Skills supply
Work differentiation brings new functions and new ways of working
Skellefteå Municipality is investing in developing new, clear roles within healthcare and social care – all in order to meet the skills challenge and create a workplace where everyone's skills are put to good use. By allowing everyone to focus on what they do best, we can provide better care for the elderly, a better working environment, and more career paths into healthcare, social care, and support.
At present, it is difficult to recruit enough healthcare professionals to the healthcare and nursing sector, but through job differentiation, tasks are based on the skills and training that individuals have. This gives nursing assistants and healthcare staff more time to focus on nursing care and better opportunities for individualized care and treatment. Thanks to service staff, the division of labor in the work group can be streamlined, while at the same time contributing to a safe, clean, and pleasant environment for residents.
Skellefteå Municipality's pilot project on job differentiation ran during 2024. It tested job differentiation between nursing assistants and service personnel in nursing and care homes. Nursing tasks requiring skills and training were performed by nursing assistants or other qualified personnel, while service personnel—without nursing and care training—took care of cleaning, laundry, shopping, and food distribution, among other things.
The pilot project showed that it was difficult to differentiate work in this way in nursing and care homes. It also became clear that there is a need for a function that leads, plans, and follows up on the daily work in nursing and care homes and supervises employees with lower skills and experience in the profession.
The role will be called team leader and will be given to a care worker who, in addition to their regular duties, will have the opportunity to take on a leading role in day-to-day work. The team leader role will be tested in 2026 at two or three nursing and care homes in the municipality.
During Society Expo, this will be one of the items on the agenda at the conference From Skellefteå to Sweden – solutions for the future of skills External link. on May 28–29. We will talk about how the work with team leaders is progressing, and there will also be opportunities for dialogue and exchange of experiences.
Skills supply. At present, it is difficult to recruit trained staff within the municipality's health and social care services. A new role as team leader creates opportunities to lead, plan, and follow up on daily work. It also creates opportunities to mentor employees with lower skills and experience in the profession.
In the short and long term, the project can improve the quality of care and the working environment. It can also create security and a basis for workplace learning, where employees receive support and guidance in their daily work.
Testing the new team leader feature is closely related to the strategy area of knowledge and unique expertise.
To employees in nursing and care homes and people who receive support in nursing and care homes.
The project contributes to the vision by increasing the competence of employees in nursing and care homes. This in turn leads to improved quality for the people who receive support from the organization.
Read more: SE26 project
Sidinformation
- Senast uppdaterad:
- 11 February 2026