Check out the latest edition of Leader Magazine for an update on the NWLA’s latest activities such as… • The growing North West Non-Executive Director (NED) Network • Relaunching the NHS North West Anti-Racism Allies Development Programme • Bespoke organisational support from the NWLA • Introducing the Greater Manchester Primary Care ‘NHS Leaders’ Wellbeing Local Programme’ • Your local leadership stories And more…
AUTUMN 2024
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a moulder of IT.” Martin Luther King Jr
welcome an introduction to frances dodd leadership connections a network to connect, share and thrive ant-racism programme a collective commitment
Chairs Address: New faces and fresh perspectives in the NHS
What’s inside?
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Foreword Frances Dodd
Chairs address: New faces and fresh perspectives in the NHS Silas Nicholls
Leadership Connections Mary Moore
NHS North West Anti-Racism Allies Development Programme Providing Bespoke Board Development to Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust Alison Hughes and Claus Madsen
An introduction to Frances Dodd, Head of the NHS North West Leadership Academy Foreword,
Leadership Development Naveed’s Story
Delivering Local Leadership Development
which I believe should be the golden thread running through everything we do. As the pressure on our leaders seems to continually grow, such as with the current financial and workforce pressures, it is so important to try and find some time to stop and ask what is making an impact, what is making a difference but also what can we stop, this is vital for our wellbeing and sense of purpose. One of my favourite phrases and challenges is “You can do anything but not everything”, which feels particularly relevant for the current times in the NHS. So, as we approach autumn, hopefully, you will get some time to get away and recharge your batteries. I look forward to meeting you soon, but also please do contact me to introduce yourselves. I hope you enjoy the breadth and depth of articles in this issue, which highlights the inspirational work of the NHS North West Leadership Academy.
I am delighted to be able to write this foreword as the new Head of the NHS North West Leadership Academy and excited to contribute to its continued success. It was the unique membership model that attracted me to this role and I look forward to meeting and working with you all. In particular, I place value on building relationships and intend to place a priority on connecting with you, to listen and fully understand your challenges and opportunities, enabling me to undertake my role in the most effective way. Previously, working in a Trust and regularly being in our services, both within the community and wards was a constant reminder of the positive influence of a leader, particularly on a day-to-day basis, through impact on individuals, teams, patients, service users and the communities we serve. However, to enable our individuals and teams to be their best requires support, compassion, a focus on wellbeing and creating a sense of belonging, through celebrating the wonderful diversity of the NHS,
Wellbeing Leadership in Primary Care: Ambitions for Change
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Spotlight on Good Practice: A Trust’s Commitment to Improving Staff Engagement and Staff Survey Scores Enhancing Skills as a ‘Change Consultant’ in Organisational, Cross-organisational and System Change Work Building a Growth Mindset in New NHS Leaders Laura Maclennan
Professor Silas Nicholls Chair and member of: North West Leadership and Talent Board NHS North West Leadership Academy Executive Committee
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focus on the well-being and retention of staff. How we make the workplace a supportive, flexible and enjoyable place to be is increasingly (and rightly so) becoming much more of an important focus for NHS leaders up and down the country. Whilst new technologies, capital investment and future strategies are important, its people who are at the heart of the NHS. Talking of people, I’m delighted to welcome Dr Frances Dodd as our new Head of the Leadership Academy for the North West. Frances brings a wealth of experience gained across a range of different sectors and I’m very much looking forward to working with her. I would also like to thank Dianne Mardell who has been acting Head of the Academy and who has worked
closely with me and other colleagues in moving the work of the Academy forward. Dianne will still be acting as an associate to the Academy, which is great to hear. I am also pleased to announce that Dr Manisha Kumar will be taking on the role of Deputy Chair for the NHS North West Leadership Academy. Manisha is a General Practitioner as well as the Chief Medical Officer for the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board. Bringing both a medical and primary care perspective, Manisha will be a real asset to our board.
Welcome to our latest edition of Leader.
Firstly, I would like to thank colleagues working across all parts of the NHS for their incredible hard work in managing the continued post-COVID recovery, the ongoing pressures that all systems are facing around urgent and emergency care as well as working on the recovery of the NHS finances. It’s a huge leadership challenge for us all. I was lucky enough to spend some time recently at the NHS Confederation Expo in Manchester. It was great to hear about the latest developments, share in good practice and catch up with a few colleagues that I’ve not seen in a while. What was striking about this year’s Confed was the strong
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Coming Soon
2024 Festival of Leadership
Thank you for all that you are doing.
