www.nelft.nhs.uk

NELFT AHPs into Action:A vision and plan for Allied Health

Professions in NELFT, 2018-2019.

AlliedHealth

Professions

Art, music, drama therapy

Speech and language therapy

Speech and language therapy

Social work

Social work

Social work

Social work

Occupational therapy

Occupationaltherapy

Nutrition and dietetics

Nutrition and

dietetics

Nutrition and dietetics

Nutrition and dietetics

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy

Innovation

Independence

IndependenceIndependence

Independence

Independence

Independence

Orthotics and prosthetics

Orthotics and prosthetics

Leadership

Leadership

Leadership

Treatment

Treatment

Treatment Treatment

Communication

Communication

Communication

Communication

Communication

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation

Leadership

Leadership

Leadership

Outcomes

Outcomes

Outcomes

Outcomes

Outcomes

Outcomes

Outcomes Assessment

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment

Collaboration

CollaborationCollaboration

Collaboration

CollaborationInteraction

Interaction

Interaction

Interaction

Interaction

Interaction

Interaction

Interaction

Podiatry

Podiatry

Podiatry

PodiatryArt, music, drama therapy

Professional development

Professionaldevelopment

Professional development

Foreword from Laura Stuart-NeilI joined NELFT in August 2016 - and since then it has been great learning more about the Allied Health Professions workforce here at NELFT by meeting as many of you as I can.

I have been struck by two things. We have a very dedicated and skilled workforce, many of you are experts in your field and passionately believe in the difference that you can make to patients in your role. However, many of you feel disillusioned and despondent about whether this role is always recognised or utilised to its full potential. This is often exacerbated by the challenges we face in the recruitment and retention of skilled AHP staff.

Whilst we must be realistic about the current pressures faced by the NHS, we must also grasp the opportunity this gives us to showcase the difference that we can make – not only to the outcomes and experiences of our patients, but also to demonstrate that our services can show real value for money and cost savings to the system. We cannot wait for others to find this out by chance- we must be proactive in selling ourselves! We must show we are willing to embrace new ways of working and be able to demonstrate and evidence the difference that we know we can make.

I am therefore very excited to launch our AHP plan. This plan does not attempt to tackle clinical priorities or develop our roles – rather it aims to help us develop some of the building blocks and infrastructure that we need to be able to do this. It also tries to recognise the needs of individual professions, whilst also acknowledging that we are a much bigger voice as an AHP group.

It has been important to me that this plan has been developed in consultation with our AHPs; it is vital that we see this as OUR plan and all play our part in its implementation.

I am very proud to be an AHP, and feel very fortunate to be your AHP professional lead. I will commit to doing my best to highlight our contribution and raise the profile of AHPs within NELFT. But I need your help to do this. Generally in the NHS workforce AHPs are the third largest professional group after nursing and medical, at NELFT we are the second largest professional group and this gives us a great opportunity to drive real change!

I look forward to working with you to try and turn this plan into reality over the next 18 months - I have no doubt that some of this work will be challenging, but let’s make it happen together!

Laura Stuart-Neil,

Professional Lead for Allied Health Professionals and

Lead for Quality Improvement

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Foreword from Stephanie DaweAs chief nurse with responsibility for Allied Health Professionals at the Board I can genuinely say how proud I am to introduce this plan to the organisation. We have long sought to ensure our teams, services and directorates offer multi-professional and multi-skilled models of care and this plan speaks to the heart of that approach.

With AHPs making up a third of the professional workforce in NELFT, with many in senior management roles, it is essential to understand that the success of this plan relies on strong professional leadership. Such leadership will drive innovation and the delivery of high quality care.

The five year forward view requires a shift from hospital to home based health and social care where AHPs will play a significant role in underpinning this plan. Our own workforce playing an active role in ensuring safe, efficient, compassionate support to prevent dependency and support individuals and their families to live healthy, fulfilling lives at home.

AHPs within NELFT are often seen as agents of change and innovation. With increasing demand and changing demographics, particularly ageing populations, this plan presents the organisation with the necessary platform to ensure the best care is delivered by the best people.

I would like to dedicate this plan to Pauline Sims, a consummate professional occupational therapist who dedicated her working life to NELFT. Pauline never failed to motivate, support and bring warmth and humour to those around her and who recently left this world in a perfectly woven wicker casket.

