DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Improving safety, Reducing harm: Children, young people and domestic violence (18th November 2009)
This toolkit provides specific information about children, domestic violence and related issues; an overview of Every Child Matters and the tiers of intervention; principles of commissioning services; risk assessment and safety planning information; guidance for schools; clear explanations of key standards and policies; sample forms and key fact sheets.
Toolkit

PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

Exercise peak practice: national summary (23rd November 2009)
This report of Exercise Peak Practice is a national summary providing an overview of the ten regional exercises, and documents the high-level areas for further action identified by the delegates who attended. Nationally, Exercise Peak Practice reaffirmed the extent and depth of planning that had already taken place in the NHS in readiness for an influenza pandemic and demonstrated considerable leadership, commitment and planning undertaken by both clinical and managerial staff across the NHS.
Report

Swine Influenza: Guidance on vaccination programme payment, data collection and communications (11th November 2009)
This is a letter from National Director for Social Care Flu Resilience Roy Taylor to all directors of adult social services. It contains important information for social care workers on the vaccination programme payment, data collection and a communications toolkit.
Information

Extending the H1N1 swine flu vaccination programme 2009/10 (19th November 2009)
This letter provides information on the extension of the H1N1 swine flu vaccination programme, which will be extended to offer the vaccine to all children over six months of age and under 5 years old.
Information

A (H1N1) Swine influenza: Phase Two of the vaccination programme - letter from Roy Taylor (19th November 2009)
Letter to update on extending the swine flu vaccination programme.
Information

A (H1N1) swine influenza: Phase Two of the vaccination programme - letter from Ian Dalton (19th November 2009)
Update on extending the swine flu vaccination programme beyond the initial priority groups.
Information

Dosage of oseltamivir in children under 6 months of age in the swine flu pandemic (19th November 2009)
This letter provides information about changes to the dose of oseltamivir in children under 6 months of age during an influenza pandemic outbreak and the steps that need to be taken to ensure a safe transition to the new dosage.
Information

Swine flu H1N1: Update on guidance for preparing maternity services toolkit (20th November 2009)
Information and links to other guidance and advice relevant for all services to pregnant women and care for new mothers to enable the continuity of services during this H1N1 pandemic.
Guidance

Authorisation of antiviral medicines - guidance on the use of FP10SS forms and Antiviral Authorisation Vouchers during H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic in England (20th November 2009)
The guidance has been updated to inform the NHS about the new Antiviral Authorisation Vouchers for children under 1 year of age issued in November 2009.
Guidance

The swine flu vaccination programme: prisoners in the clinical risk groups - 2009-2010 (20th November 2009)
This letter provides information for prison health care teams, to assist them in delivering the swine flu (influenza A (H1N1v) 2009) vaccine to those prisoners in the clinical priority groups.
Information

Swine flu vaccine deliveries and distribution - frequently asked questions (19th November 2009)
A document that has been developed to answer frequently asked questions (FAQ) relating to the supply of swine flu vaccine and the ordering of further stocks via the ImmForm website
FAQ

Swine flu vaccination: social care communications toolkit (12th November 2009)
It is important that all organisations ensure that their staff have a sound understanding of the rationale behind staff vaccination, so that they can make an informed decision about having it. To help local communications teams inform and encourage frontline staff vaccination, the Department of Health has produced a range of communication products, for both adult and children’s social services, to support staff engagement.
Toolkit

HOUSING

An accommodation self assessment toolkit for the Socially Excluded Adults Public Service Agreement (2nd November 2009)
This self assessment toolkit is designed to assist local housing authorities to deliver improved accommodation outcomes for the four client groups in PSA 16, in partnership with probation, children's services, adult social care, primary care trusts and other local partners including voluntary sector and registered social landlords.

It forms part of an authority's role in mainstream homelessness prevention, involving early intervention, support, advice and information. Although covered in much less detail, the toolkit also gives an opportunity to assess the associated commitment to deliver improved employment outcomes for the four groups.

The findings and recommendations in this report are those of the consultant authors and do not necessarily represent the views or proposed policies of Communities and Local Government.
Toolkit

MATERNITY/MIDWIFERY

Pathways to success: a self improvement toolkit - focus on normal birth and reducing caesarean section rates (October 2009)
This toolkit, from NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, is designed to help maternity services review and assess their current practice in promoting normal birth and reducing caesarean section rates. The toolkit also provide practical techniques to support sustainable changes in maternity services.

Please note you will need to login/register to obtain the toolkit.
Toolkit

TOOLKIT

Toolkit for high quality neonatal services (4th November 2009)
The Department of Health has published new guidance to help the NHS improve the care provided for premature and sick babies during their first days.

