The Leading Integration Peer Support Programme

Our support will help you strengthen your leadership and accelerate your partnership ambitions at system, place and neighbourhood levels.
A diverse office meeting.

The NHS Confederation, the Local Government Association and NHS Providers have joined forces to deliver a range of free, bespoke support for local health and care systems through The Leading Integration Peer Support Programme.

Our support will help you strengthen your leadership and accelerate your partnership ambitions at system, place and neighbourhood levels.

It is independent, ‘from and of the sector’ and includes peer reviews, workshops, critical friend support, mentoring and best practice sharing, all delivered by peers with extensive expertise leading health and care.

Of the bespoke support delivered in the past six months, 82 per cent said that the support has had a positive impact on the quality of relationships within the system.

“The peer support offer has been invaluable in moving us forward as a group. The peer associate played a key role both for me as chair and to the success of the group with his extensive experience across local government, the NHS and other public organisations”

Chair, Barnsley Integrated Care Partnership Group

Peer-facilitated workshops

Our workshops have been designed based on feedback from health and care leaders. They are facilitated by experienced senior peers from health and local government who will tailor the session to reflect the local context and needs of the audience.

We offer a range of types and styles of workshop, including ‘pause and reflection’ sessions to take a step back on current challenges, leadership development, gap analysis on current partnerships and action planning.

Peer reviews

Our peer reviews are not about inspection or assurance. Rather the peer team focuses on reflection, learning, and supporting change through developing a holistic view of your system and providing support and challenge in a constructive and confidential setting.

Events

Making sense of integrated care strategies - the leading integration peer support programme. 4 October 12.30pm till 2pm.
Webinar

Watch and access slides: Making sense of integrated care strategies

Watch the recording and access FAQs from our webinar on integrated care strategies, how they relate to other strategic work, and involving partners.

4 October 2022 12:30 - 14:00 GMT
Raising the voice of clinical and care professionals across an Integrated Care System (ICS). Online event Tuesday 11 October.
Webinar

Watch: Raising the voice of clinical and care professionals across an integrated care system (ICS)

Webinar looking at Gloucestershire’s experience of the Leading Integration Peer Support programme.

11 October 2022 14:00 - 15:00 GMT

We run a series of dissemination events throughout the year, focused on aspects of system transformation, to provide a space for all system levels and disciplines, to hear others’ learning, discuss opportunities and challenges and share issues, ideas and insights.

We also run bespoke sessions to disseminate learning, such as at an ICS or regional level, to discuss opportunities and challenges, share learning and ideas, and/or hear from other systems.

One-to-one peer mentoring

Mentoring is a great way to explore the issues you can’t easily discuss with colleagues, to reflect on difficult decisions and to get a different perspective. As well as building on existing networks and linking systems and people with similar challenges or experience, we will also match individuals for one-to-one support.

Based on the LGA’s long-established model, these reviews are offered virtually, or face-to-face over one or two days, with a mix of one-to-one interviews and focus groups, examining the opportunities and challenges local partners are facing. They are delivered by a team of trained peers, including current or former NHS and local authority chief executives and senior leaders who will provide a report of observations and recommendations. We are also happy to provide follow-on support to implement actions.

“The standard of the facilitators was first class. Hugely experienced. Listened to what was needed and without being too directive or controlling shaped what was needed to engage the broad range of stakeholders we were trying to get all on the same page - no easy task!” Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS

All of this support can take place virtually if required, and requests for peer-led support can be made and delivered at any level, whether that be system, place or locality. Funding for The Leading Integration Peer Support Programme comes from the Primary Care and System Transformation Group at NHSEI.

For more details or to book, please email integration@local.gov.uk

  • We offer a range of workshops to suit your needs:

    Pause and reflect: Interactive virtual workshops that build on the incredible collaborations we have seen through COVID-19 and shape a system that is better able to serve people in a fast-changing world. This will require space to collectively pause and reflect on what has been learnt, how collaboration could be strengthened further as systems move from response to recovery and how best to marshal collective resources around a refreshed set of priorities.

