Redirect Resources & Increase Team Productivity

Resource Allocation

Resource allocation has changed following the implementation of The Lancaster Model; although all participants received an initial universal service the progressive targeted provision differed dependent on their specific requirements. Service provision became based on evidence ensuring all resources including staff were more effectively utilised and targeted to meet the needs of children, young people and their families, providing better value for money1.

Individual Interventions

Overall team productivity substantially increased in relation to individual interventions (n = ↑1231). The table below shows the number of individual interventions carried out in the primary schools at both school entry and year 6. The first column shows the activity (health and development reviews), the next three columns show the number of interventions in the previous year compared to the present number of interventions and the last column illustrates the productivity.

Specialist Community Public Health Skills

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) established Part 3 of the nursing register specifically for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN) taking the view that this form of practice has distinct characteristics that require public protection2. The SCPHN school nurses were able to achieve the standards of proficiency for entry on to the NMC register by; searching for health needs, working with and for communities, providing new innovative services and leading and facilitating people and resources to improve health and wellbeing. The SCPHN school nurses applied their public health training in to practice3 more cost effectively, by concentrating on a proactive approach to preventing ill health rather than a reactive approach to treating established disease.

Public Health Practice

There was a marked increase in the number of preventative public health sessions following the implementation of The Lancaster Model (n = ↑ 78). These sessions were facilitated by the SCPHN school nurses and delivered by the most appropriately skilled agency, increasing partnership working and encouraging the whole children's workforce to focus on the same identified needs of each school community. Evidence of population needs relating to behaviour choices and behaviour changes were paramount in the innovative delivery of tailored services and interventions. The table below shows the number of preventative public health sessions delivered in primary schools in one pilot site. The first column shows the practice theme, the next two columns show the number of sessions in the previous year compared to the present number of sessions and the last column illustrates the productivity.

1 Transforming Community Services: Enabling new patterns of working Department of Health (2009)
2 Statistical Analysis of The Register Nursing and Midwifery Council 2004
3 Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses 2005