Flexible learning the key at Wirral Hospital

Busy employees at a Merseyside hospital are studying for degrees and diplomas while they get on with their day-to-day jobs – thanks to the learndirect Learning through Work programme.

Fourteen staff members from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at the Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral are working towards higher education qualifications – using their past work experience and current work projects as bases for their learning.

The employees – who range from administration and clerical staff through to nurses and midwives – have been learning together and learning from each other since they started the Learning through Work programme at the beginning of 2002. 

Now, nine months on, they are all busy working on new and challenging projects that are helping them with their work and with their qualifications, which may be certificates, diplomas, first degrees and masters degrees. 

Maria Haigh, a medical secretary studying at undergraduate level of the programme, said: "I hadn’t done any studying since school and, at first, I was terrified but working with my tutor I have set myself realistic goals and I’m getting through the work now. 

"It’s a bit of a surprise now I’ve started it.  I’m really enjoying it and it’s giving me the confidence to do things at work that I would never have been involved in before.  It has definitely opened up new opportunities for me at work and that’s been really good."

Diane Williams, a Clinical Governance Co-ordinator, said: “At the moment I’ve got no formal qualifications for the role I do so when I heard about this opportunity I jumped at the chance.

"It was really hard going back through ten years of work but it was a very worthwhile exercise and really made me think about myself, what I’ve done and how I learned from my past experience.

"Now I’m actually getting into the programme I think it’s brilliant.  It is helping me to achieve something I always thought was beyond me and getting credit for previous work experience is great."

Each of the 14 people in the cohort is working at their own pace and at their own level – using the projects they are individually working on in their jobs as credit towards their qualifications.

And, because the individual courses are designed by the learners themselves, in partnership with tutors from Chester College – a college of the University of Liverpool – the hospital benefits as it can have an input into what the employees learn.  The hospital has been able to stipulate some requirements of their own so the learners are also working to meet their employer’s needs.

Linda Birch, Practice Development and Research Unit Leader in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, manages the Learning through Work programme for the hospital.  She explained: “It’s really useful being able to have an input into the design of the courses.

"As an organisation we sat down and discussed what we wanted the people to learn and then designed some modules around that.  So, we have three specialist modules that we have developed – on Maternal Surveillance, Fetal Surveillance and Modern Midwifery Practice.

"By doing this we know that we impart the very latest thinking and techniques to our staff, which not only allows them to perform better at work but also contributes towards their qualifications.

"This process also makes succession planning easier.  When somebody leaves we will know what skills and knowledge other people in the unit have gained and those staff members will have had a taster of a particular role and will know whether they are interested in the vacant post or not.

"It’s an excellent programme and the way it is set up gives both the hospital and our staff so much flexibility."

Dr David Perrin, Co-ordinator of the Learning through Work programme at Chester College said: “Learning through Work is one of Chester College's fastest growing programmes. We have students from across the North West and beyond who are supported by tutors face-to-face and online.

"No matter the type of work people are engaged in, it's clear that from the NHS to the e-business sector they have discovered it's the best way of achieving University-level recognition for their workplace efforts."

June Keeling, a midwife in the unit, added: "It’s a wonderful programme and very flexible, and has been tailored to suit my individual needs.   I really enjoy it and because I’m working towards the qualification using projects at work it’s not impacting on my free time.  I can still have some quality time at home but I can do that knowing I am studying at work."