CONTACT US If you have any comments on Leader, or just want to get in touch with a member of the team, you can email us at NWLA.info@nhs.net and follow us on Twitter.
@nhsnwla
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NHS North West Anti-Racism Allies Development Programme
Leadership connections
We look forward to welcoming our North West NEDs to more events throughout the year. Our next network event will meet on: Monday 21st October 2024 12;30pm – to 4:30pm at Health Innovation Campus, Lancaster The Network welcomes new and returning members, so please join us at an upcoming event! If you are interested in attending a NED network event, please contact nwla.execleadership@nhs.net to reserve your place. Mary Moore, Non-Executive Director at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, NED Network steering team member and NED network member what’s coming up:
The North West Non-Executive Director (NED) Network was established in April last year. The network provides a confidential space for NEDs to connect, share and thrive in a peer-led group. The network events provide a safe space for discussion and effective practices to be shared, across a variety of key topics and focus areas, bringing to life current challenges and sharing lived experiences. The network provides NEDs with a dedicated space to reflect and share new thinking. Mary Moore, Non-Executive Director at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, NED Network steering team member and NED network member, shares her experiences and learning on been a NED and the benefits of being part of the North West Network. “The North West NED Network is a networking and informative event. We are largely but not exclusively, a community of ex- executives from within the NHS, and we’ve all chosen to become non-executive directors.”
My background is in Nursing and when you go into nursing or medicine, or any healthcare vocation you do it because you’re fundamentally altruistic and this attracts you into public service and you give your career to it, whether that’s long or short, and when you walk away from it, you’re left with a hole. That’s my personal experience. I found the gap from being an executive to retirement quite big, compounded by the start of the pandemic and the first lockdown. My plan was always to become a NED but it’s a completely different role to that of an executive, you’re the voice of assurance. Generally speaking, I do a couple of days a week, notionally 3 to 4 days per month per organisation, and even though you draw on your experience, the challenge is; becoming the voice of assurance whilst understanding operational context within the limited time available. That’s where the Network comes in. It’s a forum, to transfer knowledge and a confidential friend to say, this is or isn’t going well for me.”
Racism is real, both in society and across our NHS organisations. Collectively there is a commitment to champion anti-racism and become unapologetically anti-racist for our workforce and the communities we serve. We each must be intentional in our actions to embed anti-racism into the culture of NHS organisations and this emphasises the need for strong and competent leadership. We observed the compassion and curiosity across the North West Region, where senior leaders wished to better understand anti-racism and share ways to eradicate inequalities in access, outcomes and experience for staff and for populations we serve. In order to transform culture and behaviours, our leaders needed to see differently,
Senior leaders from NHS England North West, Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), Greater Manchester ICB & Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB are participating in an anti-racism allies development programme. The programme concentrates on the learners and how they relate to the world, exploring hidden assumptions that lead to points of view, patterns and habits of mind, emotional reactions and responses, intentions behind actions and their impact upon others. It aims to equip senior leaders with deeper self-awareness and grow their confidence in recognising and addressing racism fully. This then allows leaders to proactively catalyse changes to culture, services and population and staff experiences, and drive their organisation, system and region to meet the North West anti-racism ambition. To hold themselves accountable to measures of improvement, the learners are participating in an independent evaluation process. This includes a baseline assessment of the participants’ current views, knowledge, experience and expectations. The robust evaluation framework will be used to demonstrate the impact achieved and the journey the participants have been on.
Future newsletters will describe the pride people feel in leading through an anti- racism approach, making the North West better at preventing ill health as well as receiving and providing healthcare. Some of your Board members are involved in this change, so if you want to hear more, ask them. You won’t regret it! • Increase leadership skills to tackle racism in the workplace and to lead from the top. • Become more aware of hidden or unconscious biases and how to minimise these. • Create a sustainable and inclusive culture where everyone feels included. • Change organisational culture and address the complex and multi-faceted, nature and expression of racism. • Develop new ways of thinking and being open to new ideas. • Ensure anti-racism is part of wider organisational strategic plans. The programme is running until the Autumn and we will be following the learners’ journey. Here is a summary of their main motivations and what they expect to take away from the development programme. • Demonstrate commitment to anti- racism and to ensure everyone knows what role they play in tackling racism whatever their job role. • Increase awareness of what constitutes racism, its impact and how it can be addressed.
think differently, and respond differently.
more executive support
The NHS North West has a number of support offers available to those in executive and non-executive roles such as:
Executive coaching: The NHS North West Leadership Academy Executive Coaching offer provides a confidential space with a professional coach that is flexible and personalised to your needs. Executive coaching can support you in exploring topics such as self- awareness, leading through change and professional growth and direction.