The Toolkit includes a set of eight principles for quality neonatal services and a framework to assist commissioners. The principles aim to establish the following standards in neonatal care:

• Organisation of neonatal services
• Staffing of neonatal services
• Care of the baby and family experience
• Transfers
• Professional competence, education and training
• Surgical services
• Clinical governance
• Data requirements

Toolkit

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

Improving staff engagement: a practical toolkit (3rd November 2009)
NHS Employers has teamed up with the international staff engagement specialists O C Tanner to produce Improving staff engagement – a practical toolkit. The briefing looks at the benefits engaged staff bring in terms of improved patient care and better value for money. This is particularly critical at a time of increasing financial pressures.

This briefing provides pointers on how to get staff engagement rights and offers tips that have high impact at low cost. In addition it also looks at the key roles managers have to play in ensuring staff are clear on what is expected of them as identifying where employees know what is expected dramatically improves performance and engagement levels.
Toolkit

Pension Choice? Career and retirement options for the NHS (2nd November 2009)
This briefing is for boards and human resource directors in NHS organisations in England. It covers the strategic issues and potential risks for boards in relation to the NHS Pension Choice exercise. The NHS Pension Choice exercise begins in January 2010, giving members of the 1995 section of the NHS Pension Scheme the opportunity to move to the new 2008 section. As part of the exercise, every employer will need to engage with staff of all ages about career and retirement planning. This briefing outlines how good employment practice during the Choice exercise will help organisations to support staff, retain skills and prepare for the future.
Briefing

Talent for tough times: how to identify, attract and retain the talent you need (4th November 2009)
It is more important than ever that the NHS is attracting, retaining and developing talented people who are adaptable and up to the challenges ahead. This practical briefing outlines what good talent management looks like, discusses why it will be so important as the NHS faces the lean years ahead and sets out how trusts can get started.
Briefing

PHARMACY

Guidance on Patient Record Confidentiality (26th October 2009)
A toolkit to help community pharmacies meet their legal and professional requirements to ensure the confidentiality and security of patient data has been developed collaboratively by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), the Department of Health and NHS Connecting for Health.
Press Release

COMMISSIONING

The Opportunity Locator version 2
This data tool, from the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, supports the commissioning priorities of local health communities. The purpose of it is to stimulate ideas on where commissioners should focus their attention in re-designing and shifting services away from the traditional setting of the hospital and out towards community based care.
Tool

Improving quality in primary care (7th October 2009)
This is a practical guide to support PCTs as commissioners of primary care, in working with local clinicians and other stakeholders - including patients - to promote continuous quality and productivity improvement in primary care services.
Guide

Commissioning local breastfeeding support services (6th October 2009)
This commissioning guidance aims to assist commissioners and primary care trusts (PCTs) in providing coherent services that will promote breastfeeding and reduce inequalities, as set out in Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures: the strategy for children and young people’s health (Department for Children, Schools and Families and Department of Health, 2009, para 3.43), and to work with local Children’s Trust partners in delivering Public Service Agreement (PSA) 12.
Guidance

Integrated care pilots: an introductory guide (30th September 2009)
This introductory guide to the national programme of integrated care pilots and evaluation provides a summary of the work each pilot will be doing as they implement and test their models of integrated care.
Guide

Behaviour change training delivered across Cheshire and Merseyside. A report mapping programmes and exploring processes (Published June 2009 new to website 6th October 2009)
This report was commissioned by Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network (ChaMPs). It details a mapping exercise of behaviour change training programmes and an exploration of the processes involved in commissioning and delivering these programmes across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Report

Top tips for commissioners and providers of behaviour change training programmes (6th October 2009)
This ‘top tips’ document was commissioned by Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network (ChaMPs) to support the commissioning and delivery of effective behaviour change training programmes across Cheshire and Merseyside. The document was informed by a mapping exercise of behaviour change training programmes being delivered across Cheshire and Merseyside and an exploration of the processes involved in commissioning and delivering them. It includes, ‘top tips’ for commissioners and providers of behaviour change training programmes; a best practice checklist; and a case study of a strategic and coordinated approach to behaviour change training.
Document

Tackling demand together: a toolkit for improving urgent and emergency care pathways by understanding increases in 999 demand (13th October 2009)
This toolkit has been produced by a group of ambulance providers and primary care trust commissioners together with the Department of Health to offer practical analysis, worksheets and tools to help all commissioners and providers improve urgent and emergency care services through better understanding of the factors affecting significant rises in 999 demand.
Toolkit

TOOLKIT

Action to deliver same-sex accommodation: root cause analysis (17th September 2009)
Use of the toolkit will enable trusts to identify, understand and address issues relating to mixed sex accommodation occurrences. The purpose is to facilitate local learning and improvement and to make this sustainable.
Toolkit

FAMILIES

Think Family Toolkit - Improving Support for Families at Risk (September 2009)
Think Family means securing better outcomes for children, young people and families with additional needs by co-ordinating the support they receive from children’s, young people’s, adults’ and family services.

