Who we are

MyCA has proven that it offers ‘added value’ through the mechanism of a knowledge building community which embraces digital solutions to connect, collaborate and co-create.  This enables the learning community to achieve outstanding care and offers an accessible, recognised brand which partners can employ to amplify and enhance local efforts in supporting the learning and development needs of their workforce.

We believe that MyCA offers a strong example of what can be achieved through a ‘strategic alliance’ that is seeking to integrate care pathways and provide better outcomes for patients.  These objectives must be accompanied and built on a commitment to ensuring that the workforce is fit for purpose.  A knowledge building community speaks to these aims and MyCA offers the partnership an already established platform, integrated into its ESR systems, with Board membership drawn from key directorates including nursing leadership and learning and development, alongside established links with HR and communications leads.

MyCA is for the entire workforce and enables a single point of contact via the MyCA partnership website and creates units of eLearning that are available on each partner (C&I, BEH, MU) internal learning platforms (e.g. ESRs, Moodle).  This provides an easily accessible channel to bite-sized learning that has been created to meet the specific learning needs of the workforce. Content for both the website and learning materials are developed employing the talents and skills of staff and service users via co-creation/co-produced methods.   

We are using Twitter (@mycareacademy) to share knowledge, elevate best practice and network thereby supporting staff in their day to day practice. We are supporting staff in their digital learning journey by offering step by step information as well as face to face workshops. Having gained experience and expertise by using the collaboration tool Slack with the wider workforce in the partnership, we continue to work with teams using digital tools to collaborate as a community of practice with great success.  We have seen a significant increase in the use of collaboration tools within the NHS over the past few years.

Blogging as bite-sized learning can support the learning and development needs of staff. Blogs written by Trust staff outlining their career journeys can inspire others as well as elevate best practice in the wider organisation and beyond. We also post blogs to cover key learning themes within the organisation as well as national themes/campaigns. By curating and posting up on the MyCA website a wide range of mostly free events available in London, we are providing staff with a single point of contact to find out what is available to them to support their development needs. We also post up events within the partnership.

The fast pace of changing practice within healthcare needs to be supported by access to new learning themes quickly. MyCA has developed bespoke eLearning on key themes available on ESR to support staff in their day to day practice. These bite-size eLearning units have been coproduced and reflect best practice as well as signposting to further learning resources. These themes have surfaced from key actions points from QI and learning events.

We continue to offer classroom-based workshops for some of our learning themes and signpost staff to associated materials we will have posted through Twitter and blogging to support their learning.

The most recent development that has come from our formal evaluation is the need to develop a research hub. The MyCA research Hub will support staff to have a greater understanding of research and the relationship to practice. The Hub will take forward ideas and proposals by staff and is open to all staff within the partnership.

To date, we have gone through many iterations of MyCA and have had the opportunity to trail and test different iterations of this concept. Each iteration has been followed by evaluation and review and taking forward what has worked best for the partnership and workforce.

Over the years staff from across the partnership have worked as ‘joint appointments’ with MyCA. Although most of these positions were short term, each person has contributed and supported the development of My Care Academy and we would like to acknowledge and thank them for their contribution: Fiona Cameron, Win Li, Jennifer Springham, Yetty Agunbiade, Helen Kehoe, Asterios Bompolis, Poppy Ellis Logan and Grace Lapwoch.

Our recently commissioned short film clearly describes MyCA and how it can support learning and practice for the workforce. This film was created in collaboration with staff and included review and feedback by a wide range of staff and students throughout the partnership.