Alongside working with individual ICSs, we have been commissioned by NHS England/Improvement to design and deliver a multi-professional leadership development programme for clinicians and managers from every ICS in England.

The programme participants comprise three nominees from each system, and include people from local government as well as from the NHS. There is a mix of clinicians from across primary care, community trusts and acute services; commissioners; Heads/Directors of Services; Chief Operating Officers and Chief Executives. The programme involves four one-day events in London, with learning sets (we have deliberately mixed the participants up so they’re not solely working with people from their ‘patch’) working on system challenges in between the days.

The overall aim is to build awareness of what it means to lead in a system and to work across boundaries, and strengthen people’s leadership capacity, through a mix of hearing from people involved in this work; learning about systems leadership ideas and approaches; and having time to reflect on what it means for them and learn from each other.

Day 1, in mid-October, focused on introducing systems leadership, with participants hearing from Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England/Improvement, and from Rob Webster, who currently leads the West Yorkshire ICS.

Day 2, in December, focused on ICSs in their wider context, and on getting as many non-NHS voices in the room as possible. So alongside Donna Hall, formerly Chief Executive of Wigan Council, speakers included people using services and parent carers.

Day 3, in January, will look at leadership behaviours, including more on public narrative and reframing, and we will look to round up the learning on Day 4, in March.

We’re tweaking the programme as we go, in response to feedback from participants, and the comments so far have not only been highly supportive, but also shown how people are starting to use the learning to try out new ways of working in their own places.

If you would like more information please do get in touch with Debbie : debbie.sorkin@leadershipcentre.org.uk