Context for workforce innovation

Workforce Innovation Programme knowledge and learning has developed as service and workforce systems have changed. Early projects looked at the workforce issues facing service users setting up their own businesses and noted the innovation gap that often appears to exist between commissioners and innovative service user providers in terms of language, strategy and the ability to adapt each other's practices to meet the challenges they both face.

Other issues covered by some of the projects include an examination of the workforce issues facing carers groups and how to recruit and retain a volunteer workforce that is professional, productive and engaged in all aspects of the organisation.

Over time the Workforce Innovation Programme has published many thought stretching pieces of work that have helped to shape workforce development responses. The programs work in the south-west demonstrated that putting the right kind of learning and development into developing joint roles led to better outcomes for service users and productivity gains for partners in care and health. The programs emerging roles material has provided excellent grounded examples from across the country of how people are reshaping the way in which people work in dementia care services, adult social care and in relation to assistive technology.

The videos produced by the programme team provide a quick fire way of understanding particular projects and taking the learning from these projects to a broad audience.

Associated programmes of work have included the common core principle for self care, the common core competences and principles for end of life care and the . Each of these programmes of work demonstrate that innovation, opportunity and a firm belief in workforce development can drive service change and make a real difference to people's lives.

The article below appeared in The Guardian in October 2009 looking at the new types of worker programme and how it could help meet the challenges of the growing need for social care.

The Guardian roundtable - October 2009