Skip to content

Talent Timebanking

An NHS England initiative.

Connecting and developing talent across health and social care

Talent Timebanking is a national digital platform supporting NHS and social care staff to take charge of their career development.

Built on the simple principle that everyone’s time has equal value, the platform creates a fairer and more inclusive way for people to connect and learn across roles, professions and organisations. 

Supported by NHS England and regional Heads of Talent, Talent Timebanking helps unlock the workforce’s existing potential.

Connecting and developing talent across health and social care

The challenge

Supporting people in a changing system.

Health and social care is complex, ever-changing and under constant pressure. Strong leadership is essential but traditional talent management often reinforces hierarchy and limits opportunities - especially for under-represented groups.

For many staff, access to development opportunities can feel inconsistent, opaque or dependent on networks they may not yet have.

Karen Chummun, Head of Talent for London, recognised the need for a new model - one that prioritises fairness, flexibility and self-determination.

Talent Timebanking responds by applying the principles of timebanking: one hour of contribution earns one credit regardless of role, paygrade or background.

This shift enables people to:

  • Shape their own career journeys.
  • Remove bias from career development pathways.
  • Access development through contribution, not gatekeeping.
  • Build networks of mutual learning and support.
  • Develop confidence, visibility and transferable skills.

The challenge

Our solution

A peer network built on equity and reciprocity.

As the market's most advanced peer-to-peer network to support timebanking, our software provides the infrastructure to help people share skills and support each other. This enables Talent Timebanking to scale.

 

We know that transparent and equitable mechanisms for offering bespoke support to staff from under-represented groups are needed across health and social care. That’s why we built a national platform, based on timebanking principles, dedicated entirely to talent management.

Karen Chummun, Head of Talent – London, NHS England

Key features include:

  • A fair exchange system
    Timebanking values every contribution equally, creating a culture of reciprocity and trust.
  • Personalised career development
    Members choose exchanges that reflect their goals - from mentoring and shadowing to project work.
  • Equity by design
    By removing gatekeeping and bias, the platform levels the playing field and broadens access to development.

Together, these features support a more open, inclusive and self-directed approach to professional growth.

Our solution

Recognition and growing impact

Progress and results in 2025.

2025 marked a shift from establishing Talent Timebanking to embedding it as a credible, scalable workforce development offer.

National expansion and adoption

  • National launch in April 2025 with representation from all NHS regions.
  • Membership grew by 82% in six months, from 450 to 821 members.
  • Strong trajectory towards 1,000 members by March 2026.
  • Increasing collaboration across regions, professions and organisations.

Targeted network development

Talent Timebanking has supported focused communities to test and refine engagement models, including:

  • Babies, Children and Young People (BCYP) Nurse Mentoring Network – a national space for reciprocal peer support.
  • London Student Finance Network (Bands 2–6) – enabling skills exchange, confidence building and knowledge sharing.
  • Primary care adoption – onboarding the first GP practice, using the platform to embed and evidence High Performance Behaviours for Managers.

Engagement and visibility

Throughout 2025, Talent Timebanking was showcased at events and forums including HPMA, HFMA, CIPD and Proud2BOps - positioning it not just as a digital tool, but as a practical response to real workforce challenges.

Recognition and national profile

Talent Timebanking’s growing maturity has been recognised nationally:

  • HPMA Excellence in People Awards 2025 – finalist for the Capsticks Award for Innovation, receiving High Commendation.
  • CIPD Workforce Planning & Talent Management Conference – featured as a national case study on reimagining talent management through reciprocal networks.

This recognition reflects the power of co-creation and the collective effort of NHS England, regional contributors and the wider health and care community.

Evidence, insight and learning

Alongside growth, 2025 brought a stronger focus on understanding impact:

  • Capturing testimonials after completed exchanges.
  • Gathering reflections from members and network leads.
  • Analysing participation, equity of access and exchange types.

Feedback consistently shows that Talent Timebanking supports more than skills sharing. Members use it to:

  • Build confidence and professional identity.
  • Gain practical experience.
  • Develop careers across organisational boundaries.
  • Form meaningful, supportive connections

By combining stories, feedback and emerging data, the programme is building a strong foundation for assurance, learning and continuous improvement.

Recognition and growing impact

Looking ahead

The next phase of Talent Timebanking will focus on:

  • Deepening adoption across regions and networks.
  • Strengthening insight and reporting for leaders.
  • Enhancing the member journey from sign-up to impact.
  • Sustaining inclusion and quality as the network grows.
  • Aligning more closely with leadership and development programmes.

Looking ahead

Talent Timebanking

Unlocking potential through reciprocity, inclusion and shared learning.

Working with Made Open has been a great experience. The team are supportive, engaged and genuinely collaborative. We’re proud of how Talent Timebanking has matured and excited about what’s possible next.

