Learning and Innovation Network

<< Background >>The rationale and need for the project was based on background research and pilot initiatives by the R&D Centre Linkoping and other project partners which identified the urgent need for a new more integrated and client centred approach to the delivery of health and social care services capable of fostering collaboration and overcoming professional and managerial barriers to change, and to provide flexible access to the skills required by front line professional staff and stakeholders to achieve this. A major pan- EU study ‘Integrated Care and Support’ (Sept 2021), led by one of the partners, the European Social Network (ESN), examined services to older people with complex needs, vulnerable families and adults with mental health problems and identified the ‘key drivers’ of integration of these services as including the need to ‘wrap services around the person’ through care packages tailored to individual needs, provide greater coordination between services to reduce fragmentation, and reduce duplication and maximise cost efficiency. It recommended that ' Professionals should be equipped with the knowledge and skills to implement integrated services.'<< Objectives >>The activities implemented were; (a) The preparation of a joint Baseline Study /Needs Analysis based on national studies produced by each partner and background research on policy trends in Europe (b) Development of a generic Learning & Innovation Lab model & using this as a basis for establishing 6 pilot labs in partner regions focusing on the needs of different vulnerable target client groups & including front line health & social care professionals & managers & stakeholders from a range of disciplines, researchers, training providers, NGOs & user groups (c) Development of a Learning & Innovation Platform to host the learning programme being developed, support the exchange of experience between the labs & disseminate the work of the project t national & international levels.(d) Development of a transferable competency framework & online learning programme for front line professionals & stakeholders on the changing policy environment, social innovation and how to set up & implement learning & innovation labs. (e) Piloting the Learning & Innovation Lab model, the platform, competency framework & learning programme in each of 6 partner regions (f) Organising national & transnational mainstreaming & dissemination programmes.<< Implementation >>The activities implemented were; (a) The preparation of a joint Baseline Study /Needs Analysis based on national studies produced by each partner and background research on policy trends in Europe (b) Development of a generic Learning & Innovation Lab model & using this as a basis for establishing 6 pilot labs in partner regions focusing on the needs of different vulnerable target client groups & including front line health & social care professionals & managers & stakeholders from a range of disciplines, researchers, training providers, NGOs & user groups (c) Development of a Learning & Innovation Platform to host the learning programme being developed, support the exchange of experience between the labs & disseminate the work of the project t national & international levels.(d) Development of a transferable competency framework & online learning programme for front line professionals & stakeholders on the changing policy environment, social innovation and how to set up & implement learning & innovation labs. (e) Piloting the Learning & Innovation Lab model, the platform, competency framework & learning programme in each of 6 partner regions (f) Organising national & transnational mainstreaming & dissemination programmes.<< Results >>The concrete outputs & results achieved were (a) A Baseline Study that was comprehensive & provided a sound basis for the development work on the main products of the project. (b) A Learning & Innovation Lab model which evaluation demonstrates is robust & suitable for mainstreaming & dissemination. The initial work on he model provided a firm basis for the development of 6 pilot labs at regional level which were diverse in content & approach but all exceeded expectations in their impact on the working practices of the staff & stakeholders involved , the quality of services provided to the client groups targeted & numbers assisted. Their work informed the further development of the lab model.(c) A Learning & Innovation Platform which has proved effective in hosting the learning programme & as a vehicle for dissemination of the project's work (d) A learning programme which meets the needs of its target groups of staff & stakeholders.258 learners participated against the 150 target & 85% of learners completing evaluation forms said that they would recommend it to other learners (e) A highly effective mainstreaming & dissemination programme which reached thousands of people far exceeding the numbers envisaged.