Faceless Bureaucrat: As a well seasoned (and marinaded) NHS manager even I can spot when the writing is on the wall. Yesterday I was reminded once more that our team is being disbanded and our work, within a matter of a few short weeks, will be no more.
Jen is one of our hardest working team members. A dual nationality (Aussie/UK) marathon runner with boundless energy and drive she has, as project development manager, organised us to within inches of our lives. She has great clarity of thought and judgement and a fabulous sense of humour to boot. It was her last day in the NHS yesterday, on Monday she takes up an amazing new job with the music industry employer EMI where she will apparently form a human bridge between artists and the back room boys and girls.
Like our team administrator who left weeks ago to a job for which she negotiated a £15,000 pay rise, Jen is moving to bigger and better things in the private sector as a result of public sector cuts. Maybe that's what the Government wants, maybe it's the right thing. At the moment I confess to just seeing a huge amount of talent leaving the NHS, talent that we had at a really good price simply because we are public sector. And I've barely started on the many and varied colleagues I am now watching taking voluntary redundancy packages often worth something nearing £100,000 who I have absolutely no doubt will slip into a new job, public or private within months if not weeks. I gasp at the sheer volume of skill, commitment and experience we are presently haemorrhaging.
But today I wanted to share with you Jen's final words to the NHS. The context on this is that we have been running commissioning skills workshops for London's NHS commissioners since last September. We have done the whole lot in house so no extra expense, from designing the material, hosting delegates at our offices to delivering the training ourselves. We launched two workshops initially and the places were fully booked within hours. A waiting list rapidly formed so we went hell for leather to work our way through the queues of clinicians (yes, GPs and nurses) as well as managers keen to learn more about how to commission at a time when training budgets stand frozen.
Our five different workshops on each stage of the commissioning cycle gave people a good grounding in commissioning, taught them in detail about the steps to follow when planning new services, managing change, undertaking a procurement, improving performance and decommissioning services.
We worked brilliantly as a team of seven. Five of us developed the material between us and our team leader helped us to finesse that material. The same five, and the boss, all delivered in different couple combinations. Our team administrator, since departed, did the front of house reception and facility organisation until Jen took it over after she left.
At the end of each workshop we didn't let anyone leave the room without completing an evaluation form which could be completely anonymous if the delegate preferred. We asked for constructive criticism and suggestions to help us to improve. Every week Jen did a "Workshop Wrap" - an email summary of the results of the evaluations and general performance for that week which initially led to some changes to the material and format but as we refined our product really served to update us on how we were doing.
We held our final workshop on Thursday and Jen, before leaving on Friday, sent us one final Workshop Wrap. I have copied it here below as these are her last words to us as a team and as the NHS and as usual she delivers succinctly and with good humour:
· A few comments (as usual) about wanting more time
· LOTS of thanks to the team for this and all of the sessions, as well as genuine well wishing to everyone for their next steps and futures. We are loved.
And until my next thrilling installment...over and out...FB
Jen is one of our hardest working team members. A dual nationality (Aussie/UK) marathon runner with boundless energy and drive she has, as project development manager, organised us to within inches of our lives. She has great clarity of thought and judgement and a fabulous sense of humour to boot. It was her last day in the NHS yesterday, on Monday she takes up an amazing new job with the music industry employer EMI where she will apparently form a human bridge between artists and the back room boys and girls.
Like our team administrator who left weeks ago to a job for which she negotiated a £15,000 pay rise, Jen is moving to bigger and better things in the private sector as a result of public sector cuts. Maybe that's what the Government wants, maybe it's the right thing. At the moment I confess to just seeing a huge amount of talent leaving the NHS, talent that we had at a really good price simply because we are public sector. And I've barely started on the many and varied colleagues I am now watching taking voluntary redundancy packages often worth something nearing £100,000 who I have absolutely no doubt will slip into a new job, public or private within months if not weeks. I gasp at the sheer volume of skill, commitment and experience we are presently haemorrhaging.
