PrimeReach Care is a government funded, acute health care service to around 500,000 people in its local region. Located across multiple, geographically dispersed
Case study
PrimeReach Care is a government funded, acute health care service to around 500,000 people in its local region. Located across multiple, geographically dispersed sites, it employs over 15,000 people in a wide variety of professional and ancillary roles and maintains a variety of important partnerships with dozens of other organisations.
PrimeReach Care has faced very substantial challenges in recent years. Some, like the covid pandemic were exceptional, but thankfully quite short-lived. Others, such as a fast-aging population and the emergence of some chronic skills shortages in key areas, are longer term in nature, but equally concerning in terms of their potential impact on PrimeReach Care’s capacity to provide the highest standards of healthcare. Skills shortages in some specialist areas are becoming increasingly severe. PrimeReach Care has plugged gaps by recruiting overseas but is finding it hard to retain these recruits for longer periods of time.
During 2024, employee voice activities highlighted that groups of staff were dissatisfied about pay and conditions within the organisation. This has now abated due to significant government-funded pay rises, but discontent among staff in respect of terms and conditions continues to simmer. Staff retention is a particular current challenge, as is absence. A higher percentage of PrimeReach Care’s employees are currently taking extended periods of sick leave than has ever been the case before, and in over 50% of these cases poor mental health comprises at least one of the causes.
Senior managers at PrimeReach Care have recently attended a briefing given by ministers and officials, at which some very clear messages were communicated regarding the next five years. The most important concerned funding. Put simply, health care services like PrimeReach Care should plan for very tight, ongoing financial settlements in the next five years. They should not expect above-inflation increases in their regular operating budgets, which include pay for staff. Any additional funds that become available will be focused specifically on priorities such as bringing waiting lists and waiting times down. Capital budgets will also be very constrained, reducing the availability of funds for new buildings and equipment. Repair bills will have to be met out of current expenditure. Substantial efficiency improvements and increased productivity are both needed and expected.
Senior Managers have asked the People Department to provide recommendations about appropriate future actions at PrimeReach Care in some key areas. You work in a generalist, mid-level People management role on PrimeReach Care’s main site but are considered to be someone who is appropriate for promotion into a more senior role on completion of your studies. The People Director has asked you to provide answers to the following questions that will provide insight into some of the major challenges facing PrimeReach Care and help to inform the recommendations.
Questions
Question 4 (AC1.4)
Appraise the potential long-term consequences on work, employment and management practices at PrimeReach Care, arising from published forecasts about the economy over the coming three years. (AC 1.4)
Question 6 (AC2.2)
Assess the likely impact of the government’s current economic policies, on the people practice agenda within the healthcare sector. (AC 2.2)
Question 10 (AC3.2)
Examine how best to tackle resistance to cultural change at PrimeReach Care, including making specific recommendations about this. The driver for this is the productivity improvement agenda that PrimeReach Care expects to become an increasingly prominent feature of its people management activity over the coming three years. (AC 3.2)
Question 13 (AC 4.1)
Examine the ethics of proposed initiatives for the use of HR surveillance technologies at PrimeReach Care, including those which keep a record of computer usage both on site and at home, and ‘wearables’ which track someone’s location during their working day. (AC 4.1)
Declaration of Authentication
Declaration by learner
I can confirm that:
I understand the consequences of malpractice and accept that any violation of this agreement may result in disciplinary action. | |
Learner name: | |
Learner signature: (This must be a true signature, so a handwritten signature, or a photo or scan of a handwritten signature, or an e-signature. A typed signature is not acceptable.) | |
Date of submission* Date of first re-submission (if applicable)* Date of second re-submission (if applicable)* *This should be the date on which you submit your assessment for marking | |
Marking Grid
Learners will receive a Pass, Merit, Distinction or Refer/Fail result at unit level.
You should mark in line with the generic grade descriptors provided on the last page of this brief.
