Providers have to find ways to keep working with limited resources:
- Time: they switch resources to juggle service demands & encourage service users to use other providers (like crisis centres) outside of working hours.
- Money: funding is time-limited & has attached expectations for use.
- Workforce: staff are encouraged to access online & in-person training where available (sometimes through other providers) & they use previous experience to apply for new job opportunities to stay employed by their service.
- Data: staff manage workloads & targets with existing technology which has limited functions & access.
Providers have to juggle competing demands, & they deal with this by allocating other resources to keep their service going.
Providers have to juggle competing demands, & they deal with this by allocating other resources to keep their service going.
Services are limited by their opening hours. If service users need support out-of-hours, they have to be signposted elsewhere when the service is closed.
Providers worry about the availability & use of funding affecting operation of the service.
Providers promote training opportunities (online/in-person) for basics & additional ways of supporting service users.
“as part of our mandatory training, we have an online training package coverings safeguarding, equality, diversity, and health & safety. The Make Every Contact Count training & suicide prevention is usually in-person. Either people [here] deliver that or other voluntary organisations locally. Me and [Linked provider], we deliver some behaviour change stuff. There’s a wide range, so there’s a mix of online and in-person training. Most of it’s funded as well, which is good. I think if there was a gap, we’d be able to find the funding to do the training we needed.”
Linked provider
Providers use technology that they already have to manage their workloads & targets, which allows follow-up & supports engagement, but they are limited by access & functionality.
Many staff joined their service after the pandemic began & used previous work experience to apply for opportunities which supports career journeys & keeps staff in the workforce.
What to consider
Providers have to find ways to keep working effectively with their limited resources.
Making better use of existing resources, time & training can help staff to do this.
Consider the following strategies for your service
Staff freely manage their own time & workload to make sure the service runs smoothly (+)
What to do:
Give staff workload flexibility to manage their own tasks & responsibilities (include admin).
How to do it:
Support staff to complete & prioritise key tasks to manage their own workload (e.g. admin days).
What changes:
- Service can be kept going.
Offer staff accessible & flexible training to meet their needs (+)
What to do:
Provide staff access to appropriate & regular training opportunities to improve available service support.
Offer flexibility in workloads for staff to develop new skills.
How to do it:
Make sure all staff in the workforce keep their skills up to date.
Recognise training gaps & use existing resources or appropriate providers to fill them.
Share learning with others to overcome limited training access.
What changes:
- Service includes everyone & meets people’s needs
- Service can be kept going
- Shorter waits for service
- Service user-focused
Providers access existing technology to support service user engagement (+)
What to do:
Allow records to be shared between providers & get information about community resources to support service user engagement.
How to do it:
Find & share appropriate information (through community database & connected record systems) to personalise service user support.
What changes:
- Service meets people’s needs
- Shorter waits for service
- Service can be kept going
- Service user-focused