Creating a Positive Learning Climate and Culture
A learning culture in an NHS clinical environment is one in which learning and professional development are valued and actively encouraged. This type of culture fosters an environment that is conducive to ongoing learning and growth, and supports the development of staff skills and knowledge.
A learning culture is one in which learning is valued and actively encouraged, and in which people feel empowered and motivated to learn. It is essential for fostering innovation, creativity, and the ability to adapt and change. In today’s rapidly changing Healthcare environment, the ability to learn and adapt is more important than ever, and a learning culture is crucial for helping individuals, teams and organisations thrive.
A learning culture should be inclusive and supportive, it should provide opportunities for all individuals to learn and grow, recognising everyone’s capacity to learn and grow, designed to tap into that potential and help people to reach their full potential.
Overall a learning culture is essential for fostering a dynamic, innovative, and adaptable workforce, and that it is essential for helping individuals and organisations to survive, thrive and succeed in today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment..
There are several factors that contribute to the creation of a learning culture in an NHS environment:
- Leadership: Strong and supportive leadership is essential to creating a learning culture. Leaders should model a commitment to ongoing learning and professional development, and encourage and support the learning efforts of staff.
- Communication and collaboration: Open and inclusive communication and collaboration are key to creating a learning culture. Staff should feel comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences, and seeking feedback from colleagues and leaders.
- Encourage continuous learning: Encourage AHP support workers to continuously learn and update their knowledge and skills by providing access to training programs, workshops, and conferences
- Recognition and reward: A learning culture should recognize and reward the learning and development efforts of staff. This can include things like providing recognition or rewards for completing training programs, or offering opportunities for advancement based on learning and development.
- Offer mentorship: Consider pairing AHP support workers with mentors who can provide guidance and support as they develop their careers.
- Provide feedback: Regularly provide feedback to AHP support workers to help them understand their strengths and areas for improvement. This can help them identify opportunities for growth and development.
- Support professional development goals: Help AHP support workers set and achieve professional development goals by providing resources and support, such as tuition reimbursement for relevant coursework or time off for training.
- Recognise and reward progress: Recognise and reward AHP support workers for their progress and achievements, as this can help motivate them to continue learning and developing their careers
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The quality of education and training experienced by healthcare learners today, will have a direct impact on the quality and safety of patient care now and for many years to come. It is why HEE and our partners are passionate about ensuring the highest quality learning environments across all health and care settings.
Professor Wendy Reid, Executive Director of Education & Quality and National Medical Director, HEE
The NHS has its own quality framework for work based education and training, developed by HEE. This applies to the Support Workforce as much as it does to other learniers in the NHS
The CIPD in its “Creating Learning Cultures Review 2020” gives a good overview of learning cultures with the role of those supporting individual learners being to:
- Consistently communicate learning opportunities across the organisation.
- Highlight everyone’s role in organisational and team learning – how does individual continuous learning benefit individuals, their team, and the wider organisation?
- Consider how opportunities to reflect and share on learning can be used to follow up formal training, or be encouraged as part of individual development.
- Provide different types of learning that appeal to a range of learners and allow employees to build their learning pathway within an organisational framework.
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Sir Ken Robinson: How to escape education’s death valley
Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk, “How to escape education’s death valley”, has become one of the most popular TED Talks of all time, with over 70 million views. In this talk, Robinson argues that traditional education is failing to nurture creativity and potential. Robinson is basing his talk on school education systems however the lessons have resonance in all education environments.
Robinson discusses the importance of creativity and innovation in today’s world, and the ways in which they are essential for solving complex problems and driving progress and the ways in which traditional systems often focus too heavily on standardised testing and conformity.
Robinson ends with a call to action, urging educators to reimagine our education systems as climates that value individuality, encourage curiosity and nurture creativity.