Partnership in action - developing support for community nursing staff through action learning sets Helen Stanley Assistant Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery/Head of Academic and Practice /Education Liaison Sussex Community NHS Trust March 2013

Background Changing organisational structure following the merger of two NHS community trusts To support organisational learning through reflection with University of Brighton SNM facilitated action learning sets To reduce Higher Education Contract (HEC, formerly PTD) under spend with bespoke educational consultancy projects

Aims of Action Learning Set projects 1.A one year programme, developed to facilitate leadership skills development and support for a group of new Health Visitor (HV) Team Leaders. 2.A six month programme to support preceptorship of newly qualified School Nurses and Health Visitors. 3.A six month programme for the development of newly appointed Clinical Facilitators.

Project outcomes HV leads more confident with difficult management and leadership situations in practice and dealing with conflict Resilience skills in newly qualified school nurse and health visitors in their role transition to professionals Enabled Clinical Facilitators to lead development of practice education and clarity their role Staff from Trust taking up HE modules and courses and HEC fully spent

Levels of practice development and primary emphases in PD work (adapted from McCormack et al 2004) Practice development levelsPrimary emphasis through ALS project Corporate/StrategicContributed to creating a Trust-wide culture of leadership and practice development effectiveness in a supportive framework Service/OrganisationalCreated a learning culture to enable the sustaining of developments in practice through learning in and from practice within an educationally supportive culture TeamDeveloped team structure and processes that enabled practice developments and enhanced relationships to occur IndividualEmpowered individual practitioners to develop leadership, resilience and practice development skills