NHS Healthcare Leadership Model

Apply HLM dimensions of Holding to Account (clear performance expectations + balanced feedback + responsibility support + performance standards) and Connecting Our Service (organisational understanding + partnership working + connecting beyond NHS + service relationships). Apply NHS Oversight Framework (NHS England) + Care Quality Commission (CQC) Single Assessment Framework with five key questions (Safe + Effective + Caring + Responsive + Well-led) + Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) / Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) coordination + NHS Race and Health Observatory partnerships.

• Performance management framework
• NHS Oversight Framework segmentation
• CQC Single Assessment evidence
• Partnership agreements
• HSIB/HSSIB cooperation records
• Annual feedback cycle records

• Unclear standards
• Weak CQC evidence
• No partnership records
• Missing HSIB cooperation

Apply HLM dimension Developing Capability (developing others + creating learning culture + workforce planning + succession planning) and the underpinning Personal Qualities focus (self-awareness + emotional intelligence + integrity + resilience). Use NHS People Plan + NHS People Promise + Talent Management Hub (TMH) + NHS Leadership Academy programmes (Edward Jenner + Mary Seacole + Nye Bevan + Aspiring Chief Executive) + ScopeMe 360 feedback tool + appraisal and revalidation per General Medical Council (GMC) and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements.

• NHS People Plan implementation
• Talent Management evidence
• NHS Leadership Academy programme participation
• 360 feedback (ScopeMe)
• GMC/NMC revalidation
• Succession plans

• No talent management
• No 360 feedback
• Missing succession plan
• Revalidation gaps

Embed Equality + Diversity + Inclusion (EDI) per NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS) 2022 + Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) + Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) + Sexual Orientation Monitoring + Gender Pay Gap reporting + 6 high impact actions per the Operational Planning Guidance. Apply compassionate conversations with patients and families per Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (Francis Report 2013) + Duty of Candour (Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulation 20) + Being Open Framework + Personalised Care principles.

• EDS 2022 evidence
• WRES + WDES annual reports
• Gender Pay Gap report
• Duty of Candour evidence
• Compassionate conversation training
• Francis Report response evidence

• Missing WRES/WDES
• No Duty of Candour evidence
• No compassionate training
• Weak EDS evidence

Apply HLM dimensions of Influencing for Results (relationship building + stakeholder understanding + persuasion and negotiation + network influence) and Evaluating Information (gathering information + thinking analytically + decision making + judgement under uncertainty). Use NHS Outcomes Framework + NHS Improvement Quality Standards + National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines + evidence-based practice principles. Apply NHS Model Health System / Model Hospital benchmarking + Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) data + NHS Digital data.

• Stakeholder mapping
• Influence strategy
• Decision logs with evidence
• NICE guideline implementation
• GIRFT data review
• NHS Model Hospital benchmark reports

• No stakeholder mapping
• Weak decision audit
• No NICE alignment
• Missing GIRFT engagement

Apply the NHS Healthcare Leadership Model (HLM) dimensions of Inspiring Shared Purpose (values-based role modelling + service improvement curiosity + values courage + purposeful challenge) and Leading with Care (compassionate relationships + emotional understanding + safe environment creation + personal wellbeing + leading with care through change). The HLM was published by the NHS Leadership Academy in 2013 + revised editions through 2024 + supports development across leadership levels from frontline through executive + complements the NHS Constitution Values (working together for patients + respect and dignity + commitment to quality of care + compassion + improving lives + everyone counts).

• Leadership development plan referencing HLM
• 360-degree feedback against HLM dimensions
• Values-based behaviour assessment
• Wellbeing programme engagement
• NHS Constitution Values evidence
• Compassionate leadership training records

• No HLM-based development plan
• Missing 360 feedback
• No wellbeing programme
• Weak NHS Values alignment

Lead patient safety culture per NHS Patient Safety Strategy + Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) 2022 + National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) / Learn from Patient Safety Events (LFPSE) service + Patient Safety Specialists + Patient Safety Partners. Lead Quality Improvement (QI) per NHS Improvement framework + IHI Model for Improvement + Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles + Lean Six Sigma + Kotter 8-step change + Maslow + safety culture per Manchester Patient Safety Framework (MaPSaF).

• PSIRF implementation evidence
• Patient Safety Specialists appointment
• LFPSE reports
• QI projects with PDSA cycles
• MaPSaF assessment
• Patient Safety Partners engagement

• No PSIRF
• Missing safety specialists
• No QI projects
• Weak safety culture assessment

Apply financial stewardship per NHS Finance Manual + NHS Operating Framework + Money Off Quality (MOQ) principles + Capital Allocations + Operational Planning Guidance financial envelopes. Lead Board Assurance Framework (BAF) + Risk Register management per NHS Risk Management Framework + Internal Audit per Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) + Counter Fraud Authority (NHS CFA) cooperation. Foster continuous learning through engagement with NHS Learning Academy + Council of Deans + Medical Royal Colleges + dissemination of learning from incidents and near misses.

• Financial plan
• BAF + Risk Register
• Internal audit reports
• NHS CFA cooperation evidence
• Lessons learned dissemination
• Medical Royal College engagement

• No BAF
• Weak risk register
• No internal audit
• Limited lessons sharing

Apply HLM dimensions of Sharing the Vision (vision communication + stakeholder involvement + future-focused thinking + strategic narrative) and Engaging the Team (team focus + valuing diversity + team development + collective leadership). Use NHS Long Term Plan + Integrated Care Systems (ICS) + Trust strategic objectives as vision context. Apply collective leadership principles per the Michael West and King's Fund collective leadership research + Compassionate and Inclusive Leadership Strategy (NHS England 2022).

• Trust/Service vision statement
• Team engagement survey results (NHS Staff Survey)
• Collective leadership evidence
• ICS alignment
• Long Term Plan delivery contribution
• Cascade communications log

• No clear vision
• Low engagement scores
• No collective leadership
• Weak ICS alignment