FCA Virtual Cohort 4 supports collaboration and the growth of cultures of continuous improvement

Here at the Flow Coaching Academy our faculty and delivery team are preparing for the start of our next training cohort, which starts later this month.

We are excited to welcome another cohort of coaches from Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust and joining them are their strategic alliance partners Camden and Islington Mental Health Trust. They have chosen the Flow Coaching Academy methodology to underpin their commitment to work together to improve services and strengthen the voice of mental health across north central London.

The FCA methodology, values and training align with our new partnerships’ ambitions. The strategic alliance between us will benefit patients and staff and will enable both organisations to develop more efficient integrated care pathways together and provide better outcomes for patients. We are delighted to be collaborating with the FCA again, to enable more of our team to develop the capability to lead improvements across five critical patient pathways

Alison Brandon, Deputy Director for Quality Improvement.

Joining them on this cohort are coaches from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where the Flow Coaching Academy is hosted. We are delighted that coaches from the new Sheffield Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SEOC) have selected to use the FCA methodology to support the development of their culture of continuous improvement.

The new unit is bringing together and co-locating services which contribute to the care of patients having elective orthopaedic surgery. To achieve their vision and develop excellent working relationships, the team recognise that they will need to meet regularly to improve and innovate. In planning the new unit building in developing a culture of continuous improvement from the start has been important and the FCA’s Big Room will be a core element of the unit going forward to establish “the way we do things around here”.

Our improvement experience learnt locally over the last 10 years tells us that for teams to be high performing; relationships matter. Continually improving care requires coordination, collaboration and leadership which is most effective when communications and relationships are strong among team members.

The FCA course ‘Improving with people first’ builds capability in others to lead improvements that enhance patients’ and staff’s experience of healthcare. The FCA is known by healthcare providers for working to transform collaboration across system boundaries and optimising patient experience and staff wellbeing. Our work creates lasting improvement capability, confident enablers, leaders and cultures built on kindness, curiosity, honesty, and respect.

The FCA has been training coaches for almost 8 years now and returning organisations like this really prove that our methodologies are adding value locally and that our training and programme has an impact. The sense of community that builds is integral to the work that we do and evidenced here in our relationship with Barnet, Enfield and Haringey and Sheffield Teaching Hospital.

Nick Miller, Head of the Flow Coaching Academy.