The Foundation Group comprises 4 NHS organisations voluntarily working together to improve care. Glen Burley, as Group CEO discusses how the model has evolved and the challenges for leadership.
Encompassing South Warwickshire, Wye Valley, George Elliot and Worcestershire Trusts, the Foundation Group covers three counties and provides acute and community health services.
The joint working of the Trusts is voluntary, with Trusts choosing to join the Group and operate in the way that has developed. With Committees in common, joint roles for the CEO and Chair and other executive roles, opportunistic approaches have flowed from the collaboration.
The Group has enabled new ways of working to be tested and sharing and adoption of this practice to be adopted at pace.
The “back office” infrastructure is shared where it makes sense, but there are differences and local approaches.
Glen has been a CEO for over 18 years so the joint approach builds on his experience and outlook. His approach has been to always encourage people to make change and challenges thinking. Success happens when decision making iOS devolved and people are supported in accountable structures/cultures. Importantly staff and services must be supported to take risks and learn what works.
As Group CEO, Glenn has had to move to a more coaching style as he cannot be so hands on. He still needs to be able to discharge his accountable officer role properly but does this increasingly by working through others. He needs to be able to provide the ‘air cover’ for the site based managing directors, so they can do their job effectively.
Looking forward - the Group is not dependent on Glen alone to succeed. All of the organisations can walk away from T he Group at any point and make their own choices.
The leadership role is to convene; scale up population health approaches; work as an integrator; earn the trust of others to support better care delivery. NHS organisations don't have to provide and lead everything -but must break new ground and evolve.