half day (3 hrs) per month format would be the most effective means of delivery, with an internal facilitator providing specialised expertise, where required. Places were allocated through volunteering and full attendance was required at each meeting. Using this programme format over 6 months has additional benefits, such as: - It allows participants to get to know each other better, achieving a level of trust and openness with the facilitator and each other that contributes to the learning pilot. 5
- It offers an opportunity for delegates to meet and learn from each other about various roles and responsibilities, share previous experience and insights within the organisation. - It enables participants to delve a little deeper into the subject area partnership working whilst still having an opportunity to consolidate their learning through practice. Time and Location The pilot programme was initially piloted in Randall House, Macmerry, primarily due to the availability of an appropriate sized room. Topics The sessions in the table below were delivered face to face to demonstrate practical and theory based learning. All sessions considered the four learning styles to maximise the learning experience to a varied group. The chosen topics were drawn from a variety of sources including: CLF Working in Partnership with others Strategic and Operational Strategy (internal) Changing Lives Report (external) Learning and Development Specialists Sessions Delivered Working in partnership CLF personal capabilities Assessment mapping Induction requirements Job rotation capabilities Hard and Soft Skills Peer mentoring support Problem solving In summary the group selected CLF personal capability Working in Partnership with Others as part of our objective that links to outcomes for service users and carers. The personal capability also echoes the Changing Lives report partnership between social work services and other public, private and voluntary services that require significant change. The group explored all the personal capabilities listed in (Appendix I) and completed an evidence assessment mapping exercise (Appendix II) to demonstrate existing competence against the CLF stages 1) Engaged 2) Established and 3) Accomplished and highlighted in red the gaps within the criteria. Initially the group felt they measured well against the Accomplished stage within the personal capability, however as the group began to progress through the assessment task, gaps emerged within the established and accomplished stage, as difficult to fulfil or provide evidence at this stage. 6
The CLF capabilities that were difficult to fulfil are listed below, along with the practical tasks that were agreed to overcome the gaps. CLF Personal Capabilities Practical Tasks Established Uses work across groups and organisations as an opportunity for learning and development Explore learning opportunities for peer mentoring. Explore job rotation as a means of up skilling staff across multiple disciplines, to support service user demand long term. Deliver services more efficient and effectively. Accomplished Works in partnership with others on shared initiatives Uses research and evidence to inform and strengthen collaborative approaches which will benefit the service and supports others to work across boundaries within the organisation and beyond. Develop Induction pack for new starts that is specific to Adult Social Care and the CCW role. Provide useful research and information index that new recruits and existing employees can refer to as a point of reference. The group continued to explore the criteria further and identified solutions and practical tasks that they could work towards (as above), and would ultimately provide them with the coverage needed to close the gaps and achieve the Accomplished personal capability stage. This was a lengthy process that involved high problem solving skills and sensitive political awareness. The group continue to work through the practical tasks over the 6 months period and developed outcomes such as; Induction pack for new community care workers Useful research and information index that is available and now included in the induction pack. Job rotation has led to deeper discussions around processes and allocation of resources. Peer mentoring programme has been explored to discuss the benefits to the employer and individual. The group felt if peer mentoring became available they would nominate themselves to become a peer mentor. 7
Evaluation report It was proposed that the Continuous Learning Framework pilot programme would be evaluated using East Lothian s new bespoke evaluation questionnaire supported by a final end of programme review. Overall feedback from the programme was positive and the delegates felt that the pilot had prepared them and given them confidence to fulfil their role when driving forward the organisational changes as a manager and Community Care Worker. 4/4 people said that the course objectives outlined by the facilitator had been fully achieved. 4/4 people said that they felt confident in their ability to apply the learning in the workplace 4/4 people said that the they were very or mostly satisfied with the pilot overall Comments Looked forward to meetings. Susan was welcoming and made it easy to feel part of the group and welcomed all views. At times I felt I was given too much information but this is just a personal opinion. Susan is a very skilled and knowledgeable facilitator and took into account the group needs of the service at a time of transition and change. I found the initial sessions difficult as I couldn t grasp what was to be achieved. This was a personal issue and not a fault of anyone. The more sessions I attended the clearer it became. Pilot Facilitator Input The data has been collated from the evaluation. The evaluation focuses on pilot participants that attended the programme. The overall response rate for the evaluations was good with all delegates involved in the evaluation process. The quantitative data taking from the evaluation will be presented using a table to illustrate the findings, and additional information that is relevant to support or expand on the responses will be discussed. More detailed Evaluation by topic is presented below; including for each: Facilitator s input performance as a percentage evaluation, per session Detailed evaluation taking from the questionnaire General comments made by delegates 8
