Q Exchange
Professional Advocacy Survival Guide
- Proposal
- 2024
Meet the team
Martin Hogan
Claire Cox
Emma Wadey
Julia Fairhall
Sid Beech
Denise Thiruchelvam
Ofrah Muflahi
Samantha Lungu Matikinye
Also:
- Jennifer Pearson
- Sifiso Mguni
- Ayesha Gadher
What is the challenge your project is going to address and how does it connect to the theme of 'How can we improve across system boundaries?
Professional Advocates are healthcare professionals who have a remit to restore and recover the workforce through clinical supervision, career development and QI support. They work in a range of sectors and settings including health and social care, MOD and the independent sector – and their role is in additional to their clinical duties.
A recent analysis in a UK-wide forum, 80% of Professional Advocates reported low confidence in undertaking their role supporting colleagues in QI and clinical supervision. The data evidenced a disparity and lack of equity in support for Advocates across systems. We know nationally that care inequalities result in poorer outcomes; the same translates for staff safety and retention.
We aim to co-create resources and introduce forums for these individuals to learn, upskill, build confidence and connect with peers, with a focus on QI and advocacy. It will be a UK-wide effort, building on existing Professional Advocacy practice and networks.
What does your project aim to achieve?
The aim of the project is at a system level to increase Professional Advocate practice and confidence across the UK. For healthcare professionals, this will mean more equitable access to and higher quality support around career development, QI and supervision. For organisations, it will help to improve retention.
Our objectives include;
- To establish a UK-wide community of practice, to enable the co-design of the resources ensuring inclusivity and representation across systems
- Through the community we will explore and understand the complexity of the issue, including disparities at a system level.
- Data collection to inform the design
- Co-creation of the resources ensuring parity, quality and user-based design
- Testing of resources at a multi-system level using improvement methods
- Production and publication of the resources for free, in partnership with the Q Community
Support the NHS long term workforce plan 2023 and people plan
How will the project be delivered?
The project will use an evidence based and adaptive approach. It will delivered in a number of phases;
- Phase 1 will focus on the establishment of a community of practice, in order to inform the co-creation of the resources. We will leverage existing knowledge, relationships and forums in order to encourage people from a wide range of settings and sectors to join. We will work virtually, reducing geographic boundaries and the carbon footprint of this project. We will encourage participation from those with a variety of digital competencies. Continuous management of risk throughout
- Phase 2 co-creation of the resources, grounded in the insights and feedback from across the UK.
- Phase 3 testing and evaluation of the resources in a number of systems.
- Phase 4 the publication of the resources for free to access, ensuring sustainability and encouraging adoption.
- Phase 5 is a longer-term evaluation of the benefits of the project throughout the UK
How is your project going to share learning?
The resources we produce will be freely available through Q, open to systems such as the NHS, social care, justice, MOD, Independent sector and charities.
Not only can this resource benefit the 6000 existing Professional Advocates, we anticipate that they will be equally useful to any new Advocates, in particular those emerging for other professional groups such as Allied Health Professionals and Paramedics.
We will share learning from our evaluation including outcome measures around professional advocate confidence in their practice e.g. QI.
We will share the learning and insights gained from taking a community of practice approach to tackling a complex issue affecting all systems in the UK during and after. A full evaluation of the project will also be undertaken to examine the realised benefits and objectives achieved.
In support of sustaining community engagement, this project will also see the creation of a Special Interest Group for Professional Advocacy.
How you can contribute
- - Make introductions that might be helpful and learn from other Q members
- - Other members could help greatly with the sharing of any work related to this subject
- - Volunteer to participate in the community of practice
- - Volunteer to pilot in their local organisation/system
- - Promote this project
- - Willingness to contribute experience & content
- - Ideas for how to make this even better
Plan timeline
| 1 Apr 2024 | Recruit to the community of practice |
|---|---|
| 1 May 2024 | Gain insights and data on current challenge and disparities |
| 3 Jun 2024 | Run a series of workshops to co-design draft resources |
| 21 Jun 2024 | Co-design resources with the communities input |
| 9 Sep 2024 | Test and evaluate the co-designed resources in several systems |
| 2 Dec 2024 | Publish resources for free UK wide |
| 3 Mar 2025 | Begin evaluation of the impact and create sustainability plan |
Comments
Georgina Turner 19 Mar 2024
Happy to provide any insights or support you may need from a national Independent Sector point of view Martin
Martin Hogan 19 Mar 2024
Yes please Georgina, Would welcome all systems to be part of this so we can really make this inclusive and viable. eeeks it's soo exciting
Steph Davis 19 Mar 2024
Interested in being involved if possible please Martin
Amanda Bonnett 19 Mar 2024
Such a great idea and a much needed central resource for PNAs to support confidence, competence, networking and sustainability of the role.