Board support offer: An expert facilitator will work closely with you to scope your collective development requirements, aims and objectives. Which will inform the design and delivery of 3 engaging and impactful sessions. Themes can include supporting relationship development, strategic visioning and action planning.
National Resources: Explore national onboarding resources that have been curated for senior leaders. These resources are designed to support senior leaders in developing their leadership in a complex and changing landscape. There are specific elements available for Chairs. NHS Senior Leadership Onboarding and Support – NHS Senior Leadership Onboarding and Support (leadershipacademy.nhs.uk)
To drive forward meaningful change, everyone has the responsibility for tackling and addressing racism. The North West BAME Assembly network has re-launched the Anti-Racist Framework, which is designed to take individuals and organisations through a learning journey.
The framework is underpinned by: • The principles of prioritising anti-racism • Understanding lived experience
• Growing inclusive leaders • Acting to tackle inequalities
• Reviewing and reflecting on progress It also sets out actions that can be used to embed anti-racism practices organisation- wide. You can find out more by visiting NHS England — North West » Anti Racist Framework.
For more information email: nwla.execleadership@nhs.net
For more information email: nwla.execleadership@nhs.net
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Providing bespoke board development to Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Alison Hughes, Director of Corporate Affairs and Senior Information Risk Owner
Claus Madsen, Chief People Officer
IntroDUCTION Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) provides community health care services across the Wirral in the North West of England. Aims Despite the Trust performing well against CQC guidance with a good rating, WCHC’s board continues to be committed to challenging themselves on their journey towards excellence. Initial discussions between the Trust and the NHS North West Leadership Academy, centred around previous successful examples of board development and the need for an intervention that was creative, experimental and tailored to the needs of the Trust. One area of interest for the board was developing their communications approach with key stakeholders; focusing on how to ensure their messages resonated and appealed to target audiences.
Approach Initial discussions took place between the Trust’s board and the NHS North West Leadership Academy to produce a development plan for the board which would include improving communications through a storytelling approach. Over the course of 6 months, the NHS North West Leadership Academy team worked with WCHC, to help shape the requirements of this board development project. It was agreed that the scope of the project needed to be more innovative than traditional offers, as the board were open to testing their comfort levels by taking a more stretching and brave approach which would include being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Outputs The NHS North West Leadership Academy is connected to a large network of highly experienced senior and executive level providers who specialise in developing aspects of leadership ranging from system change to equity, diversity and inclusion. The commissioning of expert knowledge was integral to the design and successful delivery of this project. The combined experience and skills of the development providers allowed them to develop a model for how senior leadership can “create good gossip”. “Creating good gossip” revolves around equipping a group to tell their own stories and by extension good stories and link these to the values, vision and aspirations of the organisation. The expertise of the development providers was combined to create two half-day board workshops that explored what the board wanted to achieve, and how they could communicate their actions and aspirations across the organisation.
Impact In addition to the qualitative feedback given by the WCHC board about their personal experience in the board development and their perception of its value, they have also explained how it fits into their wider ongoing organisational development work and future ambitions. Alison Hughes “We saw the impact of storytelling this last week in one of our Leadership Forums. Claus and his People team have created these innovative leadership forums as part of our staff engagement plans, which are twice-yearly touch points for our senior leaders (Senior Leadership Forum) and for all line managers at all bands up to band 7 (Leadership Forum), both of which are tools for evolving and embedding culture change and continuous improvement. So, when you have a fantastic tool like those and combine them with all the great learning from our board development you get some great potential for organisational development. Claus and I were floating around the various workshops at the last leadership forums and compassionate leadership, high-performing teams and being your authentic self were a real focus for our leaders and we heard so many people were talking about the value of communication in leadership.”
