GIRFT Stroke Leadership Academy - stroke specific programme

We’ve worked together with other organisations committed to improvements in stroke care to develop a bespoke programme to meet the needs of staff working in integrated service delivery networks (ISDNs).

ISDNs have been created to reduce the geographical variation in processes of care and outcomes across the stroke pathway. The GIRFT Stroke Leadership Academy is a bespoke multiprofessional stroke specific leadership development programme for up to 30 people a year that builds leadership capacity within ISDNs, which in turn collaborate with integrated delivery boards (ICBs).

Delivery model

The programme runs over 12 months and consists of four 2-day in-person sessions with paid-for accommodation to encourage networking. It culminates in an accredited assignment where learners produce a short, structured reflection on their role as leader at the end of the course.

Four 2-day sessions with accommodation provided at the RCP’s state-of-the-art facilities in The Spine, Liverpool, including a session led by The King's Fund on ‘self as leader’, a 1-day and a half-day online workshop, plus in-person briefing workshops, linked to the annual UKSF conference.

Component 1

These will cover the following overarching themes:

• Understanding the system
• Self as leader
• Leading and influencing change – exploring organisational leadership
• Making an impact
• Delivering improvement – how to ensure successful sustainable change
• Celebrating success – overcoming barriers and looking to the future.

Component 2

• Personalised mentoring
• Virtual coaching and guidance from a mentor approximately every 8 weeks.

Component 3

QI projects and action learning sets.

Participants are asked to participate in a service improvement project that aligns with the ambitions of the NHS England Long Term Plan and National Stroke Service Model, GIRFT national stroke recommendations and the Right Care Toolkit. Working in teams they will develop and deliver a QI project, supported by expert faculty.

Ongoing peer support will also be developed through an action learning sets (ALS) programme exploring practical ways to address challenges faced in the workplace.

Component 4

Networking opportunities through working and learning together during the residential stays, which will incorporate meals and socialising to promote professional relationships in a psychologically safe environment.

Who should apply?

Learners should be those earlier in their leadership journeys or those who have been leaders for some time, but have not had access to formal leadership training or believe the programme has specific elements that they would be able to contribute to and benefit from.

There will be a selection process in order to ensure geographical and multidisciplinary inclusivity, which will include a personal statement on motivation for attending the programme and an understanding of what a successful programme would look like for the individual. It will require ISDN manager support as well as line manager approval and a statement of support from the applicants employing organisation. It will also require a commitment to attend every workshop and mentoring session and fully engage with the programme.