FAQs
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- Workforce Data
- Activity Data
- Driver Data
- Data Quality
- General Queries
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- Workforce Modelling
WRaPT operate small number suppression in line with NHS Digital guidance so that none of the data is personally identifiable. Using this method will make sure that any reports on specialities or specific roles cannot be aligned to an individual.
WRaPT operate small number suppression in line with NHS Digital guidance so that none of the data is personally identifiable. Using this method will make sure that any reports on specialities or specific roles cannot be aligned to an individual.
No. Due to the new GDPR changes, WRaPT no longer collects sensitive personal data
You can upload Year Of Birth into the tool dependent on your project.
WRaPT users are limited to what they can see and the WRaPT team comply with NHS Digital guidance on small number suppression. In line with the agreement we will ensure that we pseudonymise the assignment number in the workforce data before it is loaded into the WRaPT Tool. WRaPT also complies with the data storage requirements set out in the data sharing agreement.
Pseudonymisation is a procedure by which the most identifying fields within a data record are replaced by one or more artificial identifiers.
At the point of workforce data upload, the tool automatically applies a one way hash to the unique identifier. This means that WRaPT users can no longer link the unique identifier back to the original data. Where assignment numbers are not used as unique identifiers, it is important for the uploading organisation to keep a record of the key (to map back unique ID to employee record) to ensure subject access requests can be responded to.
This is an agreement between partner organisations to provide an overarching framework for data sharing between themselves.
Having this agreement means that you can start to safely and collaboratively analyse and process the workforce data sets. You can also start engaging partner organisations, such as WRaPT.
This is an agreement between partner organisations and WRaPT agreeing that you are happy to share your data with us and the other partner organisations.
Once this agreement is signed WRaPT can model the data which will enable an accurate workforce baseline to be created and scenario modelling of the workforce across the entire group. By having full access to the data a correct ‘to be’ state can be created. Upon signing the Tier 1 Data Sharing Agreement we can then share the work we have done across all of the partner organisations.
This is an agreement between a single organisation and WRaPT to agree that you are happy to share your data with us. Once this agreement is signed WRaPT can model the data which will enable an accurate workforce baseline to be created and scenario modelling of the workforce of that single organisation which will be shared with only that single organisation.
You can add new roles in the tool then incorporate this into your model
Yes, WRaPT is often used to understand skill mix.
Whilst we use clinical and service knowledge to make changes to the way a team operation, ensuring that the WRaPT model /outputs comply with a safe staffing structure is the responsibility of the project sponsor.
Yes. Retrospective analysis is a great way to test expected results especially if accurate data has been collected throughout.
As WRaPT is a workforce planning tool, financial outcomes are limited to the salary costs stated in the base data. The tool assumes that these values are the costs associated to these employees, thus the financial impact of the scenario outcomes are based solely on these figures. On costs are not included unless you choose to build them into the base data, as these tend to follow the individual employees and not the WTE count.
As soon as your data is loaded you can start to model without delay.
By investing time in accurate driver creation, you can be confident that the outputs from the scenario models are reliable and replicable.
The WRaPT team can help you to create your drivers in the first instance and will work with you and your teams to refine them in line with your service knowledge and expertise. When driver data is completed, workforce and activity can be refreshed as often as required; producing new reports and scenarios instantly without the need for any additional work.
Driver data is critical to demonstrate the link between known workforce levels and costs, and the delivery of activity levels. Without this information, it is not possible to accurately model scenarios to understand the implications in terms of WTE and workforce costs when activity of workforce levels change.
When you need to look at multiple teams with a variety of interactions or analyse teams that have integrated activity across different organisations, WRaPT far exceeds the functionality of excel. WRaPT can hold a vast amount of data in its repository and create complex scenarios based on any amount of that data.
WRaPT enables you to securely upload, store and analyse data from more than one organisation which provides an additional level of data protection. The reports function can be used to easily filter and report on both workforce data sets providing visibility of the workforce profile.
The WRaPT team are available to provide training, help and support where required. You can use our contact us page or email us at wrapt@lancashirecare.nhs.uk if you require support. We have also designed a number of helpful documents, presentations and video’s that will guide you through all aspects of the tools functionality and are available in the Resources section. We will continue to add to this section as new content emerges.