Feedback from the WCHC board has been overwhelmingly positive:
Claus Madsen “This board development has very much been the icing on the cake for what has been a great journey in improving our organisation. We are hoping to see further improved results on our next staff survey, and that this will add to other great developments and position us as an Outstanding organisation in our next CQC inspection.”
Alison Hughes “Day 1 was very much about ‘self’, understanding our own stories, our self- worth and our successes. Ben, who is an actor by background, had us framing these stories as if we were actors in a stage production. This was very freeing for us, and I think it allowed us to get to know one another in a new dimension. I think the success of day 1 is owed in some part to the strong relationships we have in our board; that psychological safety was key to the session’s success. On day 2 we explored corporate and organisational storytelling, and taking the learning from day 1, we used this really interesting concept of ‘good gossip’ and the idea of bringing a personal or people-focused element to stories to amplify their impact. Claus Madsen “The work we have done on the power of telling stories is very useful to us. We are already telling stories as an organisation and as individuals all the time and this session gave us a helpful framework to reshape what and how we share messages in the future to bring across more of the human aspects to the work we do. This approach helps make our messages much more authentic stand out from the rest and be meaningful. In a world where we are all bombarded with messages all of the time making them relevant, meaningful and authentic is very important. The feedback from the rest of the board is that this was very worthwhile for us.”
next steps WCHC’s board will continue their
development into a 2nd phase focusing on tackling the board’s equity diversity and inclusion aims. After these 2 phases are completed, the NHS North West Leadership Academy and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust will regroup to review the next phase for development, continuing the theme of stretching and challenging towards excellence. For more information about opportunities for bespoke board development with the North West Leadership Academy contact: nwla.execleadership@nhs.net
Outcomes Senior leadership development naturally involves the exploration of complex challenges that an organisation is facing. Significant efforts were made to ensure the two workshops were safe and comfortable space for all participants.
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Delivering local leadership development
Leadership development Naveed’s story
Naveed Sharif Naveed is the Associate Director of Culture and Inclusion within the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, as well as Chair of the North West NHS England Staff Race Equality Network (SREN) and a National NHS England Staff Race Equality Network (SREN) Executive. Naveed’s Leadership Ambitions From a young age, Naveed exhibited a keen interest in leadership, involving himself in various school leadership activities, such as the school council. Naveed also describes the impact family has had on his outlook in life: “My family’s ancestral routes are in the agrarian community in Pakistan and both my mother and father still have links to those communities, but my mother and father didn’t really want me to go down that route. I remember my father told me; ‘You know what Nav? Education and learning are for life and no one can ever take it away from you.’ After hearing that I adopted a view that I’m a student for life and I want to constantly be learning and improving.” Naveed completed a master’s degree in public sector leadership at the University of Worcester; he holds 3 master’s degrees, a teaching NPQ and a PhD. He believes it is this commitment to learning that has driven his leadership journey. Naveed’s Leadership Journey Naveed started as a lecturer at Blackburn College before transitioning to the Fire and Rescue Service and then the NHS. He has held positions in safeguarding, diversity and inclusion, and COVID-19 response, and now works as an Associate Director of Culture and Inclusion at Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.
Leadership Support Naveed Received Naveed credits his success to the support of colleagues and mentors, who believed in his potential and provided opportunities for growth, including mentorship and coaching from senior colleagues. This support has been crucial in helping him overcome barriers to leadership caused by institutional racism. “I knew I’d hit a number of concrete and glass ceilings because institutional behaviour still exists, and if we are honest with ourselves, sometimes you can’t break through those ceilings, you’ve got to go around them. What I did was build a network of peers who I could approach and who could help me move around some of those gatekeepers in a professional and courteous way. That was my journey.” Naveed’s experience underscores the importance of allyship in nurturing diverse leadership potential and facilitating equal career advancement. A significant milestone in Naveed’s career was his participation in the NHS Nye Bevan Programme, which broadened his perspective and enhanced his leadership capabilities. “I thought Nye Bevan would be a walk in the park because I’d got all these academic qualifications. Boy, was I wrong. It strips you right back in your leadership journey and then builds you back up. It was a really rich tapestry of learning, we had mock role-play scenarios where we were meeting MPs and managing hospitals. They asked us to roleplay making some really tough decisions around finance; really accurately depicting what’s happening in the NHS now.”
