Podcast 1: The strategic case for change
In this podcast, Kath talks with Steph Butterworth, Director of Adult Services in Tameside. You’ll hear about how, as the senior leader with responsibility for blended roles in Tameside, Steph played an instrumental role in making the case for change in a way that secured the buy in – and financial investment – from partners. A big enabler to the success of the blended roles project in Tameside has been the culture that the team operated in – the freedom to try new ways of working, to learn as they progressed, to not overthink things and try to have all the answers up front and crucially, a big focus on building relationships of trust. Steph shares her learning and we think others who are embarking on their blended roles journey will find what she says enlightening and inspiring.
Podcast 2: How to train and support people to work in blended roles
Farrah Amjad is the blended roles facilitator in Tameside and what she brings to the role is really quite incredible. Farrah has an awe inspiring set of skills and experience that she brings to her role and just as important is her personality and the relationships she takes care to develop with everyone she works with. Care workers love her and say she’s the difference that made them feel confident to work with a blended roles approach. In this podcast, you’ll hear Farrah share some of her magic about how she does what she does and she’ll also reveal some of her secrets for how she is so successful in training care workers to administer insulin, assess skin health and change dressings.
Podcast 3: The trick is to not overthink it
What do you get when you combine a commissioner, a matron and a district nurse team manager? Well in Tameside, you get care workers working really effectively with a blended roles approach, delivering improved outcomes for residents and district nurses who are able to refocus their time on supporting people with more complex needs.
What I really love about how Tameside have implemented blended roles is the way they’ve given themselves permission to not have all the answers up front, to start small, test things out, evolving and developing as they go. I really do believe this has been a major contributor to Tameside’s success.
In this podcast hear from Dave Wilson, commissioner, Emma Frain who was the matron for district nursing when blended roles began and Paula Bell, district nurse manager about how they formed a coalition of the willing and made it happen.
Podcast 4: Stories of Impact
We don’t think you can hear the stories that care workers tell about the differences they are making to people in Tameside’s lives and not be inspired. In this podcast you’ll hear direct from people working in home care and care homes about the impact they are having. Early intervention is preventing people from deteriorating and ending up in hospital, more timely and consistent administration of insulin is giving people a better quality of life, increased knowledge about why things are happening is enabling care workers to call in the support of clinicians when needed. The benefits aren’t just to those who receive the care but to numerous other people with more complex needs who need the support of the district nurses who can now focus more time where it is most needed, safe in the knowledge that care workers are competent and confident in providing the care that used to fall to them. Prepare to be inspired……
