What we learned from HACA23 around the professionalisation of Data and Analytics across Health and Care...

What we learned from HACA23 around the professionalisation of Data and Analytics across Health and Care

That people care that they care a lot.

Whether it was how we can provide alternative means of reward and prestige, to roles that might not receive the same remuneration, that would they receive in the private sector. To how we ensure fairness of access and opportunity to training and development. To debates over whether regulation of data and analytical roles would be a good thing or not. There were no shortage of questions and no shortage of insightful viewpoints.

I was fortunate to be able to present on the National Competency Framework, sit on a panel discussion around professionalisation and host a few side room drop in sessions at HACA. I am sitting here now trying to take in everything that I learnt, to interpret the many different handwritten whiteboard scribbles, to remember all the examples of brilliant outreach and upskilling people passed on.

3 Key actions I have taken from the conference are these:

·???????To try and connect all the different people doing amazing things outreaching to young people still in school around Data to others doing similar things, either with skills bootcamps or, to help them capture some of their “how method” to share with other areas wanting to do something similar;

·???????To take on board all the feedback on the NCF, and find a way to not hold back those in our profession pushing the boundaries of future innovation and best practices, whilst still balancing the needs of those still struggling to catch up to the now;

·???????To take more time to reflect and celebrate the success we have already achieved, rather than chastising myself for not having already delivered the impossible. We are far more powerful when we band together, but collective action takes time, and not pausing to let others catch up will undermine everything we have already achieved.

I am already picturing next years conference, when after a roadshow of every ICS in the country I will know even more people at the event. I can only hope people then, are as forgiving as this year’s attendees, when I have do the inevitable less than sneaky glance at their lanyards. Faces I can remember pretty well, names, well that is another matter entirely.

Here’s to HACA 2023 and the fantastic team that organised it.