Community Engagement: Case Study of Nuffield Health

Executive Summary

The community engagement aims to provide an overview regarding community development. Therefore, Nuffield health has been chosen. Through rigorous analysis and explanation, community engagement has been explored within the chosen organisation. Initially, the operating sector of the organisation along with structure, mission and goals are identified as developing healthier nation. Health conscious people are identified as customers of the organization who expect to have better services. The report also provides SWOT analysis of the organisation to support explanation. Role of employees and respective ways to support organizational goals are explored. Significance of training and development within organizations are identified. Physiotherapists play an important role in the organisation. Skill and knowledge like professionalism, technical skills are required to carry out the role effectively. Training and development session related to quality improvement will be provided to healthcare professionals of the organisation as part of community engagement.

Introduction

Community engagement is identified as an inclusion related to local health system users and the respective community resources. The inclusion is considered in every aspect regarding provision, planning and governance of health system. In addition to that, community engagement is defined as central component of local priority setting. Therefore, community engagement is responsible for ensuring the fact that services are tailor made according to values and population needs. The current report will evaluate community engagement of Nuffield Health. Therefore, an overview of the operating sectors will be explored along with customer identification and expectation towards organisation. Furthermore, to support thought, SWOT analysis will be provided. Role of employees, significance of training sessions will be discussed. Significance of Physiotherapist within organisations will be analysed. Skills required carrying out the role and requirement of related training for the role will be analysed and discussed.

Overview of Sector Including Mission and Goals

In order to evaluate and analyse “community engagement”, the report has chosen “Nuffield health”. It has been identified that the particular organization operates in the sector of healthcare.

The organization is considered as the largest healthcare charity in the UK. In addition to that, it has been identified that the organisation is independent of NHS project of UK. Therefore, the organisation is identified as a registered charity. The organization runs without any participation of shareholders. Therefore, services are provided to the 31 award winning in-house hospitals. In addition to that, there are 112 well being clubs and fitness centres, healthcare clinics. Furthermore, there are more than 200 workplace wellbeing centres operating all over the UK. Invented in 1957, the organization currently employs 11000 employees. Services are mainly offered as personal training, health MOT, fitness support, physiotherapy, emotional wellbeing, counselling and hospital treatments.

Goal of Nuffield health is “to advance, promote and maintain health and healthcare of all descriptions and to prevent, relieve and cure sickness and ill health of any kind, all for the public benefit”. The mission of the organisation is to build a healthier nation. Nuffield health beholds values such as Accountability, excellence, honesty, respect and teamwork.

Customer Expectation From Organization

Motto of Nuffield Health is to keep people fit. While identifying the customers of the organisation, it has been identified that the organization does not have any specific targeted customer groups. This is because; the healthcare charity organization is responsible for providing a wide range of services for the nation. Therefore, based on the services customers are selected.

Based on the viewpoint of McReynolds and Shields, every organisation has targeted customers on the basis of offered products and services. Therefore, customer need is preferred while providing services and products. In case of Nuffield health, customers can be identified by people, who want to be fit. In addition to that, depending on the service concerned, customers are identified.

In case of gym services, fitness freak people are targeted as customers. On the other hand, emotional well being targets people seeking emotional peace and solace. Moreover, all kinds of illness treatments are offered in hospitals. Therefore, concerned patients are the customers of the organisation. Moreover, people seeking help for physiotherapy are the customers of physiotherapy section of the organisation. Therefore, health conscious people, looking for preventive and entire health related solutions by all over fitness are identified as customers of the organisation.

In terms of services, customers expect excellent services and treatment from the organisation. In addition to that, one of the major expectations that customers behold from the organisation is satisfaction and cost effectiveness. Therefore, gaining proper services, treatment are the key expectations of customers of Nuffield health.

SWOT Analysis

Strength and Weakness

• Gym network within healthcare system;
• Unique clinical health services are offered to corporate clients and individuals;
• Personalised gym trainer for staying fit;
• Physio service;
• Same day GP appointments;
• More than 11000 employees dedicated to serve;
• Limited staff time for planning more events;
• Geographic restriction in UK.

Opportunities

• Volunteer committees are active for planning and organising events;
• Suggestions and opinions are welcomed for patients, who are active at services;
• To be accountable for achieving healthier nation;
• Extended health care focus has the opportunity to expand geographically;
• Patient confidentiality;
• Competitors like international hospital group and Fourseasons health care.

Analysis

Based on the above information, it has been identified that the organisation holds a strong position in the UK healthcare system. Wide varieties of services are provided to the customers. With increase in healthcare focus, the organization has the opportunity to expand geographically. However, there are potential therapists like confidentiality to customers may cause risk. In addition to that, the organisation also has to compete with similar organisations in the market. However, the organisation is aimed to deliver the best services to their customers.