    Integrated leadership: This workshop is delivered online or in small groups onsite. It enables local system leaders identify their shared vision, commitment, leadership and accountability to achieve a fully integrated local health and care system. Our approach can be adapted to work across a range of complex systems, including diverse organisational structures or multiple planning and commissioning footprints.

    When worlds collide: This practical and interactive workshop is designed to further mutual understanding and effective engagement for place-based leaders in care, health and wellbeing. Focused on either the NHS or local government, it explores organisational differences to help leaders in other parts of the system understand the context in which their colleagues work.

    Bespoke workshops: We also offer bespoke workshops, to reflect your local priorities.  All workshops can be run virtually, as half or full day events on a one-off basis, or as a series of sessions, depending on your local need.

    What are the benefits of the workshops?

    • An opportunity to learn from experienced peer facilitators with credibility in health and local government who can signpost you to other contacts
    • A chance to step back and develop a greater understanding of the work of your local partners and future opportunities for collaboration
    • A space to identify practical, locally owned actions to support your ambitions

    “The workshops have helped us to develop and mature as a place partnership. The support gave all the partners an equal voice. That for us all was a great gift that enabled us to do the work we needed to do.” Senior lead, Coventry and Warwickshire

    To book a workshop, please email integration@local.gov.uk

  • Peer review is a robust and effective improvement tool led by the sector, for the sector. Building on the success of the LGA’s existing peer review model, and sector-led improvement approach we continue to introduce more experienced peers from the NHS.

    The reviews are designed as a sense check for each partnership and an opportunity to hear how others are meeting similar challenges, encouraging the cross fertilisation of good practice within and between systems.

    We have also developed a peer-to-peer review model where senior representatives from two systems come together to compare their vision, priorities, successes and challenges. The aim is to share these with experienced colleagues in a safe space to gain a different perspective and new ideas about how to solve common problems.

    What are the benefits of a peer review?

    • A fresh perspective from expert, trained NHS and local government peers with first-hand experience of system working
    • Constructive feedback and recommendations on what you can do to drive improvement
    • Follow-up support from expert peers, if requested.

    “It’s definitely had a life beyond the event. It’s created a greater sense of collective responsibility which is now changing the conversations we’re having’ and ‘there have been significant behavioural and tonal changes as a result…with greater peer to peer challenge on an ongoing basis and a new focus on finding solutions to long standing issues….’’  Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership

    To book a peer review, please email integration@local.gov.uk

  • We are currently planning our programme of dissemination events for 2022 and will update these pages with dates and details shortly. They will also be published on our events page.

    Previously we have covered relevant and timely topics including; Making Sense of Integrated Care Systems, health inequalities, NED and councillor engagement: What good looks like, and also, Co-producing with and engaging communities: What does good look like? So far, 210 senior leaders have attended our events.

    Our online events are aimed at chairs, non-executive directors, councillors, local government officers and lay members and will explore the top issues facing leaders. Each webinar will include expert introductions to the theme alongside local leaders sharing their practical experiences and learning.

    You can watch recordings of previous events here: Peer Support Offer - YouTube

    “One of the best, well run and informative webinars I have been to this year. Clear concise presentations that hit the right note.  It was inspiring, real, gave real practical ideas and well managed chat and plenary.”

  • Peer mentoring is traditionally a one-to-one non-judgemental relationship in which an individual (mentor) voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another (mentee). Peer mentors provide advice and guidance for those who require their support.

    It is a great way to explore the issues you can’t easily discuss with colleagues, to reflect on difficult decisions and to get a different perspective. As well as offering one-to-one support, we can build on existing networks and link systems with similar challenges or experiences.

    What impact can mentoring have?

    • Improve self-esteem and confidence.
    • Develop communication skills and problem-solving skills.
    • Provide a space away from your team to discuss current challenges.

    To enquire about mentoring, email integration@local.gov.uk