Six steps approach to workforce planning

Six Steps to Workforce Planning is an eLearning programme that supports health and social care organisations to plan their workforce in a clear and structured way. The six-step method has been widely used for many years as the standard approach to workforce planning across the sector. The programme consists of six eLearning sessions, each focusing on one step in the planning process and supported by a practical case study. 

 

Intended audience 

This programme is for anyone involved in planning or changing services, including: 

• People working on service redesign 

• Staff involved in restructures or reorganisations 

• Managers and team leads 

• Commissioners 

• Professionals responsible for workforce planning 

 

Key areas covered 

Across the six steps, learners explore: 

• The core principles of workforce planning 

• How to understand current workforce and service needs 

• How to identify future demand and required skills 

• How to design a workforce to meet changing needs 

• How to put a workforce plan into action 

• How to review progress and make improvements 

A case study shows how the six steps work together from start to finish in real practice. 

 

Learning objectives 

By the end of the programme, learners will be able to: 

• Understand the purpose and value of workforce planning 

• Use the six-step method to create and review workforce plans 

• Apply planning tools to different types of service change 

• Identify workforce gaps and future needs 

• Develop a plan that supports safe, effective and sustainable services 

• Use a real-life example to support their own planning practice