Kate Thomas - Head of Workforce Development, NHS Lanarkshire, Scotland

I was initially attracted to the Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Workforce Planning as this was the first opportunity I had come across to develop theoretical skills to support me in my role in workforce development in Scotland. I have always been keen to develop my skills and this seemed like an ideal opportunity.

Opportunities/ benefits
As a result of performing this programme, I am beginning to think much more critically about what I am doing day to day and recognise where I can increase my effectiveness by applying the learning, in particular the theoretical models that have been covered on it. The opportunity to network with others in my field, share experiences and learn from others has illustrated to me that there are many ways to approach workforce planning.

I have been personally surprised at how helpful the personal development module has been so far and I think that this will help me develop personally and professionally. Somehow, this module has given me ownership of my own development, freeing me to explore this and committing the time that I have always felt guilty about before. The context module is great, I have always loved learning and my mind buzzes with some of the things we are covering.

Challenges

Time and travel have been the main challenges for me. Finding time to study has been difficult as the programme was spaced over only a few months. I have also been challenged by taking part in a programme which is predominantly aimed at those working in England, where the NHS is a different beast.

Practical application of the learning

I have already begun to share my learning with my mentors, line managers and peers and I have started to think about how I can implement a balance scorecard approach to workforce planning in my role. I am also planning to develop links with some of the other contacts made from the programme. My line manager has been very supportive of this and we are keen to make use of the excellent resources, many of which apply just as well to Scotland, and avoid reinventing the wheel.

Overall

The programme has met my expectations, I admit I was a little uncertain at first but I am now really pleased that I had the chance to do this programme and love the ‘brain stretching' that I am getting.

Through widening access to this course to others, there will be an increasing consistency in the approach to workforce planning across the UK and will help to develop a professional identity to those of us working in the field, providing much needed clarity. The direction workforce planning will take in the strategic direction of the NHS (north and south of the border) is uncertain but workforce is going to be key in the years to come and this course should be seen as the beginning of a common understanding of the needs of those in the field striving to develop their own level of competence.

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