East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), pictured left, were one of the successful organisations to receive a partnership fund award. EMAS Chief Executive, Paul Phillips said "this practical support from the Social Partnership Forum is a real boost to our work. We want a workforce that is representative of the people we serve, and engaging with all communities will undoubtedly help us to achieve this. Our project is going to promote dialogue and build relationships that will make a difference, and so we are really grateful to the SPF for its investment in this initiative." Read more about the EMAS bid here.
Background
The partnership fund was announced by Ann Keen, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Services in November 2008 and is available in the 2009/10 financial year. Regional SPFs received bids from local organisations in June 2009 and these were sifted and forwarded to a national panel of SPF members for decision in July 2009.
The partnership fund encouraged bids from all NHS organisations and operated against a number of key principles which included:
- Preference given to innovative bids (rather than basic training courses eg establish partnership forums)
- Bids to the fund needed to support the overall goal of embedding partnership working across the NHS
- Bids needed be co-produced by staff sides and management in partnership
- Successful bidders agreed to share information about their projects, implementation, outcomes and learning and agree to be involved in other agreed research. (nb: this may include things which don’t go so well!)
- Successful bidders will champion partnership working on behalf of SPF.
The bids fit under one of the following categories:
- Improved quality of patient care/services.
- Developing higher standards of employment practice eg supporting constitution pledges.
- Effective implementation of specific local organisational goals.
- Effective staff engagement/communication.
Current situation
From over 45 applications put forward by the Regional SPFs the national panel were delighted to be able to fund 18 partnership projects. The projects will be implemented throughout 2009/10. As the projects progress we will be keeping you up to date through the SPF web site and sharing learning to support you in your own partnership working.
Announcing the awards , Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham said:
"Partnership working is a great way for trade unions and employers to work constructively together on important issues of common interest and on changes which are important in the delivery of high quality services.
The response to the Social Partnership Fund has been extremely positive and there have been some great ideas which will help staff take ownership of the place where they work.
These innovative projects will allow staff to have their say in making improvements which will improve the quality of service that is offered to patients and the conditions in which staff work." Read the full press announcement on the Partnership Fund here.
The partnership fund projects
The successful bids are outlined here and as the projects progress we will keep them updated.
Pictured left are members of the successful South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust team - read more about their project to increase engagement with staff by facilitation of '30 little conversations'.