ULO Workforce Plan Template

A Template for Workforce Planning

for

User Led Organisations

Developed by:

T Blackmore – Disability Cornwall and Isles of Scilly,

J Waddington-Jones – DOTS CIC,

V McCririck – Workforce Adviser

October 2011


INTRODUCTION

The place of User Led Organisations is becoming more critical than ever as public sector organisations seek to put people who need to use their services at the heart of their offer, and to ensure that those people are able to choose the services they need. However, in order to do this, people need to have tried and trusted advice, and what better way to achieve that than through organisations that represent the interests of people who have had reason to use health and/or social care and support services.

However, like many other organisations in the social purpose sector, User Led Organisations are buffeted by the commissioning priorities and procurement arrangements used by the public sector. This makes planning difficult, especially workforce planning. There are so many variables at play. However, long term survival of User Led Organisations is dependent to a large extent on the people that are employed and who volunteer. Finding, retaining and developing the people that add value to the ULO offer should not be left to chance and circumstance. This could significantly weaken the ability to tender for the contracts that will enable social care to be delivered in a way that really puts the person who needs social care and support at the centre.

This document sets out a Template for Workforce Planning for User Led Organisations (and other organisations in the social purpose sector), based on the experience of two ULOs in the South West who successfully bid for workforce capacity building funding from the Department of Health – South West: Disability Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Ltd, and DOTS Disability CIC/Access Dorset.

ULO's experience of the value of developing a workforce strategy is that:

ñ  It has been a focal point for the involvement of trustees, staff and volunteers in the evolution of the organisation. This is particularly important for us as our environment has changed significantly in a very short time and it is very important that the direction we are taking is understood and owned by everyone.

ñ  It has helped us to analyse our current activity, disentangle future opportunities and, on the basis of that, recognise the priorities for our workforce development.

ñ  As it was being written we used the strategy as a very useful tool to share and explain our thinking to commissioners. It was used successfully in negotiations to secure Reablement funding to create 2 building based CIL’s in Dorset, but also to ensure that the project is meaningfully co-produced and user-led.

ñ  Our Workforce Strategy is a working document and will no doubt change significantly as we continue to grow and respond to opportunities. For us it is a vital planning tool.

Jonathan Waddington-Jones, Chief Executive, Access Dorset and DOTS Disability CIC

ñ  Producing a workforce strategy got us to focus on our business strategy, with the recognition that we need to become more independent and diverse, and therefore able to sustain and maintain our core functions/purpose, requiring a more flexible skill set from our staff, as we separate “core” from “project” functions.

ñ  We are consolidating our ULO Hub activity, investigating new ways of working together and commissioning services from each other, rather than buying in external services from other non-ULO partners.

ñ  As a relatively small organisation even a relatively little amount of cash, either coming in or going out, can have a major impact, either positive or negative, which means we need to be able to flex our workforce up and down quickly. This is difficult to plan for, but knowing this gives us some ammunition with our commissioners who need to start understanding the impact of their decisions on the workforce in the social purpose sector.

ñ  The structured approach to workforce planning helps to gather one's thoughts in useful directions, and is certainly something we will use here when writing our new business plan over the coming period of months.

Dr Theo Blackmore, Strategic Partnership Manager, Disability Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

We wish you well in planning for your future workforce. This document is designed as a template for you to adjust and work with to meet your needs. We have aimed to keep it as simple as possible. The questions at each Step are prompts only, so delete them as you deal with each one. Ideally, your completed template would become incorporated into your business plan so that it is regularly reviewed.

There are further resources available on workforce planning and development from Skills for Care and SCIE.

STEP 1 DEFINING THE PLAN

1 Introduction

The workforce plan sets out what you are seeking to do to ensure that your workforce is able to adjust in line with your Business Plan, and also focuses on ensuring improvements to productivity and quality can be achieved through your paid staff and volunteers.

It is intended to describe how the workforce will change over the next two to three years, and will focus on the expected level of increase or decrease on your pay budget.

STEP 2 . ULO STRATEGY: Vision the Future
This is a critical step, requiring you to develop a good understanding of your future business growth. This can clearly be difficult in turbulent times, but stick with this process, look at the potential different scenarios, and plan for both the best and the worst cases. This will help to ensure that your ULO is in the best position to bid for future contracts and develop new service offers to people who want support from your organisation.
2.1 SERVICE DEVELOPMENT - SUMMARY
Key aspects of your Business Plan – plans for expansion and contraction of different service offers? Known opportunities for development? Potential opportunities for development?
Attach a copy of your organisation’s development action plan.
2.2 NATIONAL and LOCAL DRIVERS
What are the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental drivers impacting on your organisation? (Template at Appendix 1) What Opportunities and Threats do these pose? (Template at Appendix 2) What are your organisations strengths and weaknesses in responding to these issues?
How does the local demographic data of potential future demand impact on the future likely demand for your services? (Contact your Local Authority commissioner who may have this information)
2.3 FUTURE SCENARIOS
Looking at what is most uncertain and what would have most impact, consider the future potential possibilities.
An overview scenario picture for ULOs is contained at Appendix 3. You may have a different view of the overriding key issues of uncertainty and impact, and could plot a different set of scenarios.
What risks do the scenarios present and what will you do to mitigate those risks? What is the most likely scenario, and what are the workforce implications of that?
Potential for Growth from: / Risk of Contraction from:
Workforce implications to manage: / Workforce Implications to manage:
What are the emerging themes to focus on?
STEP 3 . WORKFORCE DEMAND
Set out what you see to be the impact of Step 2 on demand for your workforce. A summary of key roles can help to see synergy between roles and opportunities to develop new service offers. Also an Activity Analysis of current work can be helpful. A template for presenting this information is attached at Appendix 4.
Are there any sorts of skills or roles which you will need less of in future?
Are there any skills that you will need more of in the future?
Impact of new technology on efficiency?
Likelihood of new contracts and potential for TUPE transfers or need to increase staff levels?
What could be the impact of such changes on management?
Overall the impact on workforce demand is projected to be?
Step 4 WORKFORCE SUPPLY