Stephanie Dawe,

Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Integrated Care (Essex and Kent)

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‘The breadth of AHPs skills and reach across people’s lives and organisations make them ideally placed to lead and support transformative change. It is therefore vital that this workforce is utilised to best effect to deliver the triple aim and address the three challenges facing the system: the health and wellbeing gap, the care and quality gap and the finance and efficiency gap’

AHPs into Action

Page 4

Background and context 5

How this plan has been developed 13

Our aim 14

Our plan 15

Making it happen 21

Appendices:

Plan on a page 22

Contents:

1. Background and context

1.1 - Who are the Allied Health Professions?Allied Health Professions (AHPs) are professionally autonomous practitioners. They provide system-wide care to assess, treat, diagnose and discharge patients across social care, housing, education, and independent and voluntary sectors. Through adopting a holistic approach to healthcare, AHPs are able to help manage patients’ care throughout the life course from birth to palliative care. Their focus is on prevention and improvement of health and wellbeing to maximise the potential for individuals to live full and active lives within their family circles, social networks, education/training and the workplace.1

Nationally, 14 roles are considered AHPs. We have nine of these professions at NELFT and we also include social workers as AHPs. Thus our AHPs at NELFT include the following 10 professions:

• Art therapists• Drama therapists• Music therapists• Chiropodists/podiatrists• Dietitians• Occupational therapists• Physiotherapists• Prosthetists and orthotists• Speech and language therapists• Social workers

These are the NHS England definitions of each profession.2

Arts, drama and music therapistsArt therapists use art as a form of psychotherapy to encourage clients to explore a variety of issuesincluding emotional, behavioural or mental health problems, learning or physical disabilities, lifelimiting conditions, neurological conditions or physical illnesses. People of all ages from children to theelderly, regardless of artistic experience, use art therapy in this way as an aid to supporting themwith their particular concern. It is not a diagnostic tool but rather a mode of communication andexpression.

Dramatherapists are both clinicians and artists that draw on their knowledge of both theatre/drama andtherapy to use performance arts as a medium for psychological therapy. Clients are able to explore awide variety of different issues and needs from autism and dementia to physical/sexual abuse andmental illness in an indirect way leading to psychological, emotional and social changes.

1 https://www.england.nhs.uk/ahp/about/

2 https://www.england.nhs.uk/ahp/role/

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Music therapists engage clients in live musical interaction so as to promote an individual’s emotionalwellbeing and improve their communication skills. Clients do not need to have any previous experienceof playing a musical instrument (or even singing) as this established psychological clinical interventionutilises their unique connection to music and the relationship established with their therapist to helpdevelop and facilitate communication skills, improve self-confidence and independence, enhance selfawareness and awareness of others, and improve concentration and attention skills. In particular,music therapy is an effective intervention for those clients who cannot speak due to disability, illness orinjury as their psychological, emotional, cognitive, physical, communicative and social needs can beaddressed through the musical interaction with their therapist. Music therapy can be beneficial forindividuals of all ages and physical abilities however, from new born babies in terms of establishing theparent-child bond to those receiving palliative, end-of-life care.

Chiropodists/podiatristsThese provide essential assessment, evaluation and foot care for a wide range of patients with avariety of conditions both long term and acute. Many of these fall into high risk categories such aspatients with diabetes, cerebral palsy, peripheral arterial disease and peripheral nerve damage wherepodiatric care is of vital importance. Many podiatrists have become further specialised into either thearea of biomechanics or surgery.

DietitiansDietitians are the only qualified health professionals who assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutritionalproblems at an individual and wider public health level. Uniquely, dietitians use the most up–to-datepublic health and scientific research on food, health and disease, which they translate into practicalguidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices. Dietitians are the onlynutrition professionals to be regulated by law, and are governed by an ethical code to ensure that theyalways work to the highest standard.

Occupational therapistsOccupational therapists work with people of all ages with a wide range of problems resulting fromphysical, mental, social or developmental difficulties. Occupational therapists support people with arange of interventions to enable them to return to or optimise participation in all the things that peopledo; for example, caring for themselves and others, working, learning, playing and interacting withothers. Being deprived of or having limited access to any or all of these occupations can affect physicaland psychological health and hence occupational therapists positively impact upon the wellbeing andrehabilitation of patients in most care pathways and in the broader public health and social careenvironment.

Prosthetists and OrthotistsProsthetists are autonomous registered practitioners who provide gait analysis and engineeringsolutions to patients with limb loss. They are extensively trained at undergraduate level in mechanics,bio-mechanics, and material science along with anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology. Theirqualifications make them competent to design and provide prostheses that replicate the structural or

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functional characteristics of the patients absent limb. They treat patients with congenital loss as wellas loss due to diabetes, reduced vascularity, infection and trauma. Whilst they are autonomouspractitioners they usually work closely with physiotherapists and occupational therapists as part ofmultidisciplinary amputee rehabilitation teams.

