Stranger danger! What’s the real challenge in integration?

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 194-205
Author(s):  
Anne Thomas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the complexities involved in delivering seamless patient-centred care across organisational boundaries. There is particular focus on how working with an organisation outside the public sector challenges the ideology of those involved, thereby hindering progress. It will explore the challenges and solutions to delivering a service and discuss the key components of success. It will investigate the theory of partnership working and balance the importance of the emotional investment and understanding with leadership and project management. Design/methodology/approach It explores the current “crisis” in NHS, along with political statements, emphasising its importance, but failing to address the issues faced by workers and agencies in the “outside” world. It will examine the concept of the “other” to explain the struggle required to gain a place at the table in discussing integration/service improvement. It will use experience in negotiating between a reasonably large care and nursing home provider and public sector bodies in Wales and consider the factors leading to a successful collaboration. Findings The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act, 2014 makes it clear that integration is seen as a critical means to achieve better outcomes for people and whilst not contesting that principle, the paper shows that integration is often limited in thinking and action to “public sector” integration. Originality/value There have been few attempts to explore the role and function of care and nursing home providers in service improvement from the provider’s perspective. It will challenge the practice of commissioning, that gives all the power to the commissioner and explores the commissioners’ accountability for their role in partnership work. It also offers hope for a different kind of relationship, based on mature conversations and mutual respect, along with a system of governance offering guarantees for sustainability.

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Richards ◽  
Anne Morris ◽  
Stewart Greenwell

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the strategic role of third-sector agencies, with a history that often left them “sidelined” by the public sector, showing how all agencies involved can be respected and trusted, with conflicts of interest around commissioning services well managed. It highlights how power differentials between agencies/sectors influence behaviour and how a voluntary council can promote the voice of users and carers. Design/methodology/approach A case study considering the nature of voluntary sector activity in Cwm Taf, referring to learning from elsewhere, confirming and challenging the experience. It draws on the experiences of two key third-sector workers and draws on local survey data, as well as the experiences of community co-ordinators. Findings The importance of “being there” in policy development, implementing change and taking action; “being at the top table” was critical in developing a stronger third sector and user voice, supporting the ambitions of Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Third-sector agencies have been good and mature partners, honest brokers/commissioners, completer/finishers and critical friends. Originality/value Power and influence are significant in changing the way that older people receive a different offer – not, “what can we do for you?”, but, “help us to understand what will make a difference to your life”. Third-sector agencies are crucial change agents, better at representing users and carers than public sector agencies doing it alone. It explores the concept of interdependence, as more energising for older people and agencies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 203-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence A. Patterson ◽  
Samuel Berry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore experiences of team culture, structure and function of an intensive support service (ISS) within the context of the recent service guidance “Building the Right Support” (NHS England, Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, 2015). Reflections on the Hampshire and Southampton ISS set up in 2010 are discussed with a view to informing a debate about frameworks for ISS services nationally. Design/methodology/approach A reflective piece, drawing on experience and case examples. Findings This paper describes that a key function of an ISS is making individuals safe and this is significantly assisted by using shared team formulation, which can enable information and perspectives to be shared between and within teams as rapidly as possible. Further, a case is made for recognising the importance of inter-disciplinary practice, as the Southampton and Hampshire ISS has removed the “old fashioned” demarcations that led to individuals seeing a “procession” of different professionals from different disciplines. This relates to team structure, but importantly is about a culture of holding a shared identity based on positive behavioural support values, rather than a traditional uni-disciplinary perspective. Practical implications ISS models are being proposed by NHS England and this paper suggests some important practical aspects. Originality/value Limited literature exists examining the team culture within ISSs, which contributes to desired outcomes for service users. This paper opens a debate about structural and functional aspects of service delivery in this service model.


