Case Studies

Find out more about the work we do and how it has support leaders across the North West

Sagar Vasandani works at the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, hosted by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and a crucial arm of the NHS Greater Manchester. As a Lead Business Intelligence Analyst, Sagar plays a vital role in driving data-informed decisions within the cancer care landscape. Although Sagar is not directly involved in line management, he has taken on significant informal leadership responsibilities, which prompted him to participate in the “Building a Growth Mindset” sessions commissioned by the NHS North West Leadership Academy.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), one of the largest and most complex NHS trusts in the UK. It operates multiple hospitals and provides a broad range of medical services to a diverse population. The Executive Team wanted to enhance staff engagement and overall employee experience, particularly after the National Staff Survey 2022 revealed that there had been no significant improvement in staff engagement scores over the previous five years. They sought to create a more positive working environment by addressing key issues identified by the staff.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) is a Mental Health and Learning Disability provider The organisation knew it needed a fresh focus on retention and experience. They were able to be part of cohort 1 of the People Promise Exemplar programme and focussed on a range of initiative spanning flexible working, stay conversations and reward & recognition. The Clinical Leadership Workshops for Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs) were introduced to empower and recognise HCSWs as leaders and the backbone of the NHS.

Warrington & Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were performing on par with the national average for Staff Survey result and other metrics, but the trust had a strong ambition to do better. Their Executive Team championed need for improvement.

The 2022 National Staff Survey results highlighted several areas for improvement in Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT). LUHFT delivered the NHS England Culture & Leadership Programme and the People Promise Exemplar Programme from 2022 to 2024. These initiatives aimed to improve organisational culture, staff experience, and overall staff engagement.

Bespoke development support for the Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust board.

Building a “Growth Mindset” in New NHS Leaders

Laura Maclennan, Deputy Team Manager at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, participated in “Building a Growth Mindset” leadership sessions by the NHS North West Leadership Academy, aimed at enhancing leadership skills among new NHS leaders. 

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust wanted to improve their staff experience, in particular the overall Staff Engagement Score and the number of people who would recommend the organisation as a place to work in the National Staff Survey. In this case study we explore the approach and actions taken by the Trust to meet these ambitions.

Learning from the Millom Experience

Events in Millom since 2014 are a great example of how the NHS NWLA was able to build on the successes of a transformation in local healthcare provision and contribute to a systems leadership model which could be replicated across the North West and beyond.

The NHS North West Leadership Academy (NHS NWLA) understands the evolving leadership landscape. We work in partnership with other sectors and our members to define requirements and to develop bespoke, effective leadership interventions.

Developing a place-based culture of working

A cross-sector team of ‘collaborative transformation practitioners’ applied their leadership skills and knowledge to developing a place-based culture of working within St Helens.

Their leadership training helped to catalyse and accelerate the progression of the ‘St Helens Cares’ integrated care system, with the remarkable pace and scale of the transformation now being recognised at a national level. 

Journey to Self-Compassion

The programme, which explores the three key components of self-compassion based on the latest academic research, embeds principles and supports the development of a compassionate approach with colleagues, teams, organisational processes and organisational culture.

At a time of complex change and transformation in health and social care, a powerful leadership and wellbeing intervention has promoted the journey towards self-compassion for senior leaders in the NHS.