Orthotists are autonomous registered practitioners who provide gait analysis and engineering solutionsto patients with problems of the neuro, muscular and skeletal systems. They are extensively trainedat undergraduate level in mechanics, bio-mechanics, and material science along with anatomy,physiology and pathophysiology. Their qualifications make them competent to design and provideorthoses that modify the structural or functional characteristics of the patients’ neuro-muscular andskeletal systems enabling patients to mobilise, eliminate gait deviations, reduce falls, reduce pain,prevent and facilitate the healing of ulcers. They treat patients with a wide range of conditionsincluding diabetes, arthritis, cerebral palsy, stroke, spina bifida, scoliosis, musculoskeletal,physiotherapy,sports injuries and trauma. Whilst they often work as autonomous practitioners they increasingly oftenform part of multidisciplinary teams such as within the diabetic foot team or neuro-rehabilitation team.

PhysiotherapistsPhysiotherapists use physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical, psychologicaland social wellbeing, working through partnership and negotiation with individuals to optimise theirfunctional ability and potential. Physiotherapists address problems of impairment, activity andparticipation and manage recovering, stable and deteriorating conditions – particularly those associatedwith the neuro-muscular, musculo-skeletal, cardio-vascular and respiratory systems – through advice,treatment, rehabilitation, health promotion and supporting behavioural change. Physiotherapy usesmanual therapy, therapeutic exercise, the application of electro-physical modalities and other physicalapproaches in response to individual need.

Speech and language therapistsSpeech and language therapists work with children and adults to help them overcome or adapt to avast array of disorders of speech, language, communication and swallowing. These include helpingyoung children to access education, working with young offenders to enable them to access theprogrammes designed to reduce reoffending, reducing life-threatening swallowing problems in theearly days after stroke and providing essential support to adults with a range of acquired neurologicalcommunication difficulties to help them return to work, and their roles in their family and society.

Social workersSocial workers work with individuals and families to help improve outcomes in their lives. This may behelping to protect vulnerable people from harm or abuse or supporting people to live independentlySocial workers support people, act as advocates and direct people to the services they may require.Social workers often work in multi-disciplinary teams alongside health and education professionals.3

3 https://www.basw.co.uk/social-work-careers/whatissocialwork

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1.2 - The National context

The NHS Five Year Forward View 4 was published in 2014 and ‘sets out a new shared vision for thefuture of the NHS based around the new models of care.’ It spoke about many of the things AHPspromote and value; prevention, self-management, promoting independence etc.

‘AHPs into Action’ was then published in published January 2016, providing ‘a national framework andprogramme of work focusing on the role of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in transforming health,care and wellbeing.’It sought to describe how AHPs can ‘support the delivery of Sustainability and TransformationPartnerships and the Five Year Forward view’ by providing a ‘resource to inform, support and inspireAHPs, leaders and decision makers across the health and care system, offering:

• a clear view of the potential of AHPs• over 50 examples of innovative AHP practice• a framework to help develop local delivery plans.

It outlined a five year programme across the four arm’s length bodies of NHS England, NHSimprovement, Public Health England and Health Education England.5 However, it also aimed to inspireAHPs to articulate evidence and promote their roles and the contribution they can make.

4 https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-five-year-forward-view/ 5 https://www.england.nhs.uk/ahp/ahps-into-action/

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Our collective commitments and priorities will deliver significant impacts for patients, their carers, communities and populations.

How?

Impact

1 Improve the health and well-being of individuals and populations.

The Impactof the effective and efficient use of AHPs for people and populations

2 Support and provide solutions to general practice and urgent and emergency services to address demand.

3 Support integration, addressing historical service boundaries to reduce duplication and fragmentation.

4 Deliver evidence based/informed practice to address unexplained variances in service quality and efficiency.

Commitment Priorities

1 1Commitment to the individual. AHPs can lead change.

Our Commitmentsto the way services are delivered

Our Prioritiesto meet the challenges of changing care needs

2 2Commitment to keep care closer to home. AHPs skills can be further developed.

3 3Commitment to the health and well being of populations.

AHPs evaluate, improve and evidence the impact of their contribution.

4 4Commitment to care for those who care. AHPs can utilise information & technology.

