About us
What is the FCA & Why it does it exist?
The Flow Coaching Academy (FCA) exists to enable staff in every healthcare organisation to continuously improve patient care and experience. Built from within the NHS, for the NHS, Flow Coaching methodology harnesses the energy and ideas of staff at all levels to create positive change.
First established at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals in 2016, with support from the Health Foundation, the FCA builds on the success of Microsystems Coaching Academy and has since established a network of FCA’s who deliver the programme across the UK.
Focusing on the people and relationships involved, the programme combines team coaching and practical methods to equip their participants to make meaningful and lasting improvements. As part of this, they offer the opportunity for coaches who have completed the course, to become part of the FCA network and to deliver this to colleagues in their local context.
Our Guiding Principles
The Flow Coaching Academy (FCA) methodology is formed around six guiding principles that create the conditions for staff at all levels to be able to make improvements to patient care and experience.
Patient at the Heart
The patient is at the heart of everything the FCA does, their stories, experiences, and involvement in the process reminds us, every step of the way, what we are all working towards.
Staff & Organisational Engagement
Our programme is most effective when it works to achieve team goals. Leaders can help remove roadblocks in the process whilst passionate staff can be the most effective influencers in building shared purpose and a goal for improvement.
Ownership
The FCA brings the right people together, ensuring that any planned changes are owned and championed by the people who are closest to it.
Collaboration
FCA methodology such as the Big Room, creates spaces where teams can have effective conversations and collaborate in new ways. This means everyone’s opinion can be recognised and valued.
Building Capability
The FCA is scalable, so it works to sustain and spread a culture of improvement across NHS organisations by building capability in those who have a passion for delivering the best possible care for patients.
Continuous Learning & Improvement
Improvement doesn’t stop with the first intervention or the second it is a continuous effort. Teams where the culture of continuous learning and improvement is embedded in everything they do will always deliver to the best of their abilities for their colleagues and patients.
What do we do?
The Course – Improving with People First
Builds capability within others to coach improvements that enhance patients’ experience of healthcare.
FCA Big Rooms
Over 150 Big Rooms have been established and many continue to run and deliver improvements across over 85 different care pathways.
The Community
Over 500 trained Flow Coaches across the UK have come together, here on our site Flow Coach directory, at events, and in a bespoke space at the Q Community
FCA Methodology Support
Faculty members are experienced NHS improvers and actively coach Big Rooms, a list of faculty members can be found in our Faculty Directory, they are always happy to connect with passionate improvers and former Flow Coaches.
FCA Membership
We believe in spreading the FCA methodology to aid adoption of continuous improvement culture in the NHS. New memberships are not currently being offered but if you are interested in building the FCA into your improvement strategy contact us
What do we do now?
From April 2024 the FCA’s team at Sheffield transitioned from training coaches and academies to focus on broadening access to our methodology, tools and learning for the wider Continuous Improvement (CI) community.
This site has been created to provide open access to our methodology, materials and learning to support the improvement community across healthcare to continue to make a difference.
The team that started the FCA, continue to work and evolve their learning from the FCA programme in the development of new improvement offers. You can find their contact details in the Contact Us section along with a list of our FCA trained coaches and current and former academies.
The FCA Academy at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust continue to deliver the training and are open to training other organisation, visit the Contact Us section to get in touch.
FAQs
Will we have someone to contact should we need support in the future?
Yes you can find all of our contact details in the CONTACT US section.
Will my current course continue?
Yes, if you are currently enrolled on an FCA course it will continue until graduation. Please contact your FCA’s faculty lead for ongoing support.
Can I still access all the resources?
Yes, you can access everything you need in the RESOURCE section which you can find in the main menu.
What does this mean for FCA Academies?
Academies who are currently delivering training, are being supported to continue to do this for their current cohorts and future ones.
Can we still train to become an academy or train more FCA coaches?
Yes we encourage new academies or coaches to join the FCA and spread the learning! The FCA Academy at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust continue to deliver the training and are open to training other organisation, visit the CONTACT US section to get in touch.
We used to deliver the FCA what does this mean for us?
Former academies who aren’t actively training but have Big Rooms running, are encouraged to use our member-only area. If you are not currently signed up you can do so HERE.
How will you continue to connect with the community?
You can stay in touch with other FCA coaches and faculty members by finding their contact details HERE. You can also post articles about your improvements supported by the FCA methodology and let others know what you’re up to HERE.
Can the current Big Rooms continue to run?
We would be delighted if your Big Rooms continued to run and if you need any support doing this please get in touch.
However, if you do run your Big Room using Workplace, please note this space will no longer be available after June 2024 and we recommend exporting any files you want to keep. Details on how to export your files.
Can I set up additional Big Rooms in my organisation?
Yes, we would love to see new Big Rooms set up and would encourage you to use the resources on the website to help support this.
Please continue to attribute the methodology to the FCA in any promotion, case studies or presentations and please submit your stories to our community news.
Is my ILM Recognised Credly badge still valid?
Yes, your ILM-recognised badge will remain valid and can be displayed in email signatures. If you have questions, please contact us at sth.fca@nhs.net.
Why has this transition happened?
Following 9 years, The Health Foundation’s funding of the FCA came to an end in March 2024. Unfortunately, the FCA has been unable to secure alternative sources of funding to continue the programme sustainably.
Why not visit our community page and find out the latest news from Flow Coaches across the UK?