Skills for Care develops guide with sector partners to support integrated working across health and social care
Skills for Care is pleased to be supporting the publication of new guidance to help leaders of adult social care and health services work together effectively through joint workforce thinking. The guide has been created collaboratively by Skills for Care, NHS Employers, and the Care and Health Improvement Programme.
Titled, ‘Integrated workforce thinking across systems: practical solutions to support integrated care systems (ICSs)’, the guide was written in response to the establishment of 42 ICSs across England in July 2022. ICSs are working to develop a workforce that connects across all parts of the health and social care system. They will bring together leaders such as those from primary care services or local authorities with those from social care or housing to plan how care is organised locally. This will enable those on the frontline – from GPs to care workers to physiotherapists - to deliver joined up services more effectively.
To support this, the guide is designed to help the organisations tasked with achieving this ambition to understand the importance of coming together to plan and develop their workforce. It includes information and insights to help system leaders from both sectors get started or develop how they already work together.
The guide explains workforce thinking and why it matters, the current challenges across health and social care, opportunities for working together, and tips on how to manage this effectively. It also offers real-life examples of organisations successfully using workforce thinking.
As the leading source of workforce intelligence for the adult social care sector, Skills for Care has included guidance on using data as part of workforce thinking and planning, and how this is changing with the establishment of ICSs across England.
This guide is aimed at ICS workforce leads, chief people officers, directors of adult social services (ASC), chief executives, human resource (HR) directors, elected members including ASC portfolio holders and chairs of health and wellbeing boards, and those who are responsible for integrated workforce thinking across health and social care.
The guide will continue to be updated to offer the best and latest advice and policy context. We’ll also be publishing a case study based on learning from those with lived experience, as it’s vital that the voices of those drawing on care and support are represented.
Skills for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth says:
Skills for Care welcomes the publication of this guidance.
We’ve been closely involved in developing this practical introduction to effective workforce planning for leaders working hard to make the establishment of ICSs across England a success.
We know that integration works best when partners from across and health and social care come together to put people who draw on care services at the heart of their thinking. In producing this resource full of useful tips in collaboration with NHS Employers and the Care and Health Improvement Programme means we’re offering practical support to develop joint working that will become commonplace across systems.
View the guide.
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