This area of the web site aims to give you more information about who we are and how we work.
Our specific aims are to:
- contribute trade union and employer perspectives to the development of policy
- provide constructive comments on emerging policy at a formative stage
- contribute ideas on the workforce implications of developing policy and implementation
- promote effective communications between partners.
These aims were set out in the partnership agreement published in March 2007. This document was developed in partnership as the blueprint for social partnership working nationally in the NHS. The agreement sets out practical working arrangements but with an emphasis on behaviours, shared values and a common purpose.
The Social Partnership Forum was rejuvenated in 2007 but social partnership working has historically been a part of working in the NHS for a number of years.
In 2008 the we invited the Involvement and Participation Association (IPA) to conduct a review of the national Social Partnership Forum and a snapshot of partnership working in the NHS. The IPA reported their findings to the Social Partnership Forum in November 2008.
A further stock take and review was conducted in 2009 and the results are available here.