Wigan Council & the Healthier Wigan Partnership

Wigan Council & the Healthier Wigan Partnership

‘Our Deal for a Healthier Wigan’ learning experience

Briefly describe the initiative/ project/service; please include your aims and objectives

What is it? Our Deal for a Healthier Wigan is an ambitious, inspirational immersive interactive learning experience, created for the fantastic and committed health & social care workforce in Wigan.

Why is it innovative? It is truly different not only because of it’s immersive, engaging and interactive style, but because it is not owned by just one organisation – it is a truly co-designed approach involving key health and social care partners (Wigan, Wrightington & Leigh NHS Trust, Wigan Council, NW Boroughs Healthcare Foundation Trust, Wigan CCG & GP practices) in the place coming together to help our combined workforce improve the lives of the people of Wigan.

It comprises of four different learning zones delivering blended multi-media learning approaches and real-life case studies. We believe this is the first learning experience designed in this way in the country, a game changer in transforming public services What are the aims? • To develop the skills of our dedicated & passionate workforce to have different, asset based conversations, connecting & building bonds with colleagues across organisational boundaries. • To increase awareness of the new model for delivering health and social care services in the borough

What are the key achievements?

What is the impact of the experience?

1) For our Wigan workforce

• Over 90% rated it excellent or v good.

• 90% increase in understanding of asset-based approaches.

• 79% increase in awareness of new model for delivering integrated health & social care.

• Better understanding of community assets across the borough.

• See attached montage – real quotes from delegates.

2) For the citizens of Wigan the experience, complemented by a wider culture change journey, is enabling our Wigan workforce to be more confident in having quality asset-based conversations, coming together to support residents linking community assets.

• 10,206 referrals to Community Link Workers & increase in contacts to Community Response Teams – reducing pressure on GP’s and A&E.

• 5617 being cared for in a more appropriate setting.

• 75% of residents supported by outstanding reablement service required no on-going support Other impacts.

• Significant cost saving – £35k+ compared to traditional training methods utilising skills / talents of internal design team & hosts.

• Host development.

• Positive feedback from visitors far & wide including Denmark

• National interest from senior NHS leaders due to our focus on behaviours and Kings Fun.

What are the key learning points?

Learning points if the experience was to be replicated:

• Buy-in /commitment of the Wigan cross-system leadership team. The space incorporates cartoon characters of system leaders as the voice of the experience, cross system narrative and a strong Team Wigan ethos.

• Use feedback from local people – resident survey feedback fed into the design.

• Utilise technology – we used eventbrite for bookings, survey monkey barcodes for evaluation and a range of multi-media tools including ipads and soundboards.

• Use assets you have – the experience is based in heart of Wigan, an empty retail space facilitated by internal hosts from a range of roles / organisations.

• Use real case studies to bring concepts and ideas to life – we decked out 2 rooms in the experience as a living room and GP surgery.

• Keep it simple and design in a way that meets the needs of a home care worker as it does is to a specialist hospital consultant.

• Plan evaluation measures early in the design.

• Be realistic with timescales & test.

• Ensure mixed groups for the biggest impact & connections.

• Wider culture change to complement the learning experience is key.

• Consider different learning styles & blended approaches.

• Let the creative juices flow!

Additional Comments

5 things that make this innovative and bold are:

1) True partnership and co-creation – clarity and agreement from senior leaders on Healthier Wigan and its vision, with appetite of leadership to be brave and do something different.

2) Minimal cost – staff designed & host the experience in an empty retail space.

3) Readiness to change and permission for staff to feel empowered to work differently.

4) Recognising that staff are at the heart of everything the partnership does.

5) Making ODHW part of a wider engagement, learning and culture change journey to transform how we do things for the benefit of our residents.

A few additional comments from staff and to the experience to date, really sum up what we’ve achieved:

“this was well worth attending, it was a brilliant day”

“it was fantastic to practice what we’d learnt in a real situation”

*see attached montage / photo for more quotes*