What’s the key ingredient for creating a workforce that is ready for every eventuality? A great onboarding programme and excellent training.
The Newcross onboarding programme
Having serviced the industry for than 25 years we fully appreciate that no two days will ever be the same and our healthcare community needs to be prepared for anything, which is why we developed Virtual Shift – a truly unique approach to onboarding and upskilling our carers.
We are delighted so see our industry-leading training and assessment module recognised at this year’s Learning Awards in London.
The innovative module won gold for ‘Onboarding Programme of the Year’ but competition was fierce, with 600 applications from across the globe going for 20 awards judged by an independent panel of 54 industry leaders.
Working closely with Sponge Learning and our own community, we developed the module to present realistic scenarios that truly reflect a healthcare worker’s responsibilities.
Our old training and onboarding process involved hours of DVDs and paper quizzes but our Learning Innovation team, headed up by Mark Story, imagined something more modern. He enlisted the help of Chief Operating Officer – and former nurse – Michelle Gorringe and Head of Clinical Governance Juliette Millard for their support in making a programme which was unique, immersive and engaging.
The result? A truly one-of-a-kind animated training module that is packed full of subtle nods to Newcross itself.
Creating the Virtual Shift
Michelle Gorringe, Chief Operating Officer, said: “Our Virtual Shift module is an immersive and engaging onboarding programme that is based on real people who have been involved with Newcross, such as the first person to ever receive our care 25 years ago. The module was carefully designed to prepare healthcare workers for any scenario and we’re incredibly proud that it’s been recognised at these awards.”
One of the characters – Major Bingley – was inspired by the first person to ever receive our care. Other insider references include a service user who wears a Torquay football kit from 96/97, the birthplace of Newcross and the year it was created, a pub named after a long-serving member of staff and a furry companion designed and named after one of the team’s dogs.
The module was recently redesigned in 3D, which when paired with voiceover feedback has significantly improved the learner experience and overall outcomes. Each shift puts the user in complex scenarios and assesses their ability to meet service users’ needs in both clinical and behavioural competency. Interactions are mapped using Care Certificate standards with the addition of dealing with family dynamics and maintaining professional boundaries.
“We believe in enabling the workforce of the future and this onboarding programme focuses on handling complex needs and difficult situations to ensure our community of healthcare workers are fully prepared and confident for anything that comes their way.” Added Michelle.
Since its launch we have been able to complete three times more induction and trainings of care staff every week compared to the previous onboarding programme and more than 100,000 Virtual Shifts have now been completed.
The judges praised our innovative and engaging approach which significantly improved the experience for our healthcare community, which is reflected in our feedback and results.
Stay tuned to our social media pages because over the coming weeks we will be showcasing every character and back story on our Virtual Shift module.
Want to join our rapidly growing community of 20,000 healthcare workers and try Virtual Shift for yourself? Visit our jobs page.