Author(s):  
Ian Hesketh ◽  
Cary L. Cooper ◽  
Jonathan Ivy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine and report how the construct of “Well-being” is being recognised within the public services. Using research conducted in a northern provincial police force in the UK the paper explores the issues that may contribute to sickness absence, presenteeism and leaveism; a recently described manifestation of workload overload. As sweeping public sector reform results in reduced workforce and potentially static demand, the question asked here is, “how do organisations adapt to the shifting landscape and retain employee engagement in the workplace?” Design/methodology/approach – The study used A Short Stress Evaluation Tool to assess the risk of stress in the workforce. The questionnaire employed an online self-administered survey and collected data from 155 respondents on stress perceptions, health, attitude towards the organisation, job satisfaction and commitment to the organisation. Findings – Sickness absence figures receive detailed attention when it comes to managing employees, but they may not represent a reliable picture. In this study one-third of respondents indicated that they had taken leave when they had actually been ill or injured; leaveism. The concept of leaveism does not currently appear within sickness absence reporting mechanisms, and the authors would suggest that the omission of this concept leaves a lacuna in current thinking that may have significant impact on both individual and organisational performance. Research limitations/implications – This research clearly shows that the issue of leaveism is a valid concept and has potentially far-reaching consequences. This study has only touched on the first (of three) of the leaveism behaviours and is conducted solely in a policing environment (although non-warranted employees are included in the research cohort). Further research could include attempts to quantify elements two and three of leaveism, and explore to what extent these may impact on organisations undergoing public sector reform. Practical implications – Previous studies have highlighted the negative health effects on “stayers” in public sector downsizing exercises. This in turn raises the question of just how these “survivors” cope with the new regime; with potentially more work and less pay. The authors ask what behaviour cuts of this magnitude will eventually drive when the dust settles? As a consequence could the authors see an end to the practice of leaveism? In which case the authors could make the assumption that (in its first form) it may convert to sickness absenteeism? With a third of people surveyed conceding to the practice, this has far-reaching consequences. In comparison to presenteeism, which has no overt costs, this scenario presents an entirely different fiscal proposition. Originality/value – Leaveism, a recently described and under researched phenomenon, is a hidden source of potential abstractions from the workplace, and could impact enormously on organisational effectiveness. The motivation for the practice is unclear, and could be a manifestation of loyalty, enjoyment or duty. It could also be construed as a reaction to fear of job loss, redundancy or down grade. Whatever the underlying reason this study clearly illustrates the potentially harmful consequences to (public sector) organisations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-147
Author(s):  
Andrea Giordano ◽  
Alison Neville

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to improve the consistency and quality of the response to vulnerable adults who experience abuse and neglect within NHS, independent healthcare and social care settings is noted by practitioners, agencies and patients. Health and social care policy frameworks promote principles of service improvement and consistency, along with a focus on outcomes and resource effectiveness and interagency collaboration. The Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) coordinator role carries the responsibility of coordinating a response to individual referrals of abuse and neglect as described as part of the Designated Lead Manager role in the Wales Interim POVA Policy and Procedures for the POVA from abuse (Wales Adult Protection Coordinators Group, 2013). Design/methodology/approach – This paper will explore the benefits realised through a registered nurse being seconded from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board into a newly created joint adult protection Health Coordinator post within the Caerphilly County Borough Council social services department POVA team. Findings – This is the first example of such partnership working in adult protection in Wales and has provided a number of benefits in relation to: providing adult protection advice; coordinating the response to referrals of vulnerable adult abuse and neglect within health and social care settings; carrying out or buddying others to complete adult protection investigations; facilitating the two day non-criminal POVA investigation training course and, awareness raising within the local Health Board. The development of a student nurse placement in the social services POVA team cements the multiagency collaborative approach that this development sought to achieve. Originality/value – The need to improve the consistency and quality of the response to vulnerable adults who experience abuse and neglect within NHS, independent healthcare and social care settings is noted by practitioners, agencies and patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-119
Author(s):  
Johanim Johari ◽  
Faridahwati Mohd Shamsudin ◽  
Tan Fee Yean ◽  
Khulida Kirana Yahya ◽  
Zurina Adnan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the structural relationships between the job itself (i.e. job characteristics), employee well-being and job performance in light of the new administrative reform called the Government Transformation Program in Malaysia that stresses on measurable performance outputs. Design/methodology/approach A total of 208 public sector employees from various public agencies and departments in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia were surveyed. Some of the agencies that took part in the study include state departments, the fishery department, agriculture-related agencies and the rural development agency. Findings The authors observed that feedback positively influenced employee well-being, which served as a significant mediator in the relationship between feedback and job performance. The results indicated that 26.4 percent of the variance that explained employee well-being was accounted for by the different characteristics of a job. The authors also demonstrated that employee well-being accounted for 41.8 percent of job performance. Research limitations/implications The authors recommended that public sector managers consider the element of feedback and enhance employee well-being to improve job performance. Originality/value This study offers an insight into the effect of perceived changes in the job itself on employee well-being and subsequent job performance in light of government reforms.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Fleur van Veenstra ◽  
Francisca Grommé ◽  
Somayeh Djafari

