Update - February 2023 Our Best Practice for Sustainable Staffing standards will launch this April, along with expressions of interest for our pilot peer reviews. More information about Thrive Paediatrics will be available from March onwards. We'd like to thank members who have given their time to this project so far.
Best Practice for Sustainable Staffing
A consensus document outlining what ‘good’ looks like in working practices and policies relating to clinicians working lives. It will consist of a set of standards on areas of work varying from job planning to sustainable rotas, inclusivity and wellbeing to handovers and debriefs.
Paediatric Sustainable Staffing Peer Review
This peer review scheme will provide the means to assess and subsequently highlight exemplary practices and areas of improvement within organisations and between organisations. This will allow the college to build a national picture of the experiences of the paediatric workforce and through the sharing of results signpost organisations to peers that may help them in their journey to improve conditions for their paediatric workforce.
Wellbeing and Innovation Networks
These networks will form communities of practice across the UK to become the hub of wellbeing resources, actions and interventions, designed by regions customised for their region.
We are committed to this project and exploring the possibilities through pilot schemes because the sustainability of our workforce is now a critical priority within the NHS. In defining the scope of work for this programme, preliminary research was undertaken that confirmed the requirement for action that improved paediatrician recruitment, retention and lived experiences.
To date, paediatricians have been working tirelessly, individually or in small, disparate clusters to enact change and many have successfully delivered on interventions that have transformed their colleagues’ working lives. RCPCH hopes to galvanise this energy, connect changemakers across the UK, and amplify successful ideas that support paediatric clinicians to create fulfilling lifelong careers that are well supported by their workplace.
Even more so than ever before we need to invest in opportunities that add value and make people feel valued. At our core we all have a desire to thrive and grow, to experience a sense of vitality and learning. Research has found that thriving employees are more confident and energised, better able to respond to challenges, and recover quicker from the demands of work. Through Thrive Paediatrics the college wishes to send a clear message to its member paediatricians that we are committed to supporting our paediatric workforce to thrive and improve their experiences of the NHS.
As part of Thrive Paediatrics we are pleased to announce a unique opportunity for two clinical fellows to support delivery of pilot schemes for the programme. If you are interested in getting involved, or know of anyone in your team who might be interested, look at the role and share with your colleagues. [Applications are closed.]
If you have any questions about this programme, get in touch with the team at thrive@rcpch.ac.uk.