Initiating a Health Trainer Service Development of Health Trainers in Hampshire Lee Dawson Health Trainer Lead Hampshire PCT

Background Involved with the development of HTs since Prototype phase with Mid Hampshire PCT Hampshire PCT – inherited some services (Monitored these and felt they were not delivering) Early 08 - Started work on providing options paper for Hampshire HTs and funding confirmed… this is where my story begins!

Aims of session (or what you have to sit through for the next 15 mins?) My mission today is to explain how we initiated/developed (quickly!) the new HT service in Hampshire Caveat – by no means textbook approach but there have been learning experiences that I can share

Options Paper PCT management needed to know where we were with things (already working with Hampshire Probation and Winchester Prison) Opportunity to take a step back – review things from the new world perspective once the dust had settled from reorganisation Start point – what were other PCTs doing (especially our close neighbours)

Options Paper Selling pitch – how could Health Trainer Service address PCT priorities Was clear about Expected Outcomes (included building workforce with the right skills in place to tackle health inequalities, reaching the hard to reach and providing access to and encouraging the appropriate use and uptake of NHS and other local services) Costs Quality assurance and Governance Next Steps and recommendations

3 Different Models Portsmouth – tender and contract out to an organisation to deliver the whole thing Southampton – employ HTs directly and deliver the service within the PCT IOW – contracts / Service Level Agreements with several providers (and a little bit of direct employment through the PCT

Pros and Cons Went through a process of assessing the pros and cons of each approach Timescale precluded from finding one organisation + would they have the local knowledge (Hampshire-wide)

Decision… Commission organisations to deliver Focus on target areas Gosport, Havant and Rushmoor Link into the Vascular Inequalities programme (added early but not at beginning) Need a Programme Coordinator Need to start as soon as possible (September/October at latest)

Key Tasks Recruit and employ a coordinator Develop Training Programme Identify, engage and recruit providers Develop Service Specification Recruit Health Trainers There were significant risks attached to the approach within the time-frame

Project Management GANNT Charts and planning – lots of overlapping tasks Different stages in recruiting providers (knock-on effects) What happened had little resemblance to the initial planning chart sequence Ignored the ever changing GANNT Chart at one stage and through caution to the wind, relying on luck and intuition

Recruitment of Health Trainer Coordinator In post by Mid June 2008 Actual 4 August Identification of third party organisations By end of May 2008 Last one mid June Recruitment of Health Trainers Early June – Mid June 2008 Last ones end of July Start Training ProgrammeEarly July 2008 – early September 2008 Early August –late September 2008 Delivery of full service by competent Health Trainers Early September 2008 – end March 2009 Mid October 2008

Lessons Learnt Be realistic about time-frames Allow lead in time to develop a service specification and be clear about what you want the service to deliver then avoid add- ons if possible Get a coordinator in place as soon as possible (to start planning HT development and delivery) Sharing is invaluable – dont be precious, beg, borrow (but dont steal)

Thanks for listening! Lee Dawson hampshirepct.nhs.uk or Claire McLeod (HT Programme Coordinator)