professional expertise
professional expertise
This year, the NHS North West Leadership Academy, in partnership with the NHS England North West Workforce, Training and Education directorate is proud to spotlight five inspiring case studies that bring to life the NHS People Promise, demonstrating how trusts across the region are placing people at the heart of everything they do. These case studies share how purposeful leadership, focused on compassion, engagement and culture, is delivering tangible results in staff experience, as reflected in the 2024 NHS Staff Survey. Fulfilling the NHS People Promise in the north west
“Becoming the best, sustaining the best” – Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool Heart and Chest (LHCH) launched its staff engagement overhaul three years ago by embedding its People Strategy into the everyday fabric of the organisation: • A clear sense of purpose displayed across the organisation, communicated through executive-led cascading messaging. • Executive walkarounds and video updates, supported by a strategic HR business partnering model. • A leadership development programme using the apprenticeship levy for training, including Mary Seacole courses. • Innovative survey participation initiatives like “Have a Break, Have a KitKat,” and “You Said, We Did” feedback loops. • A “Be Civil, Be Kind” campaign with drama-based training; wellbeing programmes; and a sexual safety programme. The impact has been significant. LHCH now ranks as one of the top-performing trusts nationally in the staff survey, with strong outcomes in turnover and sickness absence. It continues to hold a double Outstanding CQC rating.
“Using compassion to create engagement” – Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust Pennine Care embedded compassion deeply into its organisation, with the executive team, especially the CEO, leading by example. Key actions included: • Weekly all-staff updates and monthly online briefings for about 120 leaders, with open Q&As. • Quarterly face-to-face listening sessions across boroughs and the popular “Ask Anthony” email. • Plain-English storytelling in communications, focus on flexible working, wellbeing and psychological support; “Civility Saves Lives” values in induction. • Local leader accountability through quarterly governance reviews; investment in team-led development via the TED Tool. Results were outstanding: Pennine Care became one of the most improved trusts in the 2024 staff survey across multiple themes. It topped the North West for “compassionate and inclusive,” “recognised and rewarded,” “a voice that counts,” “always learning,” and “working flexibly.” It also ranked sixth nationally with a record staff recommendation rate of 72.5%, versus the 65% national average.
“Sustaining cultural improvement through change” – Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust In 2024, Mersey Care refreshed its approach to staff engagement to better align with organisational change and deepen its impact: • “Your Voice, Your Change” programme to understand the lived experience of staff. • The Team Canvas initiative to embed team-based working across the Trust. • A broad leadership development offer built on Operational Excellence, with ring-fenced places for underrepresented groups and the Aspire programme. • Coaching and mentoring support for managers and leaders. • Embedding a Just and Restorative Culture to foster psychological safety; high-profile Freedom To Speak Up Guardians in every division. • A “Live, Work, Flex” campaign to raise awareness of flexible working. • High-quality, values-based PACE appraisals and supervision. Mersey Care benchmarked as “strong and improving” across all 9 themes in the 2024 Staff Survey, with notable gains in “We are a Team” and leadership-related scores.
“We’re an organisation where people want to come and work” – The Christie NHS Foundation Trust The Christie’s cultural change programme is centred on belonging and leadership capability. Leaders were empowered to own engagement, wellbeing and retention, resulting in stronger team connections and improved morale: • Shifted communication style from corporate to human and transparent. • Launched and embedded new values and behaviours Trust-wide. • Initiated executive-led “Connect and Reflect” sessions for staff at six months of service. • Partnered with A Kind Life and unions to resolve behaviours through respectful resolution. • Changed annual Long Service Awards to quarterly and relaunched annual awards post-COVID, based on trust behaviours. • Expanded staff networks from four to eight and embedded EDI champions in each division. • Continued annual colleague events and introduced permanent engagement stalls and biannual “Real Lunch Hour” events. The Christie was one of the most improved organisations in the 2024 Staff Survey. Improvements in turnover, absence, and reduced bank and agency spend were observed. They also saw improved WRES Indicators, linked to positive internal feedback and a more diverse applicant pool attracted by their cultural and belonging efforts.
“Creating a culture of recognition and reward” – Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust Clatterbridge aimed to build a culture where staff felt genuinely valued: • Annual Staff Excellence Awards, expanded from 7 to 13 categories by 2024. • Rebranded Monthly Star Awards with £25 vouchers and eligibility for Star of the Year. • Long Service Awards recognising key milestones. • Wellbeing & Engagement Champions introduced to boost staff wellbeing. • Events like “Wellbeing Extravaganza,” mini treatments, and “Live Well, Work Well” health checks. • New engagement channels including “Day in Your Shoes,” “Big Conversations,” and face-to-face pop- ups. • Fun and morale-boosting initiatives like “Weekly Fruity Thank You,” Ice Cream Day, and “Wave of Kindness.” • Celebratory events for CCC Fest, International Nurses Day, and AHP Day with thank-you cards and treats. Since launching these initiatives, participation and engagement have significantly increased. In the 2024 Staff Survey, the Trust reported some of the region’s highest results, with “Recognised and Rewarded” scores rising from 6.27 in 2022 to 6.58 in 2023. These case studies reflect a wider truth: when we lead with compassion and inclusion, we create cultures where staff thrive, benefiting patients, teams and the system as a whole.
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