More than happy to be involved with this Martin if the invite is extended?
Martin Hogan 19 Mar 2024
Hello, of course it would be wonderful to have you particularly as you in a different part of the country!
Claudia Woodford 19 Mar 2024
Hi Martin,
I would love to be involved with this.
Kind regards,
Claudia
Martin Hogan 19 Mar 2024
Wonderful, will keep you posted
Nicola Welsh 13 Mar 2024
This is a fantastic opportunity! I am new to the PNA role, would appreciate being involved to benefit not only myself but the many nurses across the north-west. Please include me in the project.
Martin Hogan 19 Mar 2024
brilliant- of course, thats great to build networking and help drive this with us through mutli-systems and geographies
Sara Lant 12 Mar 2024
I would love to be involved in this.
Martin Hogan 19 Mar 2024
Amazing Sara, would be great to have you involved. I don't think i have been as excited for any idea i have had before :)
Tracey Coyne 12 Mar 2024
Hi Martin, great idea, more than willing to support .
Tracey
Martin Hogan 19 Mar 2024
Your support would be greatly received and lots of co-production and cake !
Lauren Davis 12 Mar 2024
This is a wonderful initiative, and very much needed. I have started creating my own resources for clinical supervision and my PNA work for this very reason! Would love to be involved in this project ❤️
Martin Hogan 19 Mar 2024
lovely to hear- how exciting the more the merrier and the more diverse our backgrounds coming together will make this very sustainable and multi- functional
Gemma Hill 6 Mar 2024
Yes, yes, yes!
A community of PAs and resources will be invaluable in sharing, learning and improving. Coming from a trust where there is little direction for PNAs, I am very happy to see this.
Martin Hogan 6 Mar 2024
fantastic thank you
Alison Collier 6 Mar 2024
Hi I am a trainee PNA and think it’s a great idea and would love to be involved .
Martin Hogan 6 Mar 2024
of course the more the merrier
Helen Fletcher 6 Mar 2024
Hi. I am a trainee PNA.
Please can I be involved?
Thank you.
Helen.
Manchester Foundation Trust
Martin Hogan 6 Mar 2024
Hello, of course. if the bid is successful you can be involved the more the merrier as we wish to create better multi systems working
Steph Davis 5 Mar 2024
Would love to be involved if possible please Martin (student PNA, submitted assignments) : )
Martin Hogan 6 Mar 2024
of course if the bid is approved we want to bring everyone along with us on our improvement journey
Chrissie Hall 5 Mar 2024
This is a fantastic project idea and evidently so important. Any opportunity where we can share learning and acquire new knowledge benefits so many. I'm very new to PNA and the first thoughts are what if I do it wrong. Having a solid foundation of PA support will ensure we are supported as PNA/PMAs to be able to deliver effective RCS.
If there are opportunities to be involved I would like to offer, I am very passionate about QI and involved in shared governance as well as PNA.
Martin Hogan 6 Mar 2024
Thank you Chrissie, it is soo needed and would be wonderful to collaborate
Nola Clements 5 Mar 2024
What a fantastic project!
Really looking forward to seeing how this resource develops and gaining support.
Martin Hogan 6 Mar 2024
Thank you
Nadine Watson 5 Mar 2024
This project is so important to ensure PNAs across the country have the same resources and support available to them, regardless of where they work. A national hub with ideas, guidance and the ability to obtain advice from other PNAs that may work in a similar place, or are having similar issues available to discuss these issues without the fear of feeling like they are discussing with 'management' but with other actual PNAs is so important, and is the essence of the PNA role.
