professional expertise
professional expertise Neighbourhoods First: Transforming local health and care together
Empowering Leadership in Workforce Development
Neighbourhood health is a cornerstone of the 10-Year Health Plan, focused on shifting care away from hospitals and into local communities. In response to persistent health inequalities and fragmented systems, Neighbourhoods First is driving a bold shift in how local health and care services collaborate. Spearheaded by the North West Collaborative, a partnership between MIAA, North West Employers, NHS Clinical Leaders Network, NHS North West Leadership Academy, and Aqua (Advancing Quality Alliance). This innovation-led initiative uses a hackathon model to accelerate integrated problem-solving across health, care, and community sectors. Neighbourhoods First is grounded in four key aims: Advance community-led, collaborative approaches to health and care transformation Enable local systems to co-create and prototype practical solutions Strengthen cross-sector relationships and leadership capacity Cultivate a culture of rapid learning and continuous implementation A one-day intensive workshop brought together 12 multi-agency teams from across the North West to co-design and test solutions in real time. The hackathon format fostered focused collaboration, peer learning, and accelerated solution design.
Participating teams included:
A video summary and visual outputs from the event are available: Health Innovation North West Coast – Time to focus on our neighbourhoods.
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Oldham Integrated Care Partnership Stockport
Bolton Sefton Wirral Manchester Trafford Wigan Cheshire West Hyndburn Salford
with Nicola Littler, Director of Workforce, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
“It was an exciting moment for me because, while I had never had a long- term aspiration to become a director, I always wanted to contribute in a meaningful way. Pennine Care is my local trust, and I have a deep-rooted passion for mental health, learning disabilities, and autism services. So, when the chance came to lead workforce strategy at an organisation that means so much to me, I felt it was the right step forward.” As Director of Workforce, Nicky is leading Pennine Care’s efforts to foster a positive and productive work environment. “We’ve recently undertaken a refresh of our trust’s strategy, ensuring that while our core ambitions remain the same, they are articulated more clearly and with a stronger focus on implementation. Leadership has a huge role to play in delivering all three of our ambitions, and at Pennine Care, we want to develop our leaders so they can effectively support their colleagues to deliver high-quality services. We want our leaders to listen, engage and involve our people to bring about change.”
at all levels, Nicky says that it will be “a big programme of work for the next three years” at Pennine Care. “The support from the NHS North West Leadership Academy has been really helpful for our senior leaders… The bespoke way of working has been invaluable. Suzanne [Douglas, Senior System Lead] has a wealth of experience, and her guidance has helped us structure our leadership development priorities effectively.” Nicky values the proactive engagement of the NHS North West Leadership Academy and encourages other trusts to maximise their membership benefits as well. “Just a reminder to trusts, engage with the NHS North West Leadership Academy. The value is there, but you have to actively use it to see the benefits.” You can read the full story of Nicky’s leadership values, vision, and people-first approach to workforce development on the NHS North West Leadership Academy website.
Leading for System Change Launched in September 2025, the follow- up programme Leading for System Change supports participating teams to test, scale, and embed their prototypes. This structured development journey is designed to build long-term leadership capability and drive sustainable impact. Neighbourhoods First exemplifies how strategic innovation, local leadership, and collaborative design can reshape the future of integrated care. It’s not just a programme, it’s a movement toward healthier, more connected communities. Are you interested in system leadership? A variety of system leadership resources are available, including: • Digital learning via the Leadership Learning Zone • Guidance on system leadership behaviours
Strategic insight and challenge Guiding the event was an expert Inspiration Panel featuring leaders from public health, integrated care systems, local government, and the voluntary sector. Their role was to provoke fresh thinking, offer strategic challenge, and inspire bold action.
Nicola “Nicky” Littler’s career in the NHS is a testament to perseverance, strategic growth, and a commitment to values- driven leadership. As Director of Workforce at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, she has played a pivotal role in shaping workforce strategy, leadership development, and employee engagement within the organisation. Nicky‘s career trajectory within the NHS is one marked by progressive responsibility and dedication to workforce development. Her journey started in 2003 when she joined Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust as Deputy Head of Human Resources. After six years at Pennine Care, Nicky took on the role of Deputy Director of Workforce and OD at the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and remained there for a decade. In 2018, an opportunity arose for Nicky to return to the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust as Director of Workforce.
Panel members included:
Dr Gunjit Bandesha, Director of Healthcare Public Health, NHS England Northwest
Katie Egan, ICS Lead, Change Grow Live
Mike Rose, Chair, Maundy Relief
Cllr Keith Cunliffe, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Northwest and Wigan Mark Palethorpe, CEO and Place Lead, St Helens and Northwest Philippa Morrant, Director of Community Services, Mid Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership The hackathon initiated 12 prototype solutions aligned to place-based priorities. Participants built collaborative networks and shared practical tools for ongoing transformation.
• The Foundations in System Leadership programme
Having recognised the importance of leadership and management development
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