First leadership academy in Suffolk launched at UCS
Sep 21 2009 12:00AM
A new Academy that will focus on developing ever-higher standards of leadership in Suffolk’s public sector organisations was launched today (21 September).
Jim O’Connell, the Director of Leadership at the Department of Health, officially opened the Suffolk Leadership Academy during a traditional cake-cutting ceremony at University Campus Suffolk (UCS). He was witnessed by senior figures from many of the organisations which provide services to the people of Suffolk.
Suffolk is the first place in the country to develop a partnership approach to leadership development across the health economy. The Academy has been established through a partnership between all eight of Suffolk’s NHS organisations with University Campus Suffolk, using £1.5 million in funding specifically designated for leadership by NHS East of England.
The Academy will focus on developing leaders for today and the future through high quality education, support and training. It will offer leadership development to people employed at all levels, from the board room to the bedside, with the majority of learning events delivered at the new University Campus Suffolk showcase building on the Quay in Ipswich.
During the next three years, the Leadership Academy will provide a flexible “menu” of learning events for doctors, nurses and others in management roles working in health services throughout the county. They will be able to access those activities that will help meet their personal leadership development needs. It is hoped that the county’s other public sector bodies, such as social services and the police, will join the Academy in the future, and that other health systems in the region will learn from Suffolk’s approach.
'The Academy represents the very best of the Suffolk public sector community, creating a supported learning environment which inspires and drives achievement and fosters the development of today’s and tomorrow’s leaders,' said Carole Taylor-Brown, chief executive of NHS Suffolk, one of the partners in the Academy.
'Our commitment and our sights are high. We want the very best for Suffolk people and we know that developing our leaders so that they can inspire and lead others will help us to achieve this.'
The Academy’s ambition is that the people of Suffolk will benefit from not only higher quality, evolving leadership practices resulting in improvements in patient care, but also from increasingly joined up services as a result of leaders learning and working together. By working together to enhance the standard of leadership across the county, services will be continually improved and increasingly patient-focused.
A range of Academy programmes has already started, covering topics such as developing leadership and coaching skills and conveying essential but difficult information. A series of master classes on management topics led by recognised experts in their field are also taking place.
'We are delighted to be working with our NHS partners to deliver this exciting new project, which is the first of its kind in the country,' said Richard Lister, Acting Chief Executive Officer at University Campus Suffolk.
'The Academy will provide high quality education, support and training to our county’s NHS leaders while promoting excellence in every aspect of their work. We look forward to welcoming them to the Suffolk Leadership Academy over the coming months and years.'