But today I wanted to share with you Jen's final words to the NHS. The context on this is that we have been running commissioning skills workshops for London's NHS commissioners since last September. We have done the whole lot in house so no extra expense, from designing the material, hosting delegates at our offices to delivering the training ourselves. We launched two workshops initially and the places were fully booked within hours. A waiting list rapidly formed so we went hell for leather to work our way through the queues of clinicians (yes, GPs and nurses) as well as managers keen to learn more about how to commission at a time when training budgets stand frozen.
Our five different workshops on each stage of the commissioning cycle gave people a good grounding in commissioning, taught them in detail about the steps to follow when planning new services, managing change, undertaking a procurement, improving performance and decommissioning services.
We worked brilliantly as a team of seven. Five of us developed the material between us and our team leader helped us to finesse that material. The same five, and the boss, all delivered in different couple combinations. Our team administrator, since departed, did the front of house reception and facility organisation until Jen took it over after she left.
At the end of each workshop we didn't let anyone leave the room without completing an evaluation form which could be completely anonymous if the delegate preferred. We asked for constructive criticism and suggestions to help us to improve. Every week Jen did a "Workshop Wrap" - an email summary of the results of the evaluations and general performance for that week which initially led to some changes to the material and format but as we refined our product really served to update us on how we were doing.
We held our final workshop on Thursday and Jen, before leaving on Friday, sent us one final Workshop Wrap. I have copied it here below as these are her last words to us as a team and as the NHS and as usual she delivers succinctly and with good humour:
Well team, here it is as promised (especially for you Kaj) – the final edition of Jen’s workshop wrap.
Drumroll please.
21 weeks ago Suz and Dave stepped up to deliver the first free commissioning skills workshop. Jade was on deck to meet and greet while I was sunning myself on Croatia’s coastline.
A lot can happen in 21 weeks. Sheffield United found millions of pounds, Middle Eastern governments have been ousted, countries have been flooded, miners have survived weeks underground. Heavens, the English have reclaimed the Ashes in Australia, and some god awful movie about a rake thin cliché ballet dancer has collected highly regarded awards. Good things must come to an end.
Be proud people - we’ve delivered to 624 delegates over 30 sessions and still have a waiting list of 625 places.
And yesterday afternoon Dave and Suz bookended the programme with a one off chart topping session on Performance Management and Decommissioning. Up on the sixth floor, with the sophisticated addition of video, our group were very comfortable helping themselves to the instant coffee and managing the unpredictable room temperatures. The familiar faces who keep coming back for Suzanne’s passionate stories that may make it hard to stick to an agenda, Dave’s quipps on policy churn, and some random guest star appearances from other members of the commissioning skills team…all rated it well.
Performance management and decommissioning:
A few summary points from yesterday:
· Average knowledge Before 2.3 and After 3.8 – an increase of 1.5 · A few comments (as usual) about wanting more time
· LOTS of thanks to the team for this and all of the sessions, as well as genuine well wishing to everyone for their next steps and futures. We are loved.
Some people have requested we distribute the materials from all of the workshops – my response has been that we are still working through how intellectual property developed by the commissioning skills team will best be circulated to the system beyond our existence. i.e. I held the position of only providing hard copy handouts to delegates at this stage.
And the one we all love…
From ALL sessions 97.22% recommend the workshops to their colleagues
In the National Archives this small electronic folder, stripped of speaker notes and real wisdom, will sit dormant whilst consulting companies are paid small fortunes to redevelop material and hone their delivery…perhaps the ghost of things past will nag in the back of their minds.
‘Who were these commissioning skills people I keep hearing about?
…And where have they gone?’
Indeed.
From mental health nursing to the music industry, Arab newspapers, Harvard…what corners of the world of work won’t be touched by the members of this great team?
Muchos gracias from me for a fabulous ride. Good luck in the coming weeks/months and I do hope to hear from you all with news, gossip, double entendres and random bits of trivia. Yes Neil, I’ll miss your facts.
I’ll speak to you soon I’m sure, but as far as the commissioning workshops programme is concerned, it’s good night from me, and it’s good night from him.
Good night.
And ciao for now…
Jen
And until my next thrilling installment...over and out...FB
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