Shared Leadership for Change (BME) aimed to help multi-organisational teams working to improve the quality of health services for black and minority ethnic groups.
Leadership development has traditionally been focused on the needs of individuals. While important, this only addresses a portion of the cultural challenges in healthcare that often impede long-lasting improvements.
The Health Foundation recognises that teamwork is of paramount importance and each member of a team brings a unique set of skills and responsibilities. To really achieve lasting improvements in healthcare it is important for the team to develop as a whole.
Patient care often involves staff from different organisations. Through Shared Leadership for Change we worked with multi-organisational or multi-disciplinary teams (including social services and voluntary sector organisations) so the leadership development opportunities offered reflect the reality of working in healthcare.
What we did
We launched a scheme, Improving the Quality of Care for People from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Groups, in March 2007.
The scheme was aimed at multi-organisational teams working to improve the quality of healthcare for BME groups. We supported six outstanding teams to become more effective in their work and to improve mainstream health services.
We focused on this area because research shows that there are large inequalities in health outcomes throughout the UK and many people from BME groups are particularly disadvantaged. In some areas these inequalities are widening, which presents a challenge to the quality of healthcare in the UK that must be addressed.
What’s more, the UK is more ethnically diverse than ever before – almost 10% of the population are of BME origin and there are now areas where over 50% of the population are from BME groups. In addition, ethnic minorities are expected to account for 73% of projected population growth. So, any improvement in the quality of care for BME groups has the potential to have a positive impact on a large, and growing, proportion of the population.
Benefits for teams
Teams in the Shared Leadership Initiative have spoken of how their work with a leadership development consultant has encouraged greater confidence in the value of team-working. They have described improved flexibility within the teams. For some it has helped them overcome organisational or cultural barriers in the systems.
What we learnt
An independent evaluation was commissioned by each of the teams involved in the Shared Leadership for Change programme.
These evaluations examine the improvements to health services, and the experiences of the people using them, that each of the teams involved achieved.
We are currently reviewing the findings of the independent evaluation reports, and will be publishing our own analysis of the learning from the scheme as a whole later in 2010.
You can download the independent evaluation reports from the right hand column of this page.
Koon Lan Chan, Shared Leadership for Change 2005-06Southport and Formby Primary Care Trust'Shared Leadeship for Change has enabled us to recognise and capitalise on the potential within our team. More than just a group of people with good intentions, we're now translating our intentions and vision into actions with improved services for patients as a result.'