It’s FREE! The tool is funded by Health Education England (North West) and is available free of charge to all health and social care providers throughout the North West.
The aim of the system is to create a platform from which relationships between each provider might become more visible to all concerned. It is vital to understand these relationships and the scope before undertaking a cross economy project. Being clear about the questions that you want to ask (model in WRaPT) is required before deciding what measurable data you want to input into the tool.
Data quality is a recognised issue throughout the health and social care economy. The WRaPT tool has the flexibility to match any form of activity data to workforce data through the use of cost centres. Reviewing data prior to upload has driven workforce data cleansing to reflect only staff contributing to activity within each cost centre, and where activity data has not existed, we have worked with teams to build a view from the bottom up for example through primary data collection.
By gathering the data from around your organisation to import into the WRaPT tool you will be able to identify areas of need and use the WRaPT tool to create meaningful discussions with all the parts of your organisation that need to work together to address the data quality issues. Ongoing use of WRaPT by individual departments will ensure continued data quality improvements throughout the whole organisation.
The WRaPT team are also able to support organisations in understanding the link between the clinical work, the collected activity data and the question they are trying to model. Usually, once the broader picture can be appreciated supporting improved data quality, culture changes can be seen within organisations.
Workforce and activity are in constant flux and therefore, to some extent always a little out of date. The WRaPT tool is designed to take a snapshot in time, as the goal is to produce long term models rather than operational level reporting.
WRaPT works on annual figures so any seasonal trends will be accounted for. Over the year many small changes would have a minimal impact on modelling outputs but data can be refreshed at any time if large changes to workforce or activity have occurred.
Generally, yes. The system has a set number of mandatory fields that need to be populated in order for it to work. Mandatory fields are: Level 1 of the hierarchy, Role, Position Title, Salary, Cost centre and WTE. However, the richness of information available to organisations, health-economies and Health Education England (North West) for regional planning would be reduced in this instance.
These elements can be added very easily. Whilst bank/agency/temp staff are not normally stored alongside the substantive workforce, WRaPT can incorporate them just so long as they are correctly detailed within the workforce template and have an associated cost centre with aligned activity, just like every other role in the workforce.
There is no functionality within the tool for skills, though there is the ability to add free text to denote specific skills upon exporting the data. This means that you can view and report from the repository but the skill fields are not part of the scenario modelling functionality.
As part of our wider work outside of the tool we can work with you to develop and conduct a skills analysis for your project.
Activity data can be any number of things, from clinic appointments to population sizes. Accurately recorded data produces the best results but the activity input for WRaPT depends very much upon the questions that you want WRaPT to help you to answer. Selecting an activity that reflects the work done by a team or group of teams, can be as simple or complex as you choose, there are many ways to view this. The WRaPT team can work through this with you to identify a measure that you feel is indicative.
We can normally associate team names with activity; these can then be matched with other data sets that contain corresponding cost centres. Where this is not possible, primary data collection within the individual teams is necessary to align them correctly. The WRaPT team can help with this.
At this time, the WRaPT tool does not have this functionality but the tool is currently being upgraded and we anticipate that the next rewrite will contain this function. Please contact the WRaPT team or check on our website for updates.
You can model the above by changing the efficiency of the activity per WTE. If you require any assistance with this modelling, please contact a member of the WRaPT team.
Yes. WRaPT can be used for any variable activity.
We classify “fixed” activity as that which is done within a role but does not vary with other activity. An activity is fixed if it is still carried out regardless of an increase or decrease in patient number or workload.It is tempting to class fixed activity as admin or management, but it can also be recorded as “non-clinical activity.” Many administrative or management activities can be deemed to be variable if they flex alongside the variable workload and can therefore be added as a variable activity alongside clinical activity.
Training that is directly related to the WTE of a role can be factored in to drivers and given an activity count.
Tasks such as mandatory training, which are specific to the individual person filling each role, must be done outside of the tool at this time. WRaPT can tell you how many additional WTE you will need to accommodate an increase in activity; it does not know how many people you will decide to use in order to fill those roles.
For example, if you needed 6 additional WTE for a particular role, you may decide to fill them with 10 part time employees, requiring mandatory training time x 10 not x 6.