In this section, you will be able to take a closer look into our five priority areas. We worked with colleagues at system and region level to influence our funding allocations and actions to support delivery of real impactful change.

People Before Policy

Develop managers to lead with people first, using their compassion to apply policy based on individual circumstances.

It was decided that this priority should be carried out regionally.  The BWM team worked closely with colleagues at NHS England who were beginning to create positive change by amending their policies to read far more simplified and inclusively. A great positive example of this were some adaptations to a Baby Loss policy – where the rights for parents were amended to be much more empathetic. As a result of this success the team also began making tweaks to compassionate leave overall and sickness absence. Funding will be utilised to support the roll out of these amended policies from region to system.

Support Managers and Leaders

Leadership Development programme to be designed that focuses on how managers can develop a culture for others to thrive.

For this priority, the majority voted for a regional approach. The overall desire was to expand implementation of existing leadership programmes which proved to be successful and already making positive impacts for colleagues. These are:

  1. The Compassionate leadership course from Northamptonshire.
  2. The Active Bystander programme from Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland system.

There was also call for development of virtual, regional peer network in order to bring managers and leaders together. 

Permission to look after our own Health and Wellbeing

Create a regional workforce plan which incorporates an amalgamation of ICB workforce and operating plans to feedback to colleagues what action is being taken to increase capacity.

There was a unanimous decision for this focus area to develop a communications strategy to engage all colleagues with understanding actions to address capacity gaps. The aim was to use communications to encourage being responsibly selfish, and for colleagues to prioritise their own wellbeing. This funding is sat at regional level for a strong communications campaign strategy which will cascade down to systems with a consistent positive message.

Increase Opportunities for Flexible Working

Undertake baseline of systems and status of collaborative banks and use assessment to support with gaps and progress in developing a collaboration across providers.

Though arguably one of the hardest balances to strike in health and care, it was decided that this focus sat at individual system levels to best tackle independent flexible working approaches.  Some encouraging actions which have followed as a result of this priority area include:

  1. Pilots for flexible working in clinical areas
  2. Travelling roadshows offering H&W support to social care/primary care settings
  3. Additional resource in the form of a rostering manager to support with flexible working roll out

Health Inequalities

Existing health and wellbeing offers are to be re-marketed to support with attracting colleagues from under-represented staff groups (from need assessment e.g. neurodiversity, ethnic minority).

 It was widely acknowledged that health and wellbeing provisions needed remarketing and/or a new approach to bridge the gap between those staff groups which utilise support, and those staff groups which are renowned for not. Systems have approached this in a variety of ways including rebranding health and wellbeing support, travelling roadshows to different areas, as well as working with arts and heritage teams to celebrate staff group differences.