The Impact of Naveed’s Leadership Naveed has made a profound impact in increasing diversity and inclusion in the NHS. As the Inequalities Lead for the Lancashire and South Cumbria COVID-19 vaccination program, Naveed’s leadership led to the ICB winning the Health and Equity Campaign award for vaccination outreach work in Caribbean and African communities. In his current role, he continues to work towards creating a more diverse and inclusive environment for both patients and staff. “I would not have had the experience, the exposure or even the opportunity to be in the spaces that I’m in now without my development on the Nye Bevan programme.” Naveed’s Advice For those aspiring to leadership roles, Naveed offers this piece of advice. “Really utilise the opportunities. There’s a lot of opportunities in the NHS that are run through the Leadership Academy. Go and speak to colleagues, do your research, and if you feel like it, do these programmes because they will take the blinkers off and get you thinking much more.” He also highlights the value of inclusivity, urging future leaders to appreciate and leverage the diverse talents within their organisations. “In times of austerity, we focus on what could we cut but from a horizon-scanning perspective, talent management is really fundamental. It’s a time when we should be investing more in this space. Really think about the diversity of the leadership space because there’s a business case for diversity. I’ve got a number of examples where colleagues have really welcomed both the check and challenge that has come from different perspectives.”
Mary Seacole is a nationally recognised leadership development programme for first time leaders in health and care. This 6-month leadership development programme, designed in partnership with global experts, has recently been refreshed. It is delivered by experienced facilitators to develop your knowledge and skills in leadership and management.
The programme is: Focused on reality and results in real workplace application. Provides a balance between learning, theory and action. Empowers people in their first formal leadership position to turn their success into consistent team success and to champion compassionate patient care.
Who is it for? The programme is eligible and designed for first time leaders in healthcare. It’s for you if you are in a ‘formal’ position of leadership with responsibilities for people and services, and able to relate what you learn to your workplace. You must be able to commit to a minimum of 5 hours of study per week. Programme Structure: The programme is 6 months long with 100 hours of online study, plus 3 behavioural workshops. Learning is accessed through a virtual campus, which includes interactive content and discussion forums. There are 12 units covering leadership fundamentals and you are required to submit a 2000-word assignment demonstrating how you have developed and applied your leadership. Successful completion will lead to an NHS Leadership Award in Healthcare Leadership.
How to access the programme:
Ismail Patel, ICS Development – Project Manager for NHS England (North West) shares his experience and learning from taking part in the Mary Seacole Local Programme: “Following the Edward Jenner Programme, I advanced to the Mary Seacole Programme, which is a more intensive leadership development course aimed at preparing participants for senior leadership roles within the NHS. The Mary Seacole Programme involved scenario- based learning, which I found particularly effective. These scenarios simulated real-life challenges faced by NHS leaders, providing me with a safe environment to test my decision-making skills and leadership strategies. A significant component of the Mary Seacole Programme was its focus on communication. I learned different communication styles and techniques suitable for various contexts, from one-on- one conversations to large team meetings and presentations. This training was pivotal for me, as it refined my ability to convey ideas clearly and persuasively, engage with a diverse range of colleagues, and manage difficult conversations. I found that this enhanced communication capability was one of the most impactful elements of the programme, enabling me to lead more effectively and build stronger professional relationships.”
The localised programme aims to support leadership development in each of the 3 footprint areas; building a richer talent pipeline of emergent leaders in the local health and care system. The Mary Seacole Local programme is offered at a cost of £150 per person. Our North West host organisations have created a community of local facilitators who will deliver the programme; bringing their knowledge of local health and care systems to further enhance learning. If you are interested in enrolling on the programme or would like more information, please contact your local host directly: Lancashire and South Cumbria - OD@lscft.nhs.uk Greater Manchester - lead@mft.nhs.uk Cheshire and Merseyside - maryseacolelocal@lhch.nhs.uk Mary Seacole Programme Apprenticeship: The programme is now also available as an embedded unit within a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship .
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Wellbeing leadership in primary care: ambitions for change
Why is it important for primary care to be integral to the Wellbeing Local Programme in Greater Manchester? Greater Manchester is pioneering a system- wide leadership initiative to provide training for all primary care disciplines to address workforce pressures through a focus on wellbeing and key benefits: 1. Culture Change Movement: Enabling primary care to be part of a broader social movement, prioritising workforce wellbeing at multiple levels. 2. Leadership Development: Empowering primary care leaders to implement wellbeing practices effectively across their teams. 3. Resource Creation: Helping create a resource pool that can mobilise wellbeing content based on the real needs of primary care.