EnglandAHPs into Action#AHPsintoAction

A blueprint to support system leaders make decisions about AHPs, the services they offer, and how they can be most efficiently and effectively utilised.

16,128 contributions were submitted from services users, carers, citizens and health and care staff including AHPs, through a process of crowdsourcing. ‘AHPs into Action’ represents their collective voice.

Plus

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1.3 - Taking this forward at NELFT

The launch of AHPs into Action prompted discussion about how to raise the profile of AHPs within ourown organisation.

We have seen the potential of AHPs to lead change through their engagement in the NELFT QualityImprovement Programme; 50% of the current innovation cave projects are led by AHPs and 19% ofCohort 4 of the Facilitators QI Course were AHPs, a higher proportion than we would expect from ourworkforce figures.

In addition to this, the NELFT Best Care Clinical Strategy, published in autumn 2017 also gives AHPsan opportunity to highlight the role of AHPs in helping the organisation to achieve this vision. It isevident that AHPs are essential to many of the ‘Best Care Objectives’ it describes.

The combination of a national impetus, an organisation-wide strategy we can align to, and motivationfrom our AHPs to drive change gives us a fantastic opportunity to raise our profile; this plan seeks toalign and provide a focus to this work over the next 18 months.

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1.4 - Our workforce

To help us to develop the roles and profile of our AHPs at NELFT it is necessary to understand ourworkforce.

1.4.1- Workforce numbers

The September 2017 workforce report suggests that there are approximately 662 AHPs at NELFT, thisbreaks down as below:

• Arts therapies – 10• Nutrition and dietetics – 37• Occupational therapy – 207• Physiotherapy – 185• Podiatry – 37• Social work - 64• Speech and language therapy – 122

However this does not include prosthetists and orthotists. From further investigation, it is also evidentthat some staff are not included in these figures; e.g. anecdotal evidence suggests that there aresignificantly more than ten arts therapists. Generic support workers or AHPs who hold posts whichrequire a professional qualification but which are open to other professions may not reflect in the AHPworkforce figures depending on how these posts are recorded. It is also suggested that some staff whoare jointly employed by NELFT and the local authority may not be included in these figures. Thesefigures also do not include AHPs in Kent which joined NELFT in September 2017.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of AHPs may actually be closer to 800-1000 staff. Afigure of 900 staff would constitute almost 14% of the NELFT workforce, significantly above thenational NHS average of 10%.

1.4.2 – Recruitment and retention

However, recruitment and retention of AHPs is a challenge.Our vacancy rate in December 2017 was 19% across all AHPs. This was above the NELFT average of15%. It must be noted that this position does seem to be improving - from 28% in 2016 and 20%earlier in 2017.

This rate varies between the AHPs, September 2017 figures show that the rate was highest inoccupational therapy (25%) and speech and language therapy (23%). Vacancy rates for AHPs do notappear to vary much between the localities that we cover.

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Recruitment of AHPs is acknowledged to be a national and/or regional issue for some of the AHPs.An analysis of the occupational therapy workforce in London found an average vacancy rate acrossNHS Trusts of 15.5%. The vacancy rate for occupational therapists within NELFT is thereforesignificantly above this London average.

It is evident that we need to focus on retention of staff as well as on recruitment. Our workforceanalysis for 2017/2018 shows that 45% of new AHP starters left the organisation within two years.The main reasons for this appear to be relocation, seeking promotion and work-life balance.

1.4.3 - Workforce profile

Our workforce figures from November highlight that the bulk of the workforce is at Band 5 and 6which are also the bandings with the highest vacancy rates, 17% of our posts are at Band 5 and 43%are at Band 6 where we see vacancy rates of 33% and 27% respectively. Analysis of the figures alsoshows a small number of AHP support workers with only 1-2% of our AHP workforce working at Band3 and 4.

Given the challenges in recruitment and retention, and concerns from our AHPs about the lack ofcareer progression to senior posts; this evidence perhaps gives scope to have further discussion aboutthe skill-mix within AHPs.

Of our workforce 72% are UK born, 9% are EU born with 19% non-EU born.

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2 - How this plan has been developed

This plan has been developed by our AHP workforce. Engagement has included:

• Meetings: The AHP lead has attended various AHP meetings including leads meeting, team meetings, CPD events etc. where staff have fed back issues and concerns.

• Monthly bulletin: A monthly bulletin is published where AHPs are encouraged to get in touch with any news or concerns – a number of staff have emailed as a result of this.

