The health sector has become a major specialisation of FRA, with much of our recent experience focussed on the challenges of culture change, quality improvement and leadership development in the NHS.
A number of our Associates are closely connected with the work of The Health Foundation (www.health.org.uk). This organisation has an overarching aim of improving the quality of healthcare and has leadership development as one of its major aims. FRA Associates have led a number of key initiatives for The Health Foundation including the Shared Leadership for Change Awards and the prestigious Leadership Fellows Award – now working with our fourth cohort – working with the future leaders of the health service across the UK to improve their effectiveness and develop their leadership skills in a wide variety of health settings. Another Associate facilitates Action Learning Sets for the Harkness Fellows
FRA is currently working with a number of NHS Trusts to deliver leadership and organisational development, mainly through the support of senior commissioners and through the delivery of coaching and Action Learning Sets with senior managers. These include Great Ormond Street Hospital (recommissioned for 2010), Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Foundation Trust (recommissioned for 2010) and the NHS South Central (NESC) GP Practice Leaders’ Programme in Milton Keynes (recommissioned for 2010). A key project currently is with the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, working across all Scotland's Health Boards for Quality Improvement Scotland.
In addition to this, most of our Associates have significant high-level experience in many other health-related areas including psychiatric and general nursing, disability, drug and alcohol services, health finance, work with the elderly, nutrition, black and ethnic minority health inequalities, third world health issues, health service education. FRA Associates have worked with many bodies such as the Department of Health, Lothian Health, Lanarkshire Health Board, South Central SHA, the Royal College of Nursing, Dundee University school of Nursing and Midwifery, the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, United Nations Development Programme, and the Open University.
Our work with health professionals is very diverse, including:
Running Development Centres at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Supporting the Leadership Team in South Central SHA in developing an evaluation strategy for the Leadership schemes in progress.
Running courses on Motivational Interviewing within Health Care settings for Lothian Health and Lanarkshire Health Board.
Organisational evaluation commissioned by the Department of Health.
Running the Lancaster University Certificate in Mentoring Practice programme for senior NHS finance professionals (members of the HFMA).
Setting up the Alzheimer's Disease Society of Scotland, and serving as its first National Coordinator.
Working on third sector projects with parents whose children are at risk in run-down UK communities.
Initiating and leading the Open University’s work-based pre- registration nursing programme as a widening participation initiative as Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Care, Open university (2000-2003).
Supervising alcohol and mental health counsellors (pre-and post accreditation) over 20 years.
Reviewing work-based learning for unqualified staff in health care organisations in the Thames Gateway in 2007/8 (commissioned by DH).
Numerous publications in health journals and magazines and several books for the educational press authored by our Associates.