NHS Leadership and Management Framework

Earlier this month NHS England published the new NHS Leadership and Management Framework alongside the first national NHS staff standard on line management. It is the first time the NHS has set out a single, shared description of what good leadership and management looks like across every setting, profession and level of responsibility, from first-time managers to executive teams. The framework sits alongside a new body, the NHS College of Leadership and Management, which will oversee development, a 360-degree feedback tool and a national curriculum through 2026/27.

‍At the centre of the framework are six principles that apply to every leader and manager in the system, clinical or non-clinical. Trusts and integrated care boards are being asked to embed the framework into appraisal, recruitment and talent processes over the coming year, and every manager is expected to self-assess against it by the end of Q4.

For anyone running an NHS team, the six principles give a clear, practical reference point. Here is what each one covers.

Be accountable

Owning your decisions and actions, holding yourself and your team to the same standard, and treating fairness and improvement as an ongoing job.

Be collaborative

Building relationships across teams and organisations, bringing different views into the room, and making sure everyone is included and heard when things are changing.

Be compassionate

Leading with consideration for the people around you, including yourself, so that people feel supported enough to do good work and grow into it.

Be curious

Staying open to evidence and different perspectives, questioning assumptions, and using what you learn to change how things are done.

Be inclusive

Actively addressing discrimination, bullying, harassment and inequality, and asking who is missing from decisions and why, then acting on the answer.

Show integrity

Holding to your values under pressure, being honest and open, and meeting the professional and ethical standards the role requires.

What this means for teams

A framework sets out what good leadership and management looks like across the system. Working out what each principle means for a specific team, in a specific service and context, is a different task. It depends on the team, the service they run and the pressures they are under, and looks different for a ward team than it does for a corporate function or an executive board.‍

That is the gap practical, bespoke training closes. At Teamshaper we build workshops around a specific team and their context, so people work out what these principles mean for them day to day and how to put them into practice. We use 8 core modules to create applied programmes and capability masterclasses covering the full range of leadership and management topics, and build new ones regularly based on client needs.

The framework itself is available now, along with the self-assessment tool, at mlframework.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk.  

See how we apply team development programmes to specific team circumstances here.