• AHP conference: A NELFT AHP Conference which was held in May 2017. This was attended by almost 90 AHPs from across NELFT and the afternoon session consisted of a ‘speed dating’ workshop session where delegates had the opportunity to contribute to discussion and share ideas on the following topics:

• Online survey: This was followed up by an online survey to try and give those not able to attend the conference the opportunity to contribute to the discussion.

• Agreement from AHP leads: The feedback from the conference and survey was presented to the AHP Leadership Group who agreed the priorities to focus on. It was acknowledged that it would not be effective to try to address everything at once, but to focus on a small number of priorities which are believed to have the biggest impact.

• Professional leadership

• Professional development

• Internal communications

• External communications

• Building the evidence base

• Innovation and improvement

• Recruitment

• Retention

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‘We need to promote health and wellbeing at work – we are so busy that we are not looking after ourselves...we would need time for this but it could reduce sickness rates’

‘I love being able to make a real dif-ference to peoples lives’

‘Some roles feel too generic’

3 - Our aim

Our aim is:‘To have a full AHP workforce delivering a high quality service to patients’

To have ‘the best staff’ delivering ‘the best care’ it is felt that there are four main drivers:

• Attracting new staff to the organisation - recruitment• Retaining and valuing existing staff – retention• Delivering a high standard – working to the evidence base and professional standards• Evidencing our impact – building the evidence base (demonstrating improved patient outcome,

improved patient experience and value for money).

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The best staff

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Attracting new staff to the organisation - recruitment

Delivering a high standard- working to the evidence base and professional standards.

Retaining and valuing existing staff - retention

Evidencing our impact - building the evidence base.

Driver diagram – NELFT AHP plan

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4 - Our plan

The following are the agreed priorities to work on in order to achieve this aim – each priority addressesat least two of these drivers.

Priority 1: To increase our offer of student placements

• Why is this important?• Attracting new staff to the organisation: Figures suggest that a relatively low number of student

placements are offered. However, if we give student AHPs a good experience on placement they may wish to apply for some of our Band 5 positions.

• Retaining and valuing existing staff: Being a practice educator provides a CPD opportunity for our AHPs; updating models of practice, reflective practice, teaching skills etc.

• What will we do?• We aim to double the number of student placements offered, with a focus on final year students.• We will develop a means of gathering feedback from students we have on placement.• We will develop a means of keeping in touch with students we have on placement.• We will consider other placements that we could offer e.g. return to practice and work experience

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‘Good appraisal leads to good professional development’

‘We need a unique selling point to attract and retain staff’

‘AHPs are so innovative all the time’

Priority 2: To ensure there are opportunities for career progression

• Why is this important?• Attracting new staff to the organisation: prospective staff may be attracted by positions offering

formalised career progression.• Retaining and valuing existing staff: staff often cite a lack of career progression as a reason for

leaving to go and work at a different organisation.

• What will we do?• We will continue to work with the NELFT wide career progression task and finish group.• We will consider opportunities to develop more rotational posts, working in partnership with our

neighbouring organisations where appropriate.• We will consider how to improve skill mix to ensure that there are career progression opportunities.

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Priority 3: To support Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• Why is this important?• Attracting new staff to the organisation: when considering an employer, prospective candidates often

ask about CPD activities available.• Retaining and valuing existing staff: CPD demonstrates to staff that we want to invest in their

professional development. • Delivering a high standard: Ensuring that staff have adequate clinical skills and training, aware of latest

evidence and techniques. • What will we do?

• We will review the current offer of CPD activities available and utilised – this will include CPD events, courses, CPD panel, preceptorship, supervision, etc.

• We will consider how to standardise/increase the CPD offer and programme of events available.

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‘I have lots of ideas for improvement – but the barriers can feel overwhelming’

‘Being part of a team that makes a difference is very important to me’

‘We need to be more person focussed – not target focussed’

Priority 4: To improve our communication networks

• Why is this important?• Attracting new staff to the organisation: we want to ensure prospective staff can find out about us

and that what they see then encourages them to apply to work at NELFT. NELFT is not widely known, and does not have an obviously physical base – online communication and profile is therefore more important.

• Retaining and valuing existing staff: staff will feel more valued if they are more aware of all the things that are happening.

• Evidencing our impact: we need to utilise opportunities to promote successful services and initiatives.

• What will we do?• We will aim to improve our communication – both externally and internally.• This will include reviewing and setting aims around Twitter/Facebook activity• This will also build on our existing AHP bulletin, intranet pages and internet pages on the public NELFT

website.• We will ensure we utilise events (e.g. careers events) as appropriate.• We will aim to increase the number of case studies we have available about AHP services.• We will try to increase external publications and conference presentations (this may include linking

with the R&D or QI teams).

