Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 18 May 2024 at 09:54
Marika Stephenson, Executive Director of People Services, provides an update on our Time to Lead initiative.
We want to update you on a programme you may have heard referred to as ‘Time To Lead’ or it’s earlier version ‘Spans of Control’.
This is a Trust wide programme which aims to enable our leaders to effectively manage services on a day-to-day basis and to create a supportive leadership culture within EEAST.
‘Time to Lead’ was conceived in response to feedback from many of our leaders that they would welcome more support, less administrative burden, greater training, and capacity to be able to provide guidance, leadership, and a sense of teamworking to those that they manage. Our staff survey, focus groups from ‘The People Strategy’ and the Executive Team’s engagement with our people at various site, reinforced that we have not been doing enough to create a workplace where people feel:
It is clear that we need to create an environment where people do believe that the list above is not only achievable but can see that we are delivering the best work conditions to provide patients and colleagues with the service that everyone deserves.
There are over 5,000 of us in EEAST so achieving this resolution will take time but we must make a start.
So, we looked at various options and decided on a ‘pilot’ area of A&E operations across Mid & South Essex focussing on the structure, responsibility, development, and support enabling our Local Operations Managers (LOMs ) and Assistant General Managers (AGM) to best provide leadership and clinical duties. This pilot aims to test the concept and the assumptions based on the feedback and learning which we will incorporate into the programme as we move through it. We are not assuming that what works for one sector will work for all as we are aware of that areas across EEAST have different challenges due to demography, patient profile and resourcing amongst other factors. A representative from each sector will be invited to participate in the pilot so that their input can enable us to consider those variations in our design.
Once we have tested with Mid & South Essex, we will incorporate the learning into our next phase launching the program across the other sectors. That roll out has yet to be finalised. However our current plan is to focus on A&E, AOC, Make Ready & PTS in that order. After that we will look at our support functions.
Along with Time to Lead, we are also launching our People Strategy delivery groups and our Urgent & Emergency Care, & Business Unit programmes. Details of these programs can be found on EAST 24.
We want to hear from you
You may have questions – for example why did we choose Mid & South Essex? Why are we focussing first on A&E colleagues? We want to hear your questions as many of them will inform our approach. So, we will be publishing your questions and the answers on East 24 as well as establishing focus groups, starting over the next couple of weeks to capture your feedback and suggestions whilst we also continue with the pilot sector. The section on East 24 will be updated to keep you informed of progress and welcome your input.
You can also contact Cathy O’Driscoll with your questions at cathy.o’driscoll@eastamb.nhs.uk
Learning as we develop the programme
This is a significant programme of work, and I will be honest with you, we don’t have all the answers. We recognise this and in fact, that is an important part of our approach to plan, do, revise, and incorporate into our approach so that we learn as we go along.
We also acknowledge that we won’t always get it right and to that end, encourage you to continue to share your feedback and help this evolve to create a better future for all at EEAST. We commit to being open and transparent.
We are always learning and look forward to working with you to implement ‘Time To Lead’ in a way that will create the positive culture, work experience and environment we all deserve within EEAST.
Marika
Published 27th October 2022