Partners from three counties health and social care providers celebrated the launch of the new Excellence Centre on Wednesday. Director of Learning and Development Helen Green from Oxford Health and Director of Nursing Mark Statham from Oxford University Hospitals received the certificates and the Skills for Health Quality Mark from Lynn Atkin, Network Services Manager at the National Skills Academy for Health. The working lunch was joined by some 40 representatives from public and private sector care providers across the region.

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Excellence Centre is a network of care providers who work together to improve the quality of and access to vocational training for the support workforce. It is a collaboration that aims to upskill the support workforce and bring efficiencies to the whole sector by sharing resources working together to tackle system-wide issues facing this important workforce.

It is one of eight Excellence Centres in England, established by the National Skills Academy for Health. It is hosted by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The hosts will provide the infrastructure for the Excellence Centre and the activities will be run jointly with partners and delivered across the partnership.

Free membership for the first year

The BOB STP is now inviting the region’s health and social care providers to join as members. Membership is open to employers, providers and training organisations interested in developing the support workforce (bands 1-4 or unregistered staff).

Membership is free for the first year, thanks to funding received from Health Education England – Thames Valley. After this the Excellence Centre is expected to be self-sustaining through small contributions from members depending on the size and type of organisation. This will be agreed by the steering group and wider membership.

Members will have access to the digital Skills Platform, which is designed to share existing training amongst the wider support workforce, and receive regular updates, information on activities and personal invitations to events.

Joining organisations will receive a certificate of membership to recognise their involvement in the BOB Excellence Centre network.

See the member agreement and how to join