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‘AHPs are so innovative all the time’

‘Good appraisal leads to good professional development’

‘Being part of a team that makes a difference is very important to me’

‘It feels like constant change and restructuring’

Priority 5: To review and promote our professional leadership structure to ensure we areholistic, accountable and responsive

• Why is this important?• Attracting new staff to the organisation: prospective candidates often look at the professional

leadership when considering which organisation they wish to work for.• Retaining and valuing existing staff: some staff have reported concerns about the AHP profile within

NELFT. • Delivering a high standard: we need to ensure that AHPs are adhering to clinical and professional

standards and delivering evidence based practice.

• What will we do?• We will set up a task and finish group for priorities 1-4 above. These task and finish groups will report

to the AHP Leadership Group. They will be asked to identify SMART aims and encouraged to use a Quality Improvement approach.

• We will review and implement a revised professional leadership structure – building on existing links and networks and striving to reflect profession, locality and clinical specialty.

• The AHP lead will try to increase visibility by spending a half day each month shadowing a clinical team. The AHP lead also welcomes invitations to team meetings and staff forums.

• The AHP Leadership Group will strive to keep abreast of debate, issues and publications from the relevant professional and regulatory bodies.

• We will ensure that AHPs contribute to the implementation of the NELFT Best Care Clinical Strategy and the work of the Communities of Practice.

• We will ensure that we are responsive to opportunities and challenges e.g. apprenticeships, consultations, clinical risks, commissioning opportunities, innovations etc.

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‘Being part of a team that makes

a difference is very

important to me’

ICD Locality Management

Structures

Individual professions meetings

AHP Task and Finish Groups

AHP Leadership

Group

Chief Nurse Group

Trustwide Forums

Regional/ National AHP

Networks

Trustwide AHP

Professional Lead

AHP Professional

Lead Structure

AHP StaffMember

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The current managerial/ professional lead structure for AHPs within NELFT

5 - Making this happen

A commitment from our AHP workforce:This plan is intended to be a collective plan – the AHP professional lead or the AHP Leadership Group cannotachieve all of this on their own – they need the involvement of the whole AHP workforce.

As detailed above, we will set up a task and finish group for priorities 1-4 above which will report to theAHP Leadership Group. They will be asked to identify SMART aims and encouraged to use a QualityImprovement approach. Priority 5 will be taken forward by the AHP Professional Leads Group.There are lots of ways that AHPs can get involved and support this AHP plan:

A commitment from our managers and leaders:Managers are asked to support staff to engage in Trust wide activities. We will aim to ensure that thereis a spread across professional groups and localities to ensure that the work is shared evenly.

In conclusion:The plan above is ambitious – but it is necessary if we are to ensure that AHPs are working to their fullpotential, making the difference to patients and to services that we know we can achieve. I am surethat both the leaders and clinicians within our organisation will work together to ensure that weachieve our aims.

Volunteer to lead or be involved in a Task & Finish

Group

Read and contribute to

the NELFT AHP Bulletin

Support CPD sessions that are

happening

Complete and submit a case

study

Get involved in professional body

activities

Help to arrange/ facilitate CPD

sessions

Volunteer to help with AHP social media

Invite the AHP lead to shadow/

to a team meeting

Join and par-ticipate in the

NELFT AHP Facebook group

Share work by publishing or pre-senting at con-ferences/ events

Assist with careers events

Observe NELFT AHP

Leads Group

Follow the NELFT AHP

Twitter account

Nominate a colleague for a Make a Differ-

ence award

Complete a Quality

Improvement project

Read and contribute to

the NELFT AHP intranet pages

Take a student Join a Community of

Practice

Get involved in clinical audit or

R&D

Refer a friend

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NELFT AHPs into Action:a vision and plan for Allied Health Professions in NELFT for 2018-2019.

Our aim: To have a full AHP workforce, delivering a high quality service to patients.A

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The best staff

The best care

Attracting new staff to the organisation - recruitment

Delivering a high standard- working to the evidence base and professional standards.

Retaining and valuing existing staff - retention

Evidencing our impact - building the evidence base.

Priority 1:

To increase our offer of studentplacements.

Priority 2:

To ensure there are opportunitiesfor career progression.

Priority 4:

To improve our communicationnetworks.

Priority 3:

To support ContinuingProfessional Development (CPD).

Priority 5:

To review and promote our professional leadership structure toensure we are holistic, accountable and responsive.