OH service improvement programmes

Growing OH is underpinned by change management and service improvement, which are a core skill of all future-facing OH practitioners. A variety of free to access virtual programmes are run by NHS England and NHS Improvement, designed to upskill our healthcare people in service improvement. They range from fundamentals suitable for all, to large scale change suitable for those working on strategic and systemic service improvement.

National School for Change Agents

Would you like to develop your skills for making a difference, to create change in healthcare? The national school for change agents is open to all and is aimed at everyone who works in health and care, at all levels, whether you are in a clinical or non-clinical role. This unique online learning experience offers the opportunity to learn together, build connections and gain the tools to make change happen.

Five modules explore:

  1. Change starts with me
  2. Resourcefulness
  3. Using power to make a difference
  4. Using stories to create change
  5. Making sense of complexity

New cohorts start several times per year. The modules can be completed on an individual’s own terms and schedule as they are designed in bite sized chunks.

Get the most out of school

From registration and throughout the modules there will be opportunities to reflect on learning, make connections with fellow participants and build a spectrum of allies from different professions and specialties throughout the NHS, care sector, and beyond into public services. Everyone taking part in the programme has eight weeks from to complete all of the modules.

More information and applications

To join, find out more and to register, visit: http://horizonsnhs.com/school/

More information about the application process, drafting personal statements and course dates can be found in the Prospectus

Interested individuals can also join in the social media community of practice conversation online using hashtag #S4CA here:

Improvement Fundamentals

Improvement Fundamentals is a programme of free, interactive ‘mini courses’ delivered entirely online. They include videos, articles, discussion, practical exercises, and facilitation that will support individual’s own improvement projects.

It’s designed for those that are new to improvement or have some experience but feel they need to ‘sharpen’ their skills. It will help students to improve and drive services forward through practical support and tools.

The Improvement Fundamentals series of four mini online courses are running continually and consist of one mini course each month. Each mini course includes a week of facilitation and ample opportunity for discussion and collaboration with peers and facilitators. 

More information and applications

More information about the application process, drafting personal statements and course dates can be found in the Prospectus

For more information and to register for the mini-courses, visit: www.england.nhs.uk/improvementfundamentals.

Getting Started with Large Scale Change

This unique free online course from NHS England and NHS Improvement runs throughout the year. It features experts from the field and introduces the basics of large-scale change to help support an organisation’s transformational service improvement programmes.

More information and applications

To join a course, register at: 

https://www.england.nhs.uk/sustainableimprovement/leading-large-scale-change/getting-started/

Lean Fundamentals

The Lean Fundamentals online programme is a free online course helping to improve service processes using Lean tools. It introduces foundational Lean concepts and tools through a practical, structured learning-in-action approach that can be applied immediately.

The programme has been developed by experienced Lean practitioners and technology-enhanced-learning experts and is highly action oriented. It introduces participants to a structured improvement routine to deliver and communicate a tightly scoped improvement project.

Lean Fundamentals comprises of six, one-hour content modules, available 24/7 over an eight-week period, to support operational managers to implement rapid process improvements. For more information, visit: https://www.england.nhs.uk/sustainableimprovement/lean-online/lean-fundamentals/

Lean Intermediate

Lean Intermediate builds on lean fundamentals and offers more advanced Lean process improvement skills. It is highly action oriented and introduces participants to an improvement leadership coaching routine to deliver flow improvement projects. Courses run continually throughout the year. For more information visit: https://www.england.nhs.uk/sustainableimprovement/lean-online/lean-intermediate/