Employee Role to Support Organisational Goals

According to the “Employee engagement theory”, organizational leaders need to ensure the fact that all the staff members are responsible for doing their job and is fully engaged. In addition to that, employee’s engagement can be identified as a reciprocal relationship of respect and trust between an employee and the employer.

Employees in Nuffield health can be identified as healthcare professionals. Based on the viewpoints of MacQueen et al., healthcare professionals are responsible for playing critical and central role in organisation for improving quality and access of healthcare for people. Therefore, healthcare professionals of the organization are responsible for providing prompt and essential services to the people to promote health. In addition to that, to prevent health diseases and delivering healthcare essential to the individual is one of the primary facts, that healthcare professionals delivers every day in organisation.

Employees support organisational goal to provide better services to the customers by various approaches provided by the management. It has been identified that employee engagement is focused in Nuffield health to achieve organisational goals. Therefore, clear focus on goal, constant communication, feedback opportunities and comfortable ambience are the few approaches that are provided to employees, through which they are able to support organisational goal effectively.

Significance of Training and Development Within Organisation

Based on the viewpoint of Joosten et al., employee training and development can be identified as a program that is aimed to import specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to the employees. Therefore, providing training and development to employees, organisations are able to raise perfection level of the employees within their existing roles. In addition to that, to initiate further growth of the employees, training and development is provided in terms of learning opportunities.

According to the theory of learning types (training theory) by Gange, learning skills are emphasised within individuals. Therefore, based on the concern, training is provided to an individual. Training can be provided to the employees to improve skills, technique, quality and professionalism. In addition to that, to enhance soft skills and team performance, taring can also be provided.

Training is important for an organization because, organisational resources are used in a better way. Moreover, according to time and resources, wastage is minimised. Therefore, organisational profit is increased. With increase in profit, the respective organisations will be able to gain competitive advantage in the market . In addition to that, employees will be empowered with skills, which in turn will reduce the rate of employee turnover. Confidence is developed within employees. Therefore, positive attitude in employees towards work is developed by training and development.

Importance of a Role Within Organization

Nuffield Health is a leading health charity service provider in the UK. One of their services includes physiotherapy. Therefore, there is an important role of physiotherapist within the organisation.

It has been identified that, apart from the NHS, the organisation has a network of over 3000 physiotherapists in the UK. Therefore, physiotherapists are crucial for organisations to keep up the harmony of services. In addition to that, the organisation is responsible for hiring experienced physiotherapists. Therefore, experienced and skilled physiotherapists are responsible for providing holistic approach to the customers.

Based on the viewpoints of Melby et al., physiotherapists are responsible for playing an essential role in terms of promoting safer healthcare systems within an organization. Therefore, in case of Nuffield health, physiotherapists are responsible for being professional and ethical to control regulatory framework for safety in every patient care aspect. Apart from providing all the necessities to the individual, physiotherapists are also responsible for providing emotional well being to the individuals. Therefore, physiotherapists in the organization contribute to a safe culture for the providers and users of Nuffield health.

Required Skills and Knowledge to Carry Out the Role

Knowledge required for physiotherapists are identified as

• Medicine and dentistry: Knowledge related to techniques and information such as treatment alternatives, symptoms for effective diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries.
• Psychology: Knowledge regarding performance and human behaviour such as customer needs assessment to provide personal and customer services.
• Therapy and counselling: Knowledge of methods and principles for rehabilitation, treatment and diagnosis of physical and emotional dysfunctions.
• Sociology and anthropology: Knowledge regarding group dynamics and behaviour, ethnicity and societal trends to understand human perspective.

Skills required for physiotherapists are as:

• Critical thinking: Skills to use logic for identifying strengths and weaknesses of other solutions and approaches
• Interpersonal skills: Active listening (paying full attention to individual issues and concerns), coordination, adaptability are required to carry out the ro;le of a physiotherapists
• Communication skill: Physiotherapists need to possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Therefore, effective communication skills to convey information is necessary
• Personal resources and management: Motivating, empowering and developing the best practices for individuals. Therefore, the power of empathy is essential for the role.

Recommendation

Nuffield health must follow the below recommendations:

1. The organisation needs to focus more on employee engagement;
2. Safe, diverse workplace must be provided to employees to provide better services;
3. Employee empowerment must be included in employee engagement program;
4. Excellent managerial skills needs to follow to enhance employee engagement and productivity.

Conclusion

Based on the above discussion within importance of community engagement essay, it can be concluded that community engagement is an essential process within the healthcare sector. Nuffield Health is leading healthcare charity provider in the UK Health conscious people are benefited from the services of the organisation. Among all the other services, there is significant role of physiotherapist in the organisation. The organisation needs to focus on employee engagement to enhance productivity. In order to enhance employee skill, training and development session can be arranged by the organisation. Therefore, productivity, profit and competitive advantage of the organization will be gained by the organisation.

Reference

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