Purpose Public sector data analytics concerns the process of retrieving data, data analysis, publication of the results as well as re-using the data by government organizations to improve their operations and enhance public policy. This paper aims to explore the use of public sector data analytics in the Netherlands and the opportunities and challenges of this use. Design/methodology/approach This paper finds 74 applications of public sector data analytics, identified by a Web search and consultation with policymakers. The applications are categorized by application type, organization(s) involved and application domain, and illustrative examples are used to elaborate opportunities and challenges. Findings Public sector data analytics is most frequently used for inspection and enforcement of social services and for criminal investigation. Even though its usage is often experimental, it raises concerns for scope creep, repeated targeting of the same (group of) individuals, personal data use by third parties and the transparency of governmental processes. Research limitations/implications Drawing on desk research, it was not always possible to identify which type of data or which technology was used in the applications that were found. Furthermore, the case studies are illustrative rather than providing an in-depth overview of opportunities and challenges of the use of data analytics in government. Originality/value Most studies either perform a literature overview or present a single case study; this paper presents a more comprehensive overview of how a public sector uses data analytics.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart Greenwell ◽  
Daniel Antebi

Purpose The Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 provide a direction of travel for all public services in Wales and a framework for delivering the aspirations in the legislation. Although specifically referring to social care, both pieces of legislation are as relevant to the NHS as they are to other public bodies, providing an opportunity for NHS Wales and local government, in particular, to be equal partners in making a difference to the people and communities they serve. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A viewpoint paper. Findings In Wales the time is right to do things differently in health and social care, so the authors will reflect on why current services are struggling and propose an approach that is rooted in communities rather than in specialities. The authors suggest developing a centre of gravity in the community through a multi-agency collaboration to achieve the greatest health, social care and economic impact. Originality/value Attention needs to be directed to supporting people, communities and frontline workers to become more resilient, rather than our current focus on specialist services.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sobia Hassan ◽  
Nighat Ansari ◽  
Ali Rehman

PurposeThe present study aimed to find out the relationship of public service motivation (PSM) with other positive aspects, that is workplace spirituality and employee well-being among academic staff of public sector higher education institutions.Design/methodology/approachIn order to capture the full picture of the institutional factors that may be responsible for initiating and improving public service motivation among employees, 23 interviews were carried out with employees placed in leadership positions in the public sector universities. The data were qualitatively analyzed through NVivo 12 to gain institutional perspective regarding various organizational factors that could influence PSM.FindingsThe finding of this study elaborates that, although PSM is a personal attribute of the individual, there are many other organizational factors that exert a substantial effect in promoting PSM. The results of qualitative data also affirmed a significant relationship between PSM and workplace spirituality (a type of organizational culture) and the influence of employee well-being in improving the motivation of public employees towards service provision.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were collected from the specific population that is academic staff of public sector universities which limits the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsPSM is a vital concept in public organizations where individuals must understand and focus on public concerns to improve the quality of public service. Therefore, public sector organizations faced the challenge of nurturing an organizational culture in which selfless public service becomes the norm and individuals are driven by the effective accomplishments of their services. Therefore, an organization that is highly oriented towards spirituality likely to improve employee well-being, which is a challenging and important concept in organizations in promoting PSM among employees.Originality/valueThis study is unique in terms of identifying workplace spirituality and employee well-being as organizational influencers in promoting PSM among employees.


Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Vahdat

PurposeThe current pandemic will introduce many novel policies, adaptations, innovations and procedures by innovative human resource (HR) creativity. In particular, information technology (IT) implementation is a field that needs more significant focus and a wider range of creative interventions. The author would undoubtedly see a more human-focused approach to HR management (HRM) in the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (post-COVID-19) era, where enterprises and workers have had to reinvent themselves in a brief amount of time drastically. Following the nationwide lockdown caused by COVID-19, many companies were pushed to opt for remote working, which presents both difficulties and benefits for workers and employers. So the purpose of this study is to investigate some key consequences resulting from COVID-19’s effect on multiple HRM roles, how technology is empowering and fostering HRM, informative forecasts based on how organizations are coping and finally, the path in the post-pandemic environment.Design/methodology/approachThe COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant effect on every area of the global economy. It has had severe implications for public institutions and raises particular questions for medical schools. The emergence of COVID-19 has disrupted many activities and requires intense and prompt attention from medical educators. So, HR leaders now face the difficult task of managing the interests of workers and their corporations. The outbreak of COVID-19 has proved that this is not just a difficult time but rather a testing time for companies across the globe to check and ensure how swiftly they adapt themselves by thinking and planning differently. An enterprise evolves with nature, and change is unavoidable if performance and productivity are to improve. Changes in structure, technology and priorities are overgrowing, posing big obstacles to leaders. Corporations worldwide have looked to technology to pursue creative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. This study provides a review of articles related to the role of technology in HRM in the COVID-19 period. The analyzed articles are divided into three groups, including articles related to the role of information communication technology, cloud computing and teleworking in HRM in the COVID-19 era. Also, the most important key challenges are collected, and solutions are provided for them.FindingsIn times of trouble, authentic leadership shines through. The actions of pioneering HR leaders throughout the COVID-19 epidemic will significantly affect their respective organizations. When COVID-19 expanded around the world, HR agencies made their workers’ health and welfare a top priority. HRM’s long-term sustainability can be dictated by how they deal with the current crisis. Web-based solutions, such as cloud computing, will also address a vital resource allocation gap. It illustrates the possible efficacy of patient-oriented, web-based applications built on result-driven design, which continues to be validated by more testing and assessment. Many studies have emphasized business innovation as a necessity due to changes in the environment and various challenges and requirements facing businesses. The challenge of observing social distance and limiting face-to-face business services is the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic era.Research limitations/implicationsThis study could entail a joint international collaboration initiative among research centers, allowing information about COVID-19 impacts to be shared more easily. It will favor a worldwide policy to find a response to the epidemic but still address cultural and social issues.Practical implicationsThe survey concludes that, whenever possible, employers and medicals should explore remote working opportunities in all industries to alleviate uncertainty and improve employee psychological well-being. The facilitating considerations and problems are often addressed in order to supply practical views for developing cloud-based solutions.Originality/valueThis research aims to lead to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the HRM area through the use of IT-based technology. It allows businesses to reinvent HRM techniques to save money and maximize efficiency without compromising their employees’ life quality and well-being. More in-depth studies at various pandemic stages would yield more valuable insights into HRM’s emerging position.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majd Megheirkouni

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and understand current challenges and future trends in leadership and management development that can help practitioners in post-wars periods, using evidence from Syrian public sector. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative method design is used for data collection: semi-structured interviews with 24 senior managers in the public sector. Findings The findings revealed that the current challenges includes egos, technological hurdles, financial constraints, instability and the different expectations of new and old staff; future trends include developing collective leadership, technology literacy applications for effective leadership development, focusing on self-learning and development, focusing on creativity and innovation for transferring learning and development and targeting both vertical and horizontal learning and development. Research limitations/implications Research data have been collected with managers working in an unstable environment. Only the public sector has been involved in the study. There were a number of limitations, e.g. selection of participant sample size and exploratory methodology, which affect generalizing the findings. Practical implications The implication of the current study is practical in nature. Essentially, post-war governments can use the results of the current study to help leaders and managers develop and implement effective strategies to meet their enormous and urgent needs. Originality/value Leadership/management development has become a strategic issue in post-war countries, acting as the key element in the stage of extensive reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, and the restoration and restructuring of social services in former conflict zones, and the restoration and restructuring of economy and many other roles.


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