Halima Chowe, Senior Programme Lead, NHS England

Visit Talent Timebanking
Talent Timebanking

Join the Place Makers Inner Circle

Place Makers is a free newsletter and podcast for leaders in neighbourhood health and care.

Packed with practical take-aways, we explore the strategies, challenges and stories behind place-based change.

Join the Inner Circle

Add new activity

Assist with a buyer request

Request help from your community.

Add a poll

Canvass the opinions of your community.

Start a challenge

Set a challenge and gather ideas from your community.

Start a conversation

Ask a question or share thoughts with your community.

Add an event

Tell everyone about an event in your community.

Look for volunteers

Post and promote your volunteering opportunities.

Add a community listing

Submit a service or social group in your area.

Record an exchange

Log time you've exchanged with other members.
Please complete your profile to record an exchange.

Add a request

Request help from your community.
Please complete your profile to add a request.

Add an offer

Offer to help your community.
Please complete your profile to add an Offer.

Add a provider offer

Offer to help your community.

Add a job vacancy

Advertise your job vacancy .

Would you like to save your progress?


Note: Saving as a draft means your activity will be available for you to edit in your dashboard.​

Selecting delete marks your activity as deleted in your dashboard.​

Please sign in or register

Sign in Register

Delete my account

Selecting this option will permanently delete your account data. You will no longer have access to your account or any associated information.

If you want to request a copy of your data, please wait until you receive your data before selecting this option.

Delete my account

Connect with __XXX__

Search Developer Test

Activities

Find activities and services from members in your community.

Search activities

Members

Find people and organisations who are using Developer Test

Search members

Guides

Find information in the Developer Test guides.

Search guides

X hours given for:
Title

Invite to circle

Share the magic link:

Anyone who follows this link will auto-magically join your circle!

Or share on WhatsApp

Share the auto-magic link in a WhatsApp group.

What best describes your community?

Select relevant option(s)

How big is your online community likely to be?

Select to the nearest match...

Do you need assistance managing your platform?

Select to the nearest match...

What features are you most interested in?

Please visit the features page for more information.

For the lowest price, choose only one feature, as more features will increase the cost.

Select relevant option(s)

How ready are you?


Do you have a budget set aside for an online platform?
Are you involved in the buying decision?
Will a platform address a key challenge within your community or organisation?
  
Do you need to address this challenge quickly?

Please add your details

Your readiness report will be generated next.

Please add your details so we can send you the report via email and reach out for further discussion. There's no commitment involved and we won't use your details for any other purpose.

Rest assured, we won't use your information for anything else. You can find more details in our privacy policy.

Based on your answers, we think you are...

56% ready

for a Made Open platform.

If you are looking to harness the strengths of your community or network, we can help get this figure closer to 100%.

What best describes your community?

You selected: A community of place

Our community software empowers a diverse range of public and voluntary sector partnerships. We've designed it with a deep understanding of what holds communities back and how leaders can make them thrive.

Unfortunately, communities often go unnoticed, despite their potential to make a difference. Yet, in every community, there's a treasure trove of untapped knowledge and compassion. The secret is to embrace each member's unique contributions. Our software shifts the focus away from problems and challenges to the boundless value they bring.

Each platform connects members to the skills, knowledge, support and resources within their community - propelling them towards a brighter future.

You selected: A community of practice

In the quest for excellence, individuals and groups often struggle to access expertise when they need it most. What they may not realise is that a wealth of untapped skills and knowledge is readily available to help them.

Our software serves as the key to unlocking the full potential of your network or workforce. We believe that success, whether for individuals or groups, hinges on the effortless exchange of skills and knowledge.

Each platform allows members to share their ideas, skills and talents within their network - propelling everyone towards excellence.

You selected: A bit of both

Whether it’s nurturing a local community or a community of professionals, our software understands what holds people back and what tools are needed to help them make a difference.

In every community or network lies an abundance of skills, wisdom and compassion. The secret is to embrace each member’s distinctive contributions and empower them as drivers of change, not mere bystanders of it.

Our software connects members to the wealth of skills, knowledge, support and resources residing within their online community.

How big is your online community likely to be?

You selected: Less than 100 members.

Why not dip your toes into the water with our 'Entry' platform? This starter-level solution is perfect for smaller communities or pilot projects, offering the most budget-friendly licensing option available.

You selected: Less than 1,000 members.

This is normal. Why not choose our ‘Creator’ pricing model? It accommodates up to 1,200 members while keeping your costs at a minimum as you establish your online community. You can easily add more features, services and members at a later stage.

You selected: 1,000 to 10,000 members.

The choice of many thriving communities, our 'Innovator' pricing model is designed to propel your success. Supporting up to 3,000 members and with many extra features coming as standard, our account team can help you manage queries and requests from your expanding user base.

