• Provide an overview of the service in which you are undertaking placement, paying regard to the socio-historic influences on policy, care provision and management of services user group of your choice.
• Demonstrate the role (impact) of how policies influenced practice.

Introduction: 

Recent political and economic developments and associated changes in the practice and delivery of health and social care have led managers and professionals to recognise the importance and links between problem solving and decision-making skills. In particular, assessing the impact of political, economic, socio-cultural, environmental and other external influences upon health care policy, proposals and organisational programmes is becoming a recognisable stage of health service strategic development and planning mechanisms. Undertaking this form of strategic analysis therefore is to diagnose the key issues that the organisation needs to address.

This form of analysis can be undertaken by reviewing the organisational (external) environment using the PEST-analysis (sometimes known as STEP-analysis), extended to the PESTELI checklist described below. PESTELI Analysis is a useful tool for understanding the “big picture” of the environment in which you are operating, and the opportunities and threats that lie within it. By understanding your environment, you can take advantage of the opportunities and minimise the threats.