How the North East & North Cumbria Provider Collaborative - People Digital is optimising ESR in readiness for the Future NHS Workforce Solution
Not going fast alone but going far together
In February 2023 the People Digital Group was created as part of the North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaborative. The purpose of the Group was to explore working together across the ICB to develop a strategy to improve digital capability. Donna Watson is Head of HR Strategy and Transformation at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals Trust and Chairs the People Digital Group for the Provider Collaborative and she told us:
Over the last few months we have been working together across the collaborative to get a better understanding of our baseline position of the use of ESR. The ESR Self Service Levels of Attainment Assessment has been vital in helping us to understand the overall position.
From the ESR Assessment we could see across the region we had a great level of maturity of Self Service which is a key part of our preparation for the transition to the NHS Future Workforce Solution. Establishment Control in ESR was identified as our priority area. There are many benefits to optimising Establishment Control; it creates great synergy between HR and finance information. Not only does Establishment Control help with the transformation to the future NHS Workforce Solution it also supports the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
We recognise the barriers and challenges to this work, and we are not all starting at the same point. The other complexity is the demand for our services at the same time as doing this project. We have collectively discussed as a strategic network along with our NHSBSA ESR Regional Engagement Team about how to navigate this programme alongside the demands of different baselines. To that end we have come up with a couple of solutions; a workshop to help learn from one another and create informal channels to help support one another outside of a formal process.
My advice would be to optimise now to give yourself enough time to transfer over the future NHS Workforce Solution and to engage with your ESR Regional team. This is “about not going fast alone but going far together.
The ESR State of Readiness Workshop took place on 24th September 2024 at a location in central Newcastle. All the organisations who are part of the NENC provider collaborative were present, and the session was Chaired by Donna Watson and facilitated by the North ESR Regional Engagement Team's Mike Winstanley and David Bromilow.
Donna spoke about the NENC People Digital Programme and how that was creating their people digital strategy and change programme. Initially, the programme had identified four development workstreams; innovation, collaborating on HR services, systems and licensing and the ESR state of readiness – in preparation for the future NHS Workforce Solution.
Arlene Atkinson, Deputy Director of Finance at Northumbria Healthcare Trust was present. Arlene spoke about why building establishments is important on the journey of the Provider Collaborative and the importance of finance and ESR teams working together.
The workshop also considered ‘why and how’ to build establishments in ESR, and reflected on lessons learnt which included feedback from other organisations that have implemented Establishment Control. Additionally, Charlotte Cheal and Alice Higgins from the NHSBSA Workforce Optimisation team also presented some insight into supporting Establishment Control projects and how they can offer practical support to organisations.
Following the workshop each organisation is now looking at how they are going to implement Establishment Control and further updates will be provided to the NENC People Digital Group.
If you require any guidance or assistance with implementing Establishment Control or would like to know more then please contact your NHSBSA ESR Functional Account Manager.