Skills for Health - Workforce Projects Team are again taking workforce planning training to the next level with their new and innovative Train the Trainer programme.

Following the huge success of our introduction to workforce planning workshops across the NHS, demand for more events continues to grow. In response to this, the Train the Trainer programme is being developed to give workforce planners or trainers in healthcare organisations the tools to deliver this training personally.

The programme will consist of a detailed pack, set to be available this coming December, which will provide all the information and resources needed to deliver an effective introduction to workforce planning workshop. There will also be a further option of a two day workshop, with one event currently expected to be held in both the north and south of the UK early in 2009.

Register your interest in the programme here >>>

The Workforce Projects Team launch another major workforce planning tool in September with the release of the Understanding Workforce Planning for Service Commissioners e-learning programme.

The new resource was launched at Primary Care Live at London's ExCeL Exhibition and Conference Centre on 30th September, with online and disc formats following later.

The programme focuses on the workforce planning implications of commissioning health and social care services for a local health economy. It has been deliberately designed to dovetail with the commissioning approach recommended by the Department of Health in Good Practice PCT Commissioning Scope of Services (August 2007), and focuses on the assessment and planning phase of commissioning a service. It provides a six step approach to performing this process and highlights the importance and implications of considering the workforce when commissioning services across service sectors of the local health economy.

A report focusing on the benefits of Hospital at Night was the main focus of the Making Hospital at Night Mainstream and Beyond Conference 2008 on 19th September.

Around 250 delegates and speakers from across the UK and even as far afield as Australia descended on Westminster, London for the event, held in the shadow of Big Ben at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.

The conference saw the launch of the report The Case for Hospital at Night - The Search for Evidence. It was produced by Skills for Health - Workforce Projects Team, using data analysed by the NHS Information Centre and illustrates the benefits of using the programme.

To view all the presentations and learning materials from the day, visit the healthcare workforce portal here >>>

Recruitment for the fourth cohort of the Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Workforce Planning continues, with modules for the 12 month course set to begin in February 2009 at venues in London and Manchester.

If you would like to find out more about the course, run in conjunction with our partners at Thames Valley University, please visit the postgraduate certificate pages of the healthcare workforce portal. The deadline for application is 5pm, 3rd November 2008.

The Workforce Projects Team will hit the road in the remainder of 2008 and early 2009 with a series of masterclasses and workshops.

The national priorities team host two workshops focusing on the 18 week patient pathway in November, with one in the north and one in the south of the UK. The classes outline the workforce planning implications of the 18 week patient pathway and how to develop sustainable workforce solutions. A number of high level speakers will take part in the event, including Maxine Foster from the Department of Health and Filao Wilson from Skills for Health.

The first event takes place in London on 19th November, with the second close to Manchester Airport on 25th November.

For more information, register your interest here >>>

The capability and capacity team will also be heading out on 10th December for the National Introduction to Workforce Planning workshop at Mayfair Conference Centre, London. Registration for this event is now available on the portal here >>>

They will be following this in early 2009 with two masterclasses, both taking place in London, one focusing on the workforce implications of Lord Darzi's Next Stage Review, the other on World Class Commissioning and its implication for workforce planning. These will be held in January and March.

For more information, register your interest here >>>

They will be following this in early 2009 with two capability and capacity masterclasses, both taking place in London, one focusing on Lord Darzi's next stage review of the NHS, the other on commissioning. One of the masterclasses will be held in January whilst the other will be held in March.