Frequently asked questions

1What is My Care Academy?

We are a knowledge building community between Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust and Middlesex University.

2What is the vision?

Our vision is to create a knowledge-building community embracing digital solutions to connect, collaborate and co-create learning to achieve outstanding care.

3Who is My Care Academy?

Click here to meet the team.

Dr Carmel Clancy
Head of School, Professor of Addictions and Mental Health, School of Health and Education, Middlesex University

Suzanne Traynor
Associate Professor in Mental Health (Practice)
Middlesex University

Clare Scott
Deputy Director of Nursing at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust.

David Curren
Deputy director of nursing Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

Leanne Chaney
Head of Learning and Development
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

Tim Weaver
Associate Professor of Mental Health Research
Middlesex University

Ruth Miller
Director of Programmes, Accreditation,RPK and Work Based Learning

Middlesex University

4What are the benefits of My Care Academy?

We believe that by joining together MyCA partners can access skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver better care within North Central London and build on our past working relationships and strengths. By collaborating we can achieve more. Our launch partners are keen to empower their staff to be the best they can be and also deliver outstanding care.

MyCA benefits by supporting and or facilitating:

Staff and students

  • Empowerment of own learning and performance
  • Access to learning resources that offer bite-size, mobile 24/7 units of learning
  • Development of career pathways via examples of how other colleagues have progressed their development and roles
  • Access to learning  to support revalidation and professional development
  • Improve confidence and knowledge re digital literacy

Managers

  • Recruitment and retention of staff through the provision of a robust and easily accessible learning and development environment.
  • Empowerment of staff and aid career progression & knowledge
  • An increase in staff confidence, skills and performance
  • Identifying and surfacing best practice

Organisations

  • Workplace transformation
  • Improvements for joint learning e.g. cross-fertilisation and breaking down of ‘silo’ working thus increasing sharing of evidence-based practice
  • The fostering of a ‘learning led’ culture
  • The identification and nurturing of ‘talent’
  • Efforts to drive high-quality patient care
  • Value for money through employing internal/local talent; sharing of resources; savings through scale of delivery particularly ‘e-learning’
  • Leaders of tomorrow
  • Clinical Governance

Partners in care within the community

  • Ability to develop and influence central policies on ‘best practice/approaches’ to organisational learning, particularly as we engage in STP networks and how this ultimately improves the lives of our communities
  • Empowers the service user/carer user
  • Enhances the corporate reputation of all members
  • Acknowledging differences whilst maximising opportunities for sharing
5How can I or my organisation get involved with My Care Academy?

All staff and students working in the three organisations are part of My Care Academy and we need your help. You could be involved in the development of learning content, blogging, sharing event details or follow us on Twitter @mycareacademy.

If you are not part of our current partnership but would like to discuss this further please contact us.

6What is My Care Academy approach to co-production?

Our approach is to embed co-production throughout MyCA.  We have signed up to The National Survivor User Network ‘4Pi’ Involvement Standards. This means that our work will ensure an approach based on research, policy and practice in mental health and social care based on the principle that people who use services have valuable knowledge and expertise.  Service users and carers will be involved with My Care Academy projects.

In addition, Middlesex University’s Centre for Co-production in Mental Health supports the My Care Academy service user and carer involvement and co-production.

7Where is My Care Academy located?

Every member of staff working across our partners are members of My Care Academy. Our small core team is based within the Mental Health and Social Work Department, within the School of Health and Education at Middlesex University in London.  To contact us and get involved click here.

My Care Academy
Middlesex University
Department of Mental Health and Social Work 
Hendon
London NW4 4BT

8How is My Care Academy funded?

MyCA was initially funded by a start-up grant from Health Education England (HEE)  and continues to be supported by the three founding partners.

9How can I contact My Care Academy?

Please connect with us via:

Email: mycareacademy@mdx.ac.uk

Twitter: @mycareacademy