Key learning to date:
Next steps We are now starting a conversation with leaders to design a way forward. This is intended as a call to action, to build a case for change in Greater Manchester primary care, as a means of engagement and sharing good practice both within and across primary care and other systems. NHS North West Leadership Academy will continue to follow and share the Greater Manchester Primary Care story to support wider learning so please keep a look out on our website. In the meantime a range of resources can be found here: Healthy Leadership Framework: A behavioural framework that can be used flexibly to support healthy leadership development and help leaders promote positive wellbeing in the workplace. Healthy Leadership self-assessment: A self-assessment tool to explore own healthy leadership behaviours. Looking after your team’s health and wellbeing guide: Guide to support any team that is seeking to improve the health and wellbeing of members of the team, through a culture change approach.
1. Evidence-Based Support: One of the most compelling elements of the programme is how the research supports individual and team wellbeing as a measurable objective. Substantial evidence supports the case for prioritising workforce wellbeing. 2. Leaders’ Wellbeing Influence: Leaders’ wellbeing has a direct influence on the overall wellbeing of the workforce, which in turn affects patient care, experience, and outcomes. 3. Strategic Alignment: Rather than being perceived as a ‘nice to have’, the evidence demonstrates that a focus on wellbeing leadership has an impact on priorities for primary care decision-making. Supporting staff wellbeing is recognised as operationally and strategically essential, aligning with: Greater Manchester Blueprint Workforce objectives for recruitment, retention, learning and development, linked to workforce health and wellbeing. The NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan, emphasising the importance of embedding the right culture to improve retention. NHS Health and Wellbeing Framework and quality improvement and performance frameworks across all primary care disciplines.
Creating a social movement in the creation of wellbeing cultures
The ‘NHS Leaders’ Wellbeing Local Programme’ is a ‘train the trainer’ offer provided by NHS England which supports NHS organisations to develop a culture of wellbeing by fostering healthy leadership and enabling facilitators to deliver ‘the NHS Leaders’ Wellbeing programme’ in their organisations or system.
After significant positive feedback following the launch of the national programme in 2020/21, we are now delighted to share that the NHS North West Leadership Academy is supporting the Greater Manchester system with this pivotal programme. The Greater Manchester system journey started in May 2024. There are 3 stages to the Facilitator Development Programme.
Stage 1
is to build confidence in delivering the materials.
Stage 2
Stage 3 1-1 support to enable participants to launch the materials internally.
is the communities of practice, which ensure facilitators continue to learn from each other’s delivery experiences as a cohort. They all then become part of the NHS Leaders’ Wellbeing Faculty which offers ongoing facilitator development.
What have we learnt so far?
During 2024, train-the-trainer and executive leadership programmes created an opportunity for colleagues to explore relationships as a system, with an emphasis on peer coaching and support. We identified similarities and inequalities in levels of wellbeing support and resources across sectors, localities, and roles, and acknowledged the potential to tailor programme content to local needs.
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Enhancing skills as a ‘change consultant’ in organisational, cross-organisational and system change work
spotlight on good practice: A Trust’s commitment to improving staff engagement and Staff Survey scores
Bringing the Vision to Life The organisation created a bespoke staff engagement plan, separate from but linked to their overall people strategy, with 29 specific actions, including actions for board level leaders, all based on good practice and feedback from staff. Their actions covered a range of activities, and they recognised the importance of engaging and developing leaders. The Foundation Trust created a leadership forum, which was open to anyone who had line management in their remit, up to Band 7. They also created a separate senior leadership forum for those at Band 8A and above, recognising the different influence this group have and their involvement in more strategic issues and in leading change. The leaders of the Board, Executives and Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) committed to being more visible and undertook several visits and walk-arounds over the year, talking to staff about what could make their working lives better. Where issues were raised, they committed to addressing these as soon as possible. They worked with their communication team to make sure that changes and new initiatives that had been suggested by staff were communicated back through a “You Said, Together We Did” approach. For the launch of the 2023 Staff Survey they created a ‘road map’ poster which promoted various changes that had happened as a result of staff feedback in the year prior to the launch.