A summary by the facilitator input, detailing the overall performance percentage throughout the programme. Continuous Learning Framework (June 2011 December 2011) Trainer Input % of Trainer Input Performance High Low 5 4 3 2 1 Total Gave clear explanation 50% 50% 100% Provided useful feedback Shared/ideas knowledge Recognised your individual needs 75% 25% 100% 50% 50% 100% 75% 25% 100% Managed the group 75% 25% 100% Demonstrated confidence and enthusiasm 100% 100% Maintained your interest 100% 100% 9
A summary by topic, however, of the Overall rating of Objectives met, as shown below. Continuous Learning Framework pilot programme (June 2011 December 2011) Topic % of Evaluations rating course content as: A lot Quite a lot A little Not at all Total Working in partnership CLF personal capabilities Assessment mapping Induction requirements Job rotation capabilities 25% 50% 25% 100% 25% 75% 100% 25% 25% 50% 100% 50% 50% 100% 50% 25% 25% 100% Hard and Soft Skills 50% 25% 25% 100% Peer mentoring support 25% 50% 25% 100% Problem solving 25% 25% 25% 25% 100% What were the most useful aspects of the course? Chance of working with colleagues to provide information I felt was missing for new staff joining the team. Working with others to put together the induction pack. Induction and job rotation. The process was also a good learning opportunity for staff development in itself. Exploring job rotation as per job description within different teams. It highlighted how difficult it could be to implement. 10
Any aspects that weren t useful? I feel that the piece of work on job rotation was not fully completed but highlighted the issues around implementation. None None Need to be aware that you need a couple of sessions to understand the CLF concept and terminology used. Anything you think may improve the course? None None Not really. Willingness and keen participants would benefit future involvement in CLF groups. The areas we focussed on were the right areas (induction and job rotation) for the service at this time and demonstrate the flexibility of the CLF process. End of Programme Review Feedback: Please give examples how you have applied what you have learned in the CLF Pilot? Induction Pack gives clear goals to work towards and what a new member of staff expects. Showed challenges the service would need to overcome job rotation, got people thinking of how we would overcome this. What part of the pilot was most useful in terms of practicalities? Coming together of Induction Pack and highlighting issues of Job Rotation. Peer Mentoring and buddying is a good way of developing peoples skills, knowledge and confidence for both mentor and mentee What part of the pilot was least useful? Long while to get head around, a few sessions to understand. How do I now take it forward? What approach could be taken to improve the pilot? Will and keen participants, not being derogatory, if keen to do will be getting more out of it. Once rolled out is it mandatory, it has to be. Enjoyed, wished had more time. Protected time at work, time to think at work. Better at managing self and constantly prioritising. People responsible for Professional Development, acceptable to do 3 hours at home now and again, not every night or every week. 11
Describe what you would have done differently as result of your learning about using the CLF in your context? Ensured other staff got a proper induction and support in new role. Peer mentoring and buddying. Peer Mentoring should be mandatory because it helps improve everyone s skills and confidence. Would imagine new recruit has received a 5 Star induction into the East Lothian way. Got pack, mentor and good knowledge base. Really positive outcome. What would you recommend to others who planned to use the CLF in a similar way? Approach with open mind and what this can do for me. Better service to the community in East Lothian. Describe some of the results/improvements that can be attributed to using CLF? Improved Pack, there wasn t one. More information could be put in, can be continually added and updated. General comments; Susan handed out the Mentoring Presentation which was purely for information that included the benefits of mentoring investment in staff to create a culture of learning. Susan asked if mentoring became available in 3 months would you volunteer? 75% said yes, 25% said they would wait to be approach or given encouragement. 12
Recommendations General The CLF pilot was implemented to meet the social work and organisational needs such as continuous professional development and learning organisation opportunities. The pilot programme used one CLF capability to test, trial and explore experiential learning and the final outcomes are proposed in the form of recommendations below. To establish a higher competency in hard and soft social care skills, the group felt the use of a peer mentoring programme could be introduced into Adult Social Care to develop individual learning opportunities that have clear objectives that link into CLF or other project work across adult social care. The group felt the need to support staff to enhance their competency and confidence is apparent and should continue to be our focus on enhancing capabilities and confidence of staff across Adult Social Care. The CLF strategic implementation process should have a defined purpose and approach, and specific implementation objectives developed that link into the organisational aims and objectives. There should also be specific adult social care objectives that the CLF project is aiming to support or develop. Prior to the launch of our strategic implementation phase, there should be awareness sessions held across Adult Social Care to