Martin Hogan 6 Mar 2024
Indeed it would be. soo many ideas to come
Emma gillard 5 Mar 2024
I would love to be involved.
Martin Hogan 5 Mar 2024
Thanks Emma for your comment. We would love for you to be involved. Hopefully the bid will win and then the fun would begin ( if successful) We would then bring everyone together to connect and share ideas and take it from there.
Michelle Wakelin 4 Mar 2024
Wow!!! Fabulous idea. I echo other comments about the value and benefit this will provide our existing PNAs and the reassurance this community would provide for PNAs. A place for them to gain support to then pass on the great work to our staff members in the trust.
I would very much like to be a part of this
good luck
Martin Hogan 5 Mar 2024
Thank you Michelle we would very much welcome your expertise.
This is the very exciting part of the project the bringing everyone together across multi-systems working from around the UK and Ireland.
Angie Mcnamara 4 Mar 2024
What a fantastic idea.
As our Trust starts to implement the PNA role it would be fantastic to have a national resource we can share that will help our development and learning.
I would love to be involved.
Martin Hogan 5 Mar 2024
Hi Angie, glad you think it's a great idea and we would very much welcome your involvement. If bid successful then we will bring everyone together to explore, share and grow.
will keep everyone posted from the huge engagement on twitter.
So exciting
Debbie Quinn 4 Mar 2024
I would love to be actively involved in this project. As a PNA I often feel we are the ones left unsupported
Martin Hogan 5 Mar 2024
Thanks for sharing Debbie. Would very much welcome your involvement.
we would like to build multi system working approach to support and grow.
side- note I run a UK wide forum called a Parliament of PNAS if you don't come to it already please feel free to DM for further support
thanks for engagement
Nicola Neale 4 Mar 2024
As a Professional Nurse Advocate Lead / Clinical Supervision Lead I believe support and self care for Professional Advocates is essential in keeping us well to facilitate support for our colleagues.
A National Community of Practice and resources will be so valuable in sharing, learning and growing together, a great opportunity to cross system work.
I would be happy to contribute and will share this resource with my Trust.
Martin Hogan 5 Mar 2024
Thanks Nicola, Great to hear and couldn't agree more. Hopefully if successful this is the start of a very exciting culturaly impactful peace of work.
looking forward to connecting and collaborating
Veronica Hanlon 4 Mar 2024
While we don't have Professional Advocates in our health system in Ireland, we do have a number of departments that deliver clinical supervision training as well as continuous professional development support. The resources you develop and the community of practice may be of interest to them.
Martin Hogan 4 Mar 2024
Hello, thank you for taking the time to comment. Recently Wales is introducing the PNA, so i believe there is such synergy in Professional Advocates that Ireland is next.
Absolutely- this resources can be shared outside of Professional advocates, inclusive of patient safety, other clinical supervisors and much much more. That's why I think its soo innovative because it can be soo inclusive for all healthcare workers.
Jenny Marshall 21 Feb 2024
This is brilliant - Professional Advocates are so beneficial for supporting our staff groups, but I feel they are often left feeling less supported as a result (as you've evidenced). Do you have a plan of how to collect data to show these resources will demonstrate an improvement?
Good luck with this - I'll definitely be promoting it and hope to share the resources with members of my Trust!
Martin Hogan 29 Feb 2024
Hello Jenny,
Thank you for commenting.
I completely agree. I run UK wide forum called a Parliament of PNAS and hear that a lot. Which is part of the incentive to build a resource that is in itself restorative.
Great question. I will look to first build an community of practice ( would love for you to join) to better understand matters cross systems.
My initial thought and I do sometimes have too many :)
Would be a pre and post evaluation survey which would not only quantitative give us but the rich qualitative data as well. This would make it easier to share the journey with a run/spc chart alongside qualitative results.
Also, how many copies are order by how many organisations and specialities etc would be another measure I would be interested to see. For example more uptake in the NHS vs the military.
Thank you for the luck. I run a forum on twitter if you and any PNAs you know need support. handle @advocacy_forum
Comments are now closed for this post.