Training action learning facilitators to increase staff retention. Download our case study here.
NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICB) are statutory NHS organisations responsible for developing plans for meeting the health needs of the population, managing the NHS budget and arranging for the provision of health services across regions. Action Learning Associates (ALA) were recently commissioned by the North East of England and Yorkshire Integrated Care Boards to develop action learning facilitators in order to increase staff retention.
Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) including physiotherapists, dietitians, podiatrists and occupational therapists play a valuable role across geographical areas supporting work on clinical priorities through collaborative working across the primary care system.
Challenge
The North East and Yorkshire ICBs were keen to support the development of AHP networks and also reflective practice amongst AHPs and decided to use the Action Learning model to achieve this. Action Learning Associates was chosen to deliver Virtual Action Learning Facilitator Training (VALFT) to a cohort of AHPs to train them to become Action Learning Facilitators to increase staff retention.
Methodology
Our VALFT course involves the group working intensively as a virtual action learning set over three sessions, each lasting for six hours. Following the initial sessions the group reconvenes to consolidate their learning by taking part in a follow-on session lasting four hours.
The facilitators have reported that their own confidence in group settings has increased, they have further developed their listening and reflective skills in their day jobs and their motivation has increased.
Participants make a commitment to producing and presenting a reflective learning log as a record of their learning, practice, and personal development. Participants must also attend a virtual continuing professional development session to present their learning logs to their peers. Upon successful completion of this training and presentation they are awarded an ILM certificate.
We delivered VALFT courses to 27 AHPs within North East and Yorkshire ICBs beginning in February 2023. To date we have delivered five programmes of VALFT and a number of AHPs have received their ILM accreditation.
Results
These VALFT participants have facilitated action learning sets within and across their organisations. In addition to the value of the set experience for their participants the facilitators have reported that their own confidence in group settings has increased, they have further developed their listening and reflective skills in their day jobs and their motivation has increased.
These facilitators will now be trained as trainers to deliver VALFT courses to further volunteers within and across their organisations.