You must provide a mark from 1 to 4 for each Learning Outcome in the unit. You must provide constructive, developmental feedback for each Learning Outcome where you award a mark of one, so refer/fail. If it is your Study Centre’s policy, you can also provide constructive, developmental feedback for learning outcomes where you award a mark of two or above. In both cases, you must provide rich summary feedback at the end of the feedback form, following the instructions provided there.
To pass the unit assessment learners must achieve a 2 (Pass) or above for each of the learningoutcomes.
The overall mark achieved will dictate the grade the learner receives for the Unit, provided NONE of the learning outcomes have been failed or referred.
Overall mark | Unit result |
0 to 7 | Refer / Fail |
8 or 9 | Pass |
10 to 13 | Merit |
14 to 16 | Distinction |
Learners’ result should be recorded in a marking grid similar to the example below.
Marking grid:
Learning outcome | Mark |
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LO1 | 2 |
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LO2 | 3 |
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LO3 | 3 |
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LO4 | 2 |
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Overall mark | 10 |
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Unit Result | Merit | |
EXAMPLE Marking grid and feedback for learner – 7CO01
This is an example feedback form. You will need to amend it so that it specifies the correct questions for the moderation window in which you’re submitting learners’ results.
Centre number |
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Centre name |
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Learner number (1st 7 digits of CIPD Membership number) |
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Learner surname |
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Learner other names (e.g. first name and middle name(s)) |
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Note to Assessor – Please enter a mark for each LO. You need only provide feedback
where you have awarded a mark of 1. This feedback should be developmental.
LO1 Understand ways in which major, long-term environmental developments are affecting employment, work and people management in organisations. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development) | Mark (1-4) | |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable) |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable) |
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LO2 Understand current and short-term developments in the people management business environment. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development) | Mark (1-4) | |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable) |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable) |
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LO3 Understand how change, innovation and creativity can promote improvements in organisational productivity. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development) | Mark (1-4) | |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable) |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable) |
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LO4 Understand the key interrelationships between organisational commitment to ethics, sustainability, diversity and wellbeing. (Provide rationale for judgements against each question and identify areas for development) | Mark (1-4) | |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 1 (if applicable) |
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Assessor feedback resubmission 2 (if applicable) |
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Total for this TASK | /16 | |
Total marks for UNIT: |
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Total marks for UNIT (resubmission 1 if applicable): |
| Grade (resubmission 1 if applicable): |
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Total marks for UNIT (resubmission 2 if applicable): |
| Grade (resubmission 2 if applicable): |
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Assessor Feedback Summary: Please use this box to summarise your feedback on the assessment overall. This should highlight strengths and any areas for improvement, either referring to specific LOs or commenting more generally across the assessment. (Note: developmental feedback on any LOs awarded a mark of 1 should have already been provided in the relevant box of the assessment form above. Please use a different font colour for any resubmission comments.) |
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Assessor name: | Submission | Resubmission 1 | Resubmission 2 | |
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Assessor signature*: I confirm that I am satisfied that to the best of my knowledge, the work produced is solely that of the learner. |
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Date: |
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*This must be a true signature, so a handwritten signature, or a photo or scan of a handwritten signature, or an e-signature. A typed signature is not acceptable.
