Empowering Leadership in Workforce Development with Nicola Littler, Director of Workforce, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
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. This case study explores her journey, leadership philosophy, strategic priorities, and collaboration with the NHS North West Leadership Academy.
Nicola’s Career Journey
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. Before that, Nicky spent several years working at Tameside Council, where she began her career as part of their junior entrant programme.
“My career path has been somewhat unconventional compared to many other NHS directors because I didn’t follow the traditional university route. Instead, I developed professionally through an apprenticeship programme that, at the time, was known as the Junior Entrant Scheme.”
Similarly, the NHS has the Graduate Management Training Scheme in place, which helps to identify and shape the next generation of NHS leaders.
“When I started at Pennine Care, the organisation was still in its early days, having just been established as a specialist mental health trust. Just a year after I joined, the Head of HR left, and I was given the opportunity to step into the role temporarily. Eighteen months later, I was officially appointed as Head of HR on a permanent basis.”
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.
“I stayed at the deputy level for a significant amount of time, partly due to personal reasons, balancing professional aspirations with family commitments was important to me. I never set out with a burning ambition to be a director; rather, I wanted to focus on doing a good job and making a positive impact wherever I worked.
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.”
Nicky’s Leadership Style
Nicky thinks that it is important to identify and build on your leadership style. In her early training and development, Nicky completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test, which gave her insight into her strengths, working style, and the way she interacts with others.
“It helped me to recognise the importance of values-driven leadership. I am very values-driven and I have a supportive leadership approach, colleagues have consistently described me as a supportive leader.“
Committed to continuous professional development, Nicky also completed an ILM Level 7 in Leadership, as well as an Executive Leadership Programme and a Mentoring and Coaching Programme.
“These trainings were pivotal for me because they helped me to recognise how a coaching approach can get the best out of people. I prioritise listening to others, helping them set goals, supporting their needs and empowering them to reach their goals.”
The NHS Leadership Academy currently offers the Level 7 leadership development Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Programme, which helps participants to deliver impact and create cultures of compassion. It is recommended for those looking to take on a senior leadership role. This qualification can be undertaken as a levy-funded apprenticeship.
In addition, coaching and mentoring support for NHS leaders can be accessed through the Coaching and Mentoring Hub. Trained coaches and experienced mentors can also register to help nurture talents within the system.
Strategic Workforce Priorities at Pennine Care
As Director of Workforce, Nicky is leading Pennine Care’s efforts to foster a positive and productive work environment. The organisation’s refreshed strategy focuses on three key ambitions:
- Outstanding Care – Ensuring staff are equipped and motivated to provide excellent patient care.
- Great Place to Work – Building a culture where employees feel valued and engaged.
- Listen to Improve – Encouraging continuous feedback and staff-driven improvements.
“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.“
With staff engagement being a top priority at Pennine Care, Nicky has proudly mentioned the trust’s strong staff survey results for the previous year (2024).
“We’re currently ranked as the sixth highest-scoring mental health trust in the country when it comes to staff recommending us as a place to work, and we hold the top spot in the North West.”
“It’s great strategically to have a vision and I think our board carry the style and qualities of our leadership approach and are values-driven. The next step is to ensure that this is carried out by each manager as well. Managers need to feel that we are a values-driven organisation and deliver that for their colleagues.“
Having recognised the importance of leadership and management development 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. We would also value support in getting our offer for leadership at all levels right, even if that’s internally delivered.”
You can read more about how teams from the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust are engaging with the NHS North West Leadership Academy’s leadership for all support in this case study.
Engagement with the NHS North West Leadership Academy
Over the last few years, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust’s levels of engagement with the NHS North West Leadership Academy has grown to ensure that the trust are fully aware of and are utilising the membership benefit.
Nicky recalls that Suzanne Douglas, Senior System Lead for Greater Manchester, has proactively reached out to them and provided a clear breakdown of how Pennine Care could make use of the support on offer.
“The bespoke way of working has been invaluable. Suzanne has a wealth of experience, and her guidance has helped us structure our leadership development priorities effectively.“
What does “Senior System Lead” mean?
Senior System Leads are dedicated representatives at the NHS North West Leadership Academy who support member organisations in each of the North West systems: Lancashire and South Cumbria, Cheshire and Merseyside, and Greater Manchester.
They serve as allies and trusted partners to NWLA members, offering a listening ear to help shape bespoke development offers and interventions.
Click here to learn more and find out who the Senior System Lead is for your organisation.
One of the biggest projects that both organisations have collaborated on is developing the Integrated Leadership Team at Pennine Care. With changes happening at both executive and sub-board levels, Nicky says that structured leadership development was needed to “ensure a smooth transition”.
“Suzanne helped us define our needs, asking questions and providing prompts. She also helped us to maximise our membership funding to support the project and connected us to a quality provider who could deliver the training. She acted as an independent external guide to help get us to where we wanted to be, and working with NHS North West Leadership Academy providers gives us quality assurance.
The programme is still in progress, but the early feedback has been very positive. It’s already making a real difference.”
Getting The Most Out Of Membership
Nicky values the proactive engagement of the NHS North West Leadership Academy and encourages other trusts to maximise their membership benefits as well.
“The way the NHS North West leadership Academy engages with organisations, is really valuable. We’ve recently had a visit from Francis, the new Head of the NHS North West Leadership Academy and that was really valuable. Small OD teams like ours benefit hugely from the external expertise they provide.“
“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.”
Nicky Littler’s story is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about titles. It’s about values, vision, and the drive to make a difference. Her journey demonstrates how a thoughtful, people-first approach to workforce development can transform not just teams, but entire organisations. Through strong partnerships like the one with the NHS North West Leadership Academy, Pennine Care is not only investing in its current leaders but also paving the way for future talent.