Whole system leadership

About this programme

This programme supports the development of the skills necessary to build common ground and to set a clear, shared direction for the delivery of sustainable systems of care.

Who is it for?

This programme is designed for health and social care professionals who have an interest in building awareness of and insight into the challenges and pitfalls of leading system change across their local health and social care community.

We design the programme to address real-time issues you are facing in your area, and we work with you to agree the right people who need to be involved in the programme in order to meet those challenges. Participants have included: directors of adult social care, chief executives, medical directors, senior managers of acute hospitals and mental health trusts, clinical commissioners, and directors of ambulance services and out-of-hours care.

Benefits of this leadership programme

This programme will support you to:

• build common ground with and set direction for multiple stakeholders across health and social care services
• learn through experience the challenge of balancing clinical, corporate and financial risks
• develop techniques for open and honest engagement 
• interpret data from clinical, organisational and financial perspectives in order to understand the available options and how to reach a shared decision
• negotiate in the face of uncertainty within and between organisations
• appreciate what informs our ability to take a systemic perspective.

What will you do on this programme?

The programme includes three two-day modules with action learning days after each module. Before the modules begin, we will have a one-hour phone interview with each participant to communicate the objectives of the programme and to explore their learning needs and expectations.

Module 1 – Leadership development

The first module focuses on optimising a component of the system of health and social care (normally a sequence of interdependent pathways of care). At the same time we explore the patterns of relating and communicating required to navigate the complexities of the local health and social care system.

Module 2 – Joining up and engaging with the system

The second module introduces other key players from the local health community who are involved with or affected by the implementation of the new pathways or models of care that are being proposed. Together with facilitation and coaching, participants will practise negotiating, presentation and influencing skills and behaviours.

Module 3 – System-wide decision-making

The final module builds on the second by continuing the practical work needed to implement the new pathway or solution. Specific areas to be covered include: managing difficult conversations; building common ground and direction-setting; complex decision-making with a number of different parties; holding to account and understanding oversight.

Action learning sets will be held after each of the modules to allow time to explore areas of personal development and to discuss the challenges of leading through a change project.