Second Marker Feedback (complete if second marked) | ||||
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Second Marker Name |
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Second Marker Signature |
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First Mark |
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Second Mark |
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Agreed Mark |
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Comments | ||||
Generic grade descriptors | REFER/FAIL / 1 | PASS / 2 | MERIT / 3 | DISTINCTION / 4 |
Focus | Fails to address all the questions either sufficiently fully or directly. | An adequate attempt to address all the questions fully and directly. | A good attempt to address all the questions relatively well and directly. | An excellent attempt to address all the questions very well and directly. |
Depth & breadth of understanding | Inadequate knowledge and understanding in respect of one or more of the questions. Limited depth and breadth of analysis. | Adequate knowledge and understanding across the questions. Satisfactory breadth and depth of analysis. | Full and solid knowledge and understanding across all the questions. Good breadth and depth of analysis. | Very full knowledge and understanding across all the questions. Excellent breadth and depth of analysis. |
Strategic application & professional advice | Fails to provide appropriate or well-justified advice and/or recommendations. Lacks a strategic approach. | Provides adequately justified advice and informed recommendations Some strategic application. | Provides solid and thoughtful advice and well-informed recommendations. Clearly strategic in orientation. | Provides excellent advice and very well-informed recommendations. Strategically oriented in all respects. |
Research & wider reading | Limited original research and/or appropriate wider reading for the assignment. Limited or no referencing. | Evidence of sufficient research and appropriate wider reading for the assignment. Satisfactory in-text referencing. | Evidence of significant research and thoughtful, appropriate wider reading for the assignment. A good standard of in-text referencing. | Evidence of considerable research and excellent, appropriate wider reading for the assignment. An excellent standard of in-text referencing |
Persuasiveness & originality | Limited development of persuasive and original arguments. Inadequate use of examples. | An adequate attempt to develop original arguments and to justify these persuasively. Includes appropriate examples. | Some strong original arguments are presented which are mainly justified persuasively. Good use of examples. | Mostly strong original arguments are presented and justified very persuasively. Excellent use of examples. |
Presentation & language | An inadequate standard of presentation or language. The assignment is poorly written and/or poorly structured. It is not at the level required for a management presentation. | A solid standard of presentation and use of language. The structure and ideas are satisfactory for a management presentation. | A strong and professional standard of presentation and use of language. The structure and ideas are well crafted for a management presentation. | An outstanding standard of presentation and use of language. The structure and ideas are very well crafted for a management presentation. |
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Sample Answer
Question 4 — LO1, AC1.4
Appraise the potential long-term consequences on work, employment and management practices at PrimeReach Care, arising from published forecasts about the economy over the coming three years
Over the next three years the macro picture for the UK looks like “low growth, easing but still sticky inflation, and only gradual loosening of the labour market”. The OBR expects unemployment to peak around 4.5% in 2025 and drift back towards c.4.1% by 2028, while growth and inflation settle close to trend; the Bank of England’s August 2025 projections show four-quarter GDP around 1¼% with inflation broadly on target by the medium term. The IMF’s latest WEO update similarly has UK growth near 1.3% in 2025, with the UK still wrestling with the G7’s highest inflation profile in the near term. For PrimeReach Care this mix implies a prolonged squeeze on real budgets and pay flexibility, continued competition for scarce skills, and a political focus on productivity rather than expansive funding uplifts. The Guardian+3Office for Budget Responsibility+3bankofengland.co.uk+3
1) Workforce supply, international recruitment and retention
A softer economy typically reduces quits in the wider labour market, but health and care have structural shortages that macro-cooling won’t fix. The government has tightened Skilled Worker/Health & Care visa rules since 2024–25 (higher salary thresholds, limits on dependant visas for care roles, and removal of many medium-skilled roles from eligibility). For an employer that already relies on overseas staff to plug gaps, the risk is a thinner pipeline, shorter tenures and higher churn as some recruits cannot bring dependants or move to settlement as easily. Expect rising recruitment lead times and greater emphasis on local pipelines (apprenticeships, return-to-practice, advanced practitioner routes) plus “stickiness” strategies for existing international hires (pastoral support, relocation assistance, progression). health.org.uk+3DavidsonMorris | Solicitors+3The Royal College of Nursing+3
2) Pay, living costs and the lower end of the pay spine
The National Living Wage rose again in April 2025 to £12.21. Although Agenda for Change generally stays compliant, each step-up compresses the bottom of the pay structure, narrows differentials and inflates costs for outsourced/ancillary services. With fiscal settlements tight and pay awards unlikely to exceed inflation materially, PrimeReach Care faces continued pressure to use non-pay levers to compete: predictable rotas, access to childcare and transport, faster progression for hard-to-fill roles, and improved staff experience. NHS Employers+1