You selected: More than 10,000 members.

For large communities with high expectations, our 'Enterprise' pricing model is the perfect fit. It's ideal for scale-up communities seeking top-tier products and services from Made Open, with the added flexibility to collaborate with partners and request enhancements as needed.

You selected: I don't know.

That’s fine. Fledgling communities often have big dreams but lack the specifics to make them happen on day 1. Consider starting small with our 'Creator' pricing model and scale up as you achieve certain milestones. You could also buy extra time from our team who specialise in growing online communities.

Do you need assistance managing your platform?

You selected: We can manage this platform ourselves.

The good news is that this is the most affordable choice. Our ‘Entry’ and ‘Creator’ models are like do-it-yourself options. But if you need help along the way, help is still at hand. We provide many guides, webinars and group training sessions that you can be part of.

Do you need assistance managing your platform?

You selected: We could use some assistance getting started.

Except for our Entry model, where it's more self-service, our dedicated team will be with you every step of the way. You'll receive a tailored Welcome Pack, help with setting up your platform and personalised training to get you started. In a nutshell, we’ve got you covered!

Do you need assistance managing your platform?

You selected: We’re likely to need help growing this community.

Many of our clients appreciate both our service and our platform's features. With our token system, you have full control to customise your dream platform. If you require ongoing support from us, you can easily add this to your plan.

Do you need assistance managing your platform?

You selected: We want to outsource platform management.

Some of our clients often have a budget for a platform but lack the resources to manage it. That's okay; we can be your complete outsourcing solution if you need assistance. Our account team specialises in community growth!

Do you need assistance managing your platform?

You selected: I don’t know

No worries! You might find our 'People Power' plan useful. It offers a clear roadmap for leaders like you to create a successful online community. If necessary, we can help you shape the big vision for your platform and offer practical day-to-day support.

What features are you most interested in?

Here are the features that are most important to you right now:

Timebanking ✔  
Listings ✔ 
Volunteering ✔ 
Events ✔ 
Idea sharing ✔ 
Discussions ✔ 
Polls ✔ 
Teams ✔ 
Campaigns ✔ 
Guides ✔ 
Goals ✔ 

It’s tempting to begin with all the features you desire, but starting small and expanding slowly is often a wiser choice. This approach ensures you platform begins life clear and focused.

Our recommendation would be to select the key features that align best with your community’s current needs and remain agile as these needs evolve.

Keep in mind that opting for just one feature initially offers the most budget-friendly option, as adding more features will also increase costs.

You have indicated the following:

  • You do have a budget for an online platform.
  • You might have a budget for an online platform.

    Things for you to consider:
    What is the funding strategy for this platform?
    Is investing in an online platform a priority worth budgeting for?
    Could you share the cost of licensing a platform with other organisations?

  • You do not have a budget for an online platform.

    Things to consider:
    Are there grants available for your project?
    If you represent a marginalized community, you may be eligible for a free starter platform.
    Are there local sponsors who might support your cause?

  • You are involved in the buying decision.
  • You are not involved in the buying decision.

    Things to consider:
    Who is on board and how can you (or we) engage them effectively?
    Could Made Open send any literature to support your business case?
    What objections might you encounter and what’s the best way to handle them?

  • You might be involved in the buying decision

    Things for you to consider:
    What’s the best way to engage other stakeholders in this project?
    Can Made Open assist you in engaging others through demos or discussions?
    Would beginning with a small-scale approach allow you to start and involve others later on?

  • A platform will address a key challenge within your community or organisation.
  • A platform won’t address a key challenge within your community or organisation.

    Things to consider:
    What is the key challenge you want to solve?
    What got you thinking about using technology in the first place?
    Is the current solution for this challenge fit for purpose?

  • A platform might address a key challenge within your community or organisation.

    Things for you to consider:
    What happens if you take no action?
    Can you gain insights from other Made Open platforms facing similar challenges?
    Would a small-scale trial or proof-of-concept be a valuable exercise?

  • You do need to address this challenge quickly.
  • You don’t need to address this challenge quickly.

    Things to consider:
    What are your timescales?
    How long do you need to prepare for them?
    Are there any events that might alter your deadlines?

  • You might need to address this challenge quickly.

    Things for you to consider:
    What will make this a pressing issue that needs immediate attention?
    How probable and imminent is this threat?
    Do you want to prepare in advance or are you okay with waiting?

These factors are key to rating your readiness for licensing our software but, whatever your level of readiness, we’re more than happy to help you explore next steps.

Thank you for completing this survey and we hope it was useful. We will be in touch to see if we can help further.

Let's build a better community.

Regards, the Made Open team


Cookies on Developer Test

We use cookies to give you the best online experience.

Select 'Accept all' to agree to all cookies.

Some cookies are essential. Others can be controlled in your cookie preferences.