Below are this week’s key messages from the national NHS Estates & Facilities Team. Please email any questions or comments you have on any of these items to: [email protected] or follow the links where provided.
Training Plenary Session: Design of Free Training for the new ProCure23 Framework
With the forthcoming transition from ProCure22 to ProCure23, the national Estates and Facilities Team is keen to obtain feedback on the training needs and wishes relevant to the new framework. We would like to offer an open invitation to all NHS estates and facilities staff likely to be involved in a ProCure23 project. This is for a 60-minute virtual plenary on Tuesday, December 14, from 9:30 to 10.30am. Please use this quick link to register and receive the MS Teams invite.
Please note that this is restricted to NHS E&F colleagues.
Net Zero Carbon Energy Apprentices
We are launching the first ever national cohort of NZC Energy Apprentices.
The first two roles within this cohort are available in Leeds and Northampton.
We are passionate about supporting people who want to help us achieve our net zero carbon journey, even if they have no experience in this area. So, if you are passionate about energy, waste or climate change in general and would like to help the NHS to achieve its net zero carbon commitments, please click on this link.
The closing date for these roles is December 15, 2021. Further roles in other locations will become available soon so please look out for these and do draw these to the attention of any colleagues who might have an interest.
E-mail: [email protected] (marking for the attention of Fiona Daly and Caroline Lowe) if you would like any further information.
The Kickstart Scheme
Employers have until December 17, 2021 to apply for funding from the Kickstart Scheme. This is a government scheme that aims to create new six-month job placements for young people, aged 16 – 24 (including graduates) on Universal Credit, who are at risk of long-term unemployment. This is a great way to bring new talent into estates and facilities roles whilst creating new jobs for your area. Find out more from the Gov.uk website or get in touch with [email protected].
FSA Listeriosis Guidance Survey
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is reviewing its guidance, Reducing the Risk of Vulnerable Groups Contracting Listeriosis (2016). To help the FSA develop a picture of the implementation of the guidance in NHS hospitals in England, they are requesting that managers with responsibility for food safety complete an online survey. This was launched on November 22 and will run until December 17. The survey is for managers with responsibility for food safety in NHS hospital Trusts.
The survey can be accessed here.
This review follows the listeriosis outbreak in 2019 which led to seven deaths, the corresponding Public Health England outbreak report and the Independent Review of Hospital Food. Local Authority food safety teams and other health and social settings are also being surveyed.
We are grateful to estates and facilities teams for your help and support with this.
The NHS Ambassador Programme needs you!
The NHS Ambassador Programme encourages NHS staff to volunteer just one hour per year to help inspire young people to pursue a career in healthcare. It aims to show young people the diverse range of roles within the NHS and help them to make informed decisions about their future employment.
The programme is accessed by over 80% of secondary schools nationwide and has helped over 400,000 young people so far.
The NHS Ambassador programme needs more ambassadors from across NHS Estates & Facilities roles – from apprentice to director - to be part of this programme.
As a volunteer, you will be asked to commit as little as one hour per year to talk about your job and career journey. Watch this short video ‘Welcome to Inspiring the Future’ to find out how you can make a difference. Signing up is easy and can be done here in a few short clicks!
Can you help us inspire the next generation of the estates and facilities workforce?
Contract Management Capability Programme
Free online training courses are available in contract management and commercial training to upskill staff working in this area. The foundation level in contract management takes around 12 hours to complete, while Senior Responsible Officer training is offered via hosted online training sessions. NHS and Foundation Trusts with Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts or other large /complex contracts within their estate are encouraged to put forward team members who are involved in management or monitoring. This can be booked via the Government Commercial College website. Further details are available on the NHS Collaboration Hub.
Looking After You Too: Coaching support for BAME staff working in the NHS
One to one wellbeing coaching support is available for BAME colleagues in the NHS workforce. Talking to a trained coach can help manage difficult situations and help maintain your health and wellbeing. All coaching sessions are free and confidential - details will never be shared with employers. Use this link to book a session. Book a coaching session (people.nhs.uk).
Dates for National Webinars
Please note the dates for the national webinars which have been scheduled as follows:
• December 16 - 2020/21 ERIC
• January 27 - NHS Estates Facilities: Resilience
• February 24 - NHS Estates Strategies (TBC).
These will all take place at 11am. If you would like to attend any of these webinars then please contact: [email protected] or [email protected].
National Estates and Facilities Team – Second Annual Forum: HOLD THE DATE
Our second annual Estates and Facilities Forum will be taking place on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. This will be an online event. Please hold the date in your diaries. Further information will follow soon.
NHS Estates and Facilities Team – Monthly Bulletin
The December edition of the monthly Estates and Facilities bulletin was issued on December 6. This provides the latest updates directly from NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Estates and Facilities Team including the latest guidance, health technical memoranda and policy developments affecting your work, as well as celebrating the successes of the wider E&F community. NHS staff can register to receive future editions of the newsletter. If you have seen the bulletin, we would welcome your feedback (please send to: [email protected]).
NHS England and NHS Improvement National Estates Team: Collaboration Hub
The Collaboration Hub is a protected space for local NHS estates and facilities teams to access key information as well as to collaborate and to share ideas and successes. Access to the Collaboration Hub for individuals from local NHS estates teams can be arranged by e-mailing: [email protected].
We have been arranging “overview and masterclasses” to help registered members understand and navigate the Hub more effectively. These have taken place on an ad hoc basis to date. However, following the very positive feedback we are now looking to formalise these on a more regular basis. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions (they last approximately 30 minutes) then please e-mail the above mailbox and Joy Heaps and Stuart Robinson will follow up directly.
If your e-mail address has changed over the past year (perhaps to .nhs.net), or you have moved to another NHS Trust then please e-mail us with the details ([email protected]) so that we can update our records.
The Hub can also be accessed via your mobile phone.
LinkedIn
You can also see the latest updates from the NHS Estates and Facilities Team by following our LinkedIn page.
Thank You
Our thanks to all of those working in estates and facilities for all that you do in maintaining the NHS estate, facilitating patient care as well as supporting the ongoing response to COVID-19.
Please continue to stay safe and access the support material available on the Collaboration Hub. The service could not function without you.
