First Flow Coaching Academy virtual training cohort graduate
This week, NHS professionals from across the UK, joined FCA faculty in Sheffield for an interactive two-day online celebration event, formally recognising their achievements and graduating them as Flow Coaches.
Bringing together 17 coaches from Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey Mental Health Trust, Kings College Hospital NHS Trust and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the occasion gave coaches an opportunity to reflect on the skills they have learnt in the programme and gave practical advice on how they will continue this work following graduation.
As part of the 12-month programme, coaches working in pairs or threes were given the practical improvement skills needed to make real improvements across pathways in care through the set up of a Big Room – a space where teams come together to collaborate, build relationships, and test small changes.
The coaches training on this cohort have established Big Rooms in a number of different pathways including Advanced Care Planning, Sustainable Respiratory Care, Skull Base Patient, Rapid Response Service, Rehabilitation, Access to Mental Health and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
This is the first-ever training cohort that has been delivered completely virtually, combining interactive live video teaching sessions, engaging online and e-learning materials and ongoing collaboration through the FCA’s online community platform space.
Nicola Platts
Programme Manager for the FCA commented:
It has been really humbling for the FCA Team who have delivered the new hybrid course for the first time, with such committed people who despite the pressures they undoubtedly continue to experience in their NHS roles, have made time to complete the course and have started improvement conversations with patients and staff in significantly important areas of care.
Laura-Jane Smith
Consultant Respiratory Physician at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who graduated at the ceremony added:
Being part of the FCA has restored my faith in individuals and teams to effect change. It has helped me channel my enthusiasm for change into action and, even better, I’m helping others do the same.
Eleni Maratos
Consultant Neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital, who graduated from the cohort said:
I am so grateful for the FCA for everything I have learned and the opportunity to make a difference but more importantly than anything, for creating a safe space for me to be human again. You have been like a safety blanket.
The Flow Coaching Academy course is a one-year action training programme that teaches coach pairs, or threes how to make improvements in a care pathway through team coaching and quality improvement science.