This step requires you to understand the make-up of the workforce that you employ, and to consider the future of supply of people, both internally and in the external labour market.

4.1 INTERNAL WORKFORCE

ñ  Recruitment and retention - what are the rates?
ñ  Sickness levels?
ñ  Succession planning issues to address?
ñ  Age profile of existing staff?
ñ  What is the skill profile of the workforce?
ñ  How flexibly can you deploy staff across the different roles?
ñ  What is your supply of volunteers? How reliable are they?
ñ  Are you employing sufficient numbers of people with a disability to meet the ULO criteria?
4.2 EXTERNAL WORKFORCE
ñ  How long do new staff stay with you?
ñ  Do you have difficulty filling any of your jobs?
ñ  How do your pay rates compare?
ñ  Do you offer any apprenticeships?
ñ  How often do you use temporary or relief staff?
ñ  How long do volunteers stay with you?
ñ  How difficult is it to attract new volunteers?
STEP 5 ACTION PLAN
In this step, you are considering all the information you have collected, and reviewing what it means for you in meeting your business plan.
ñ  What are the workforce priorities that you need to address from the information identified at Step 4? Do you understand the reason for these issues? Keep asking “why” to seek to uncover the base line reason for those issues that give you concern.
ñ  What actions will help you to achieve these priorities? (eg, what types of training and development, mentoring support (internal and external), secondment opportunities, work shadowing, changes to role, working patterns, etc.)
ñ  What is the likely reaction of staff and volunteers to the changes, and what actions will you take to ensure their engagement?
ñ  What will be the impact of inability to address the workforce priorities? - eg, on delivery of a contract, financial sustainability etc.
ñ  Review the risks identified at Step 2 and consider required action relating to this.
An Action Plan summary is attached at Appendix 5
STEP 6 IMPLEMENTATION
ñ  What will be the arrangements to review achievement of your action plan?
ñ  Have any new priorities emerged?
ñ  Who will you be working with to enable implementation?

LIST OF APPENDICES: Page

APPENDIX 1 – PESTLE 9

APPENDIX 2 – SWOT 10

APPENDIX 3 – SCENARIO PLAN 11

APPENDIX 4 – ACTIVITY ANALYSIS 12

APPENDIX 5 – ACTION PLAN 13 - 14

October 2011

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ULO Workforce Plan Template

PESTLE Analysis APPENDIX 1

Political / Economic / Social / Technological / Legal / Environmental

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Strengths / Weaknesses
Opportunities / Threats

SWOT Analysis APPENDIX 2

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ULO Workforce Plan Template

APPENDIX 3

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ULO Workforce Plan Template

Activity Analysis of Current Work APPENDIX 4

e.g. Corporate Disability Equality Consultation Service
Purpose / To provide a monthly consultation exercise on any topic requested across all Council departments
Timescale / April 2010 – March 2012
Funding stream / Wockingborough Council
Project lead / Chief Executive
Resource implications / In the first year of the service the organisation of consultation events was undertaken by the Development Manager (1 day per month) with the consultation sessions facilitated by a subcontracted disability equality consultant paid on a daily rate.
Since April 2011 the bulk of the organisation for consultation events has been undertaken by the Volunteer Office Managers. Consultation exercises are now facilitated by our Community Development Worker.
Key Outcomes / One consultation exercise/report per month
Number of volunteers trained and involved in the consultation process
Project 2
Purpose
Timescale
Funding stream
Project lead
Resource implications
Key outcomes
Project 3
Purpose
Timescale
Funding stream
Project lead
Resource implications
Key outcomes

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Template Action Plan APPENDIX 5
1. Current and Future Funding
Outcome / Action Required / Responsible / Timescale / Resources / Comments
2. Current and Future Skills
Outcome / Action Required / Responsible / Timescale / Resources / Comments
3. Current and Current and Future Recruitment and Retention Issues
Outcome / Action Required / Responsible / Timescale / Resources / Comments
4. Responding to planned and unplanned Changes to Services
Outcome / Action Required / Responsible / Timescale / Resources / Comments

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