educate staff and clearly define the benefits using CLF; to the employer, individual and service users and carers, as the group felt they needed a couple of sessions to understand the CLF concept and terminology used. Action learning sets should be considered to facilitate future project groups and champions involved in CLF to measure continuous learning improvement, and evaluate the projects progress forward. Evaluation reports should be developed to measure whether original objectives have been achieved and centred on outcomes for partnership, service users and carers. The reports should be submitted to those involved in the project group and also submitted to the senior management team for feedback. Champions for CLF learning should be identified across the service and individual peer mentoring programme should be rolled out across the service to support individual learning and development opportunities. The group felt peer mentoring was a good way of developing their own skills, knowledge and confidence for both the mentor and mentee. Direction for further roll out of pilot programmes should be supported by the learning from this pilot. Specific recommendation CLF Pilot to be extended for a further two months until February 2012 to complete the work around job rotation, which has strong links to process improvement, waiting lists and frontline resource allocation. The group felt that we have not fully explored this or answered the question. Job rotation will provide a harness for learning and development opportunities and will develop a generic working strategy that supports career progression, creates learning pathways, succession planning, staff development, and service and process improvement (efficiency and effectiveness) long term for Adult Social Care. 13
Implement a pilot programme on peer mentoring for Community Care Workers, to measure their effectiveness against clear objectives set, identified a critical area that requires development within the service that impacts CCWs and use this. Evaluate the pilot programme pre and post pilot to identify a clear snapshot of before and after to measure the difference. The induction programme has been piloted with a new member of staff and will continue to be rolled out to new members of staff in the future. The induction pack will be evaluated at the end of the programme and shared with workforce development for updating, feedback and monitoring purposes. 14
Appendix I Continuous Learning Framework - Working in Partnership with Others Below is the continuous learning framework capability for Working in partnership with others. The section highlighted in red, identifies the specific gaps, therefore the majority of our CLF pilot focussed on closing the gaps through practical exercises, problem solving and learning and development opportunities. Engaged Established Accomplished Exemplary understands the importance of relationships and values the diverse perspectives of others respects and relates well to people with varied roles and from diverse backgrounds acknowledges the complexity involved in working with other groups and organisations but still chooses to work collaboratively. recognises the value of diversity and uses it to strengthen the quality of initiatives takes active steps to build relationships, develop networks and promote partnership working uses work across groups and organisations as an opportunity for learning and development. actively seeks opportunities to work in partnership with others within and beyond the organisation works in partnership with others on shared initiatives uses research and evidence to inform and strengthen collaborative approaches which will benefit the service supports others to work across boundaries within the organisation and beyond. provides an ongoing and dynamic link between the workplace, the organisation, other agencies and wider networks is acknowledged for their significant contributions through their collaborative work across groups and organisations Demonstrates how collaborative work across boundaries is leading to improved outcomes for people who use services and their carers. 15
Appendix II Evidence Assessment Mapping Engaged ORKI Evidence Understands the importance of relationships and values the diverse perspectives of others Respects and relates well to people with varied roles and from diverse backgrounds Gathering information from families, carers and individual clients Discuss consequences on risks if care is declined. Negotiating with clients for assessment. Risk assessment carried out. Acknowledges the complexity involved in working with other groups and organisations but still chooses to work collaboratively Established Joint visits Work closely with NHS/agencies Evidence Recognised the value of diversity and uses it to strengthen the quality of initiatives Takes active steps to build relationships, develop networks and promote partnership working. Uses work across groups and organisations as an opportunity for learning and development Recognise your own boundaries & responsibilities In touch with Care Agencies telephone calls, communication Health, GPs. Joint visits with CPNs learning about knowledge in conditions Ask CPN advice on joint visit (results are develop plan to do joint visits and explore care options to address issues (Communication skills used throughout) Accomplished Evidence Actively seeks opportunities to work in partnership with others within and beyond the organisation Works in partnership with others on shared initiatives Uses research and evidence to inform and strengthen collaborative approaches which will benefit the service Supports others to work across boundaries within the organisation and beyond. Knowing your own boundaries (i.e. Medication seek advice from CPN via GPs etc.) Review and reduce care packages to make savings where appropriate and safe to do so. The results are reducing risks and promoting independence for service users. NG IN PARTNERSHIP BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH OTHERS WITHIN TSATION AND BEYOND 16