The Impact of Innovation Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust saw significant improvement with their overall staff engagement score, from 6.96 to 7.18 , and the proportion of respondents who would recommend the organisation as a place to work increased from 56% to 63.9% . The Trust also saw an overall improvement in their staff survey response rate which improved from 47% in 2022 to 60% in 2023 . Additionally, the organisation had a Care Quality Commission inspection from July to September 2023 and were awarded a Good rating overall with areas of Outstanding , which was a significant improvement from their previous rating. Key Learning 1. You can’t do everything, so decide what will make the biggest impact What are your people saying is needed the most? Look at your Staff Survey data and triangulate with other sources of information, both qualitative and quantitative. 2. Focus on overall staff engagement as part of your key people performance indicators Research suggests this is integral to overall performance and patient care. 3. Get active commitment and engagement from all levels of the organisation This needs commitment from the Board right through to the frontline. Senior leaders need to commit to role modelling and being visible.
The Trust‘s Vision for Staff Engagement Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust wanted to improve their staff experience, in particular the overall Staff Engagement Score and the number of people who would recommend the organisation as a place to work. Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust provides community health care services in Wirral and the wider North West of England.
Consulting Mindset and Skillset: Build your skills, capability and confidence to be an effective systems change consultant in and across organisations and systems. Self as Courageous Role Model: Enhancing and extending your practical strategies to care for and challenge yourself during change and transformation, so you can be a role model for others and “be the system change”. During the programme 4 small groups of system leaders will experiment with how they could use their power and influence in new ways, to make an even more positive difference to: • People of all ages needing Continuing Care in Cheshire West. • People remaining at home and independent for as long as possible in Cheshire West . • People being discharged from hospital in the Wigan area. • The lives of adults with learning disabilities in the Halton area. A range of insights from participants has been gained from the programme so far: Recognising and taking ownership of how “ingrained” a lot of working practices are and being courageous to challenge the status quo when this isn’t getting the outcomes we want. In particular, when formal processes are becoming an obstacle and hindrance to the dialogue, communication and engagement we need from a wide range of colleagues.
The Change Consulting programme has been designed to support system teams to navigate challenging system issues.
Experimenting with how to facilitate and chair meetings in more inclusive and less formal ways, rather than sticking to rigid and formal meeting structures, just because “that’s the way we have always done it”. Experimenting with ways to achieve effective governance with a focus on the patient or citizen experience, rather than merely reporting on metrics. Using language which helps people have uncomfortable conversations in system settings rather than avoiding the conversations or limiting people’s ideas and input. Practical approaches to encouraging people to share their ideas and to contribute. Having more practical, interactive workshop-style meetings that are focused on making actual change happen and improving communication. Approaching group dynamics and interactions with a human-centric approach rather than a mechanistic or overly procedure-focused approach. We will continue to share the learning journeys through our website, so please stay connected. If you are interested in accessing the change consulting skills digital bitesize learning on the Leadership Learning Zone click here:
Sponsored by the NHS North West Leadership Academy (NHS NWLA), North West Employers (NWE) and the North West Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (NW ADASS). This is a new approach, designed to provide 4 North West cross-sector change teams with the opportunity to work together to solve the most challenging problems for their place and integrated care system. This program is focused on developing a consultative and relationship-based approach to navigating system challenges and fostering courageous system leaders. The pilot programme commenced in April 2024, delivered using a mix of online learning, virtual sessions and practical application, over a 6 month period. This covered: Influencing without Formal Authority: Learning how to find and use your power positively, with less reliance on hierarchy, and supporting others to do the same. Challenging the Status Quo: Learning practical strategies for speaking up with courage. Role modelling this for others, creating a climate where uncomfortable tensions can be constructively explored. Releasing the Potential of Human Systems: Learning why people behave as they do in organisations and systems, and how to release the positive potential of group dynamics to improve outcomes.
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building a growth mindset in new NHS leaders
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introduction Laura Maclennan, Deputy Team Manager at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, participated in “Building a Growth Mindset” leadership sessions by the NHS North West Leadership Academy, aimed at enhancing leadership skills among new NHS leaders. Aims The “Building a Growth Mindset” sessions sought to build confidence in new leaders by:
Approach Delivered over two online sessions, the programme was interactive and reflective, encouraging participants to share experiences and learn collaboratively. Activities and a buddy system were used to reinforce learning and reflection.
