This report looks at the work vanguards are doing to engage their staff in the design and delivery of new care models.

Published in association with NHS Clinical Commissioners, NHS Confederation and the Local Government Association, New Care Models and Staff Engagement: All Aboard aims to help spread the learning from the vanguard programme across the health and care sector.

The publication contains four case studies which examine the ongoing work of NHS and local government organisations that are ensuring staff are at the heart of all decisions about new models of care in local areas. They are:

• All Together Better Dudley (multispecialty community provider)
• Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge System Resilience Group (urgent and emergency care)
• Better Care Together – Morecambe Bay Health Community (integrated primary and acute care system)
• East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (enhanced health in care homes)

Common themes

The publication provides readers with a number of principles to help them in planning the engagement of staff when developing new models of care.

They include:

• Enabling different groups of staff across organisations to ‘break down the barriers’ so people can break out of old working patterns and think differently.
• Recognising that those on the front line of care have the best ideas about how to improve it – but need to feel empowered to do so.
• Recognising that if staff feel that their contribution is valued, they will want to do all they can to make new care models a success.

This publication is the second in a series of two. The first publication, focused on new models of care and prevention, was published at the end of May and is available here.