This Toolkit sets out some of the ways in which these practices can be developed ‘on the ground’ and represents an important step towards setting out how Think Family can be made a reality in day-to-day practice. Much of what it contains has been developed locally and reflects the enormous commitment and ingenuity of those working with children, mothers, fathers and families.
Toolkit

LONG-TERM CONDITIONS

Your health, your way: a guide to long term conditions and self care - communications toolkit (11th September 2009)
This toolkit provides all of the assets and artwork to enable you to implement a communications campaign at a local level.

An introduction to Your health, your way (formally the patients prospectus) is included within this section of the toolkit.
Toolkit

SOCIAL EXCLUSION

Link Up, Link In (September 2009)
A new toolkit supporting public service workers in helping at-risk groups into stable employment and accommodation has been launched by HM Government, as part of the Link Up, Link In campaign. The toolkit provides a range of case studies, guidance and useful facts, showing how organisations across the country are working together to improve the lives of vulnerable people. It forms part of the Government’s commitment to get more people from groups such as people with a learning disability, people with mental health problems, care leavers and offenders under probation supervision, into a stable home and sustainable employment.
Toolkit

AMBULANCE TRUSTS

Pandemic influenza toolkit for NHS ambulance services in England (1st September 2009)
This toolkit is part of the Department of Health’s (DH) programme for improving and enhancing the preparedness within NHS ambulance services for managing pandemic influenza. The aim is to support ambulance trusts in the delivery of an operational response. The body of the toolkit provides a summary statement of individual topics and signposts to further information, websites and material published by DH.
Toolkit

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Research and development work relating to assistive technology 2008-09 (9th July 2009)
Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970

The report covers research and development work carried out by or on behalf of any government department in relation to equipment that might increase the range and independence of older and disabled people.
Report

Audience Analysis Toolkit (July 2009)

The Audience Analysis Toolkit for public sector bodies has been developed for the Strategic Content Alliance. The toolkit is aimed at practitioners and policy makers in public sector organisations and has a focus on researching users and non-users of digital resources and services in particular, although most of the approaches and methods could apply when researching users of other types of service.
Toolkit

LOCAL AUTHORITY/GOVERNMENT

Knowing your Communities (6th July 2009)
The Knowing Your Communities Toolkit helps organisations assess their current performance and understand what they need to do to improve.
Covering nine themes (community engagement, disability, gender, human rights, older people, race, religion, sexual orientation and young people), they provide clear examples of improved outcomes. Supported by case studies of notable practice and links to other web-based resources, the tools give a high level overview of current progress and potential next steps.
Toolkit

NHS

Understanding detailed patient experience data: toolkits for analysts (19th June 2009)
The Department of Health has developed a number of toolkits to help NHS organisations better understand and interpret their patient experience data. Patient experience 'First Steps' diagnostic tool aims to help organisations identify areas where they can improve the experience of patients. Toold for measuring 'Public confidence in local NHS' is designed to allow you to explore how the scores for your organisation are constructed and identify areas for improvment.
Toolkits

What do EU competition rules mean for the NHS?
The recent establishment of the NHS Co-operation and Competition Panel has drawn attention to the application of EU competition law to the NHS and whether the Panel will have any competence in this area.

The aim of this briefing is to explain what EU competition law is and our understanding of what it means for the NHS. It also provides some comments on the remit of the Panel.
Briefing

TOOLKIT

Participation Works Toolkit (7th May 2009)
A consortium of six children's charities has published a new toolkit on evaulating participation work. The toolkit comprises of three documents:

• Evaluation in a Nutshell
• Evaluating Participation Work - The Guide
• Evaluating Participation Work - The Toolkit

Information
Evaluation in a Nutshell
Evaluating Participation Work - The Guide
Evaluating Participation Work - The Toolkit

TOOLKIT

Health Care Assistant (HCA) Toolkit (30th April 2008)
A new toolkit aimed at supporting the employment of health care assistants is now available. The toolkit makes the process of employing health care assistants much easier and is aimed at health care assistants themselves as well as their employers and other stakeholders such as primary care trusts, educationalists and patients.
Click here for the Toolkit

TOOLKITS

Delivering Quality and Value: Consultant Clinical Activity 2006-07 (12th February 2008)
This toolkit updates Delivering quality and value: consultant clinical activity 2005-06, published in September 2007. The toolkit enables clinicians and managers to compare activity rates of consultants in their trust to national activity rates.
Click here for Toolkit