Outputs Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive with 75% expressing an interest in future “growth mindset” learning.
Next Steps Laura and her team plan to continue applying the principles learned from the sessions, maintaining an open and reflective culture with regular feedback and discussion opportunities. Further development opportunities will be explored to build on the growth mindset foundation.
I think for me it just really developed my confidence and taught me not to overthink. I tend to put myself down a lot if I don’t know something, especially if I feel like I’ve not got all the answers to hand, and the session has changed my mindset so I know now that it’s okay not to know everything straight away and to use it as an opportunity to develop and learn, and draw on the knowledge of others. Impact The sessions received positive feedback from the attendees, including Laura Maclennan. She found the sessions so beneficial that she recommended them to her colleagues. “
This was a highly insightful and informative session. I look forward to the next session. It would be great if slides could be shared to revisit and reflect periodically to positively anchor the learning.
of registered delegates
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Laura Maclennan noted:
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The cooperative elements of the session were really effective... it helped you implement the things we were being taught and reflect on things to think about.
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This was a fantastic, insightful, and invaluable session delivered brilliantly by Claire and Su. It was thought-provoking and has positively sparked the next phase of the journey enhancing my growth mindset as a lifelong learner and leader. Thank you to both of you and the North West Leadership Academy and the brilliant group of co- participants whose resourceful contributions helped further the learning.
Understanding the imposter phenomenon and its workplace impact.
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Recognising and addressing imposter experiences in themselves and others.
Developing strategies to break the link between a fixed mindset and imposter experiences. Fostering cultures that promote a growth mindset and reduce imposter experiences.
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This newfound confidence enabled her to better advocate for herself and her team, leading to improved morale and cohesion within her team.
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nw.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk | Leader
Leader | nw.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk
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We’re launching the New Deputy and Aspiring Director and Executive Development Offer!
2024 Festival of Leadership
Over the last few months, the NHS North West Leadership Academy has sought feedback on how to support in-post Deputy Directors as well as those aspiring to Board and Executive level roles either now, soon or later. Providing a joint offer across talent and leadership development that is individualised to each person as to their development journey in-post and into future aspirations.
We’ve reserved this space to introduce your 2024 Festival of Leadership.
We could have chosen to use this space to present the Festival of Leadership using the messages we crafted at the beginning of our communications process, but we felt like that might be labouring the point… Instead, we’ve chosen to present the Festival through the lens of “Why attend?” as we recognise there is immense pressure on the NHS workforce, particularly on those in senior leadership roles and also no shortage of live events being hosted throughout the year. So why should the Festival of Leadership be given special attention? The answer is twofold: In an era where the case for change and improvement in the NHS is apparent to all, good leadership is one of the most eminent vehicles by which change can be achieved. Leaders set the standard, outline the ambitions and empower their organisations to excellence. Investing in leadership is, in the opinion of many, the best way to ensure long-term high performance and grow workforce productivity. That doesn’t quite address why specifically the Festival of Leadership, and the short answer is that this is a totally unique event in the North West…
The NHS North West Leadership Academy offers you a day, not centred around a prescriptive broadcasting of the Academy’s perception of good leadership, but rather an organic space where many of the North West’s senior leaders will be gathered in one room for a grassroots conversation of what good looks like. A space where 40+ health and care organisations can have the opportunity to share ideas and make vital face-to-face personal connections with system peers, laying the foundations for an remarkably interconnected region.
Here is What We Did...
Designed a modular offer to create a personalised leadership development journey – across face to face development, virtual and self-led options. Built around the key elements of leadership challenges for new into post deputy roles all the way to those that are ‘ready now’ and aspire to an executive or Board role.
Some elements will be supported by regional and national experts to provide observational feedback to participants.
Agreed to work with HRDs and CPOs to complement each organisation’s succession plan and support organisations’ resilience at deputy and Board level.
Our call to action is a simple one: Come to the Festival of Leadership, be prepared to have a serious discussion about leadership and to act on those conversations.
Access to coaching and mentoring as part of each individual’s leadership development journey.
nw.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk | Leader
16 Leader | nw.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk
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@nhsnwla
NHS North West Leadership Academy 4th Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BN
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