The StLaR HR Plan Project has been commissioned by the Strategic Learning and Research Advisory Group (StLaR).
In 2002 national liaison arrangements between the Departments of Health and for Education and Skills were recast and in November 2002 Ministers from the two Departments established StLaR. The purpose of StLaR is to ensure effective joint working and strategic planning across all learning and research issues in health and social care at central government and funder levels. The group is jointly chaired by the Permanent Secretaries of the two Departments and meets twice a year. At its inaugural meeting, StLaR agreed the need for a work programme on the development of the workforce to support learning and research in health and social care. Subsequently key stakeholders met and the main recommendation was the need to develop a joint HR Plan. At its second meeting StLaR asked the NHSU to lead the work and the NHSU in turn invited Professor Tony Butterworth to lead the Project Team.
A Project Steering Group, independently chaired by Professor Sir Martin Harris, has overseen the work on behalf of StLaR and a Key Stakeholder Group has acted as a reference point and provided support for ongoing consultation.
The first phase of the work involved mapping and scoping the current position, developing a vision for the workforce, suggesting intermediate actions for the most pressing issues and agreeing the process by which the HR Plan was to be developed in consultation with key stakeholders.
Click here for the Phase 1 ReportPhase two of the Project involved a series of consultation events around the country to discuss the content of the HR Strategy which was drafted and submitted to StLaR on 8th June 2004.
Click here for the HR Strategy. StLaR approved the Strategy and instructed the Project Team to proceed with the HR Plan.
The first draft of the HR Plan was completed in early August 2004 and an e-consultation process was launched, inviting over 2,500 stakeholder organisations to comment on the proposed Plan and feed back to the Project Team.
Upon completion of the e-consultation, the Project Team redrafted the HR Plan which was then submitted, together with ten proposed career pathways and a full costing for implementation of the HR Plan, to StLaR on 10th November 2004.
The executive summary of the e-consultation responses is available on this site,
Click here to view.
The HR Plan Project now rests with the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills who will take the proposals forward through a newly formed (DH/DfES) Project Delivery Board. The HR Plan Project Team is currently engaged on a number of work streams to take the StLaR HR Plan forward including:
mapping current funding streams and activities which support the HR Plan
the development of guidance notes for employers on employment practices and pensions
working with the Healthcare Commission and Commission for Social Care Inspection
establishing links with the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) and Academic Careers sub-committee of Modernising Medical Careers
