Introduction to Board Development

Support for Boards and Senior Leaders

The focus of the NHS Institute’s provision for Boards and senior leaders is on leadership for improvement – inspiring senior leadership in order to transform quality of care. This is part of the NHS Institute’s wider support for organisations, teams and individuals to achieve transformation through quality, innovation, productivity and prevention.

Major elements of our work include: 

NHS Board Development Tool
The NHS Board Development Tool ('BDT') is a facilitated diagnostic tool that provides a framework for reviewing and improving the effectiveness of boards in NHS organisations. Based on robust research, the BDT draws on evidence from the NHS, as well as the Public and Private Sectors, to measure the characteristics of high performing boards. Boards are challenged to consider how they operate as a corporate entity, in order to find ways to enhance their effectiveness. There are a number of versions of the BDT, tailored to the type of organisations undertoing the review, including Foundation Trusts.

Executive Coaching

Executive Coaching is one of the core elements of the NHS Institute’s support to Chairs, Chief Executives and Executive Directors. We know from our own research that this one-to-one focused and bespoke relationship is generally the single most effective development intervention that a senior leader in the NHS can access. Our coaches are highly experienced in working with senior leaders in the public and private sectors to enable individuals to maximise the deployment of their own skills and talents, as well as those of their teams.

Team Coaching Register

The NHS Institute has compiled a register of quality assured coaches with expertise and experience of coaching senior teams to enhance their performance. Please click  SeniorTeamAndBoardCoachingRegister.pdf (724.01 KB) to access the Register.

Leadership Qualities Framework

The NHS Leadership Qualities Framework is an evidence based competency framework, grounded in research carried out with 150 NHS Chief Executives and Directors of all disciplines. The Framework sets the standard for outstanding leadership qualities in the NHS and describes the key characteristics, attitudes and behaviours to which leaders in the NHS should aspire. There is a 360 degree feedback tool available online to support the LQF and an online development guide. The LQF is currently being revised and aligned with the Medical and Clinical Leadership Competency Framework, as we work to build a single Leadership Framework across the NHS. 

Local Authority peer review scheme

The NHS Institute is offering an outstanding opportunity for senior NHS Leaders to work across organisational boundaries with senior colleagues from other sectors to gain insight into how key partner organisations really work.

Local Authority peers are involved in reviews of local government to enable Councils to improve their performance. Becoming a peer, and part of a senior multiagency team, gives senior NHS leaders the chance to extend their knowledge of another complex public sector body, whilst sharing their experience and learning from the organisation and fellow reviewers. Cross sector learning underpins the quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) agenda, and the broader working required of both FTs and Consortia. The scheme is open to Chairs, CEOs, Executive Directors and senior GPs.  Peer Review Scheme (112.50 KB)

For further information please contact the Leadership team at the NHS Institute: leadership@institute.nhs.uk or 0845 862 0036