Council and PTHB to launch training academy

In a bid to grow their own health and care workers, Powys County Council (PCC) and Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) have joined forces to develop a training academy.

At PCC cabinet meeting on Tuesday councillors approved the Health and Care Academy Blueprint document and vision.

A site at Bronllys Hospital in Brecon has already been earmarked to be an initial base for the project, which would spread to Newtown as part of the North Powys Wellbeing programme.

Creating it’s own training facility is a way to address the lack of workers in this vital sector.

Member of the cabinet were given a presentation on the academy proposal by Louise Richards the Joint Health and Care Strategic Workforce
Planning Manager for PTHB.

Ms Richards, said an academy might even be able to offer nursing degrees.

Ms Richards said: “This is about making sure we support our current and future workforce and making sure that they are enabled to do the work we need them to do in years to come.”

She said that not having a University in Powys, “provided a challenge” as it meant that young people left the county to continue their studies.

“It’s really important that we developed an educational offer as close to home as possible to come in to health and care sector as a choice,” said Ms Richards.

The next step would be to create a full business case on how to develop and fund the idea.

Director of Social Services, Ali Bulman told the cabinet: “This is a really exciting, innovative and aspirational piece of work and I commend it, it has my full support.”

Adult Social Care portfolio holder, Cllr Myfanwy Alexander, (Independent – Banwy) said: “This will provide young people with really interesting and fulfilling career pathways and also providing residents with the care that they need.”

Portfolio Holder for Corporate Governance, Engagement and Regulatory Services, Cllr Graham Breeze (Independent – Welshpool Llanerchyddol) added: “It was very difficult to get excited in these difficult times, but this proposition is one we should all be celebrating.”

“For far too long we’ve been unable to attract the key staff we need in the health and care sector.”

“We now have a firm blueprint for the future.”

By 2027: By 2027, the Health and Care Academy sets out the ambition to:

·         Be an exemplar provider of rural professional and clinical
education,

·          Being the sector of choice by growing the health and care workforce
through skills development, education and local training, whilst supporting the
Welsh Language Active offer,

·         Have a Leadership talent, that operates at all levels• Make sure the workforce is able to respond to people’s needs in a
timely way,

·         Be recognised as a centre of excellence for research, development
and innovation within Wales.