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Leading Well for Staff Health and Wellbeing in the NHS

Develop your understanding of your own health and wellbeing to better lead and support your colleagues, and organisation.

8,548 enrolled on this course

Image of woman holding an umbrella and shielding a team of people from the rain

Leading Well for Staff Health and Wellbeing in the NHS

8,548 enrolled on this course

  • 3 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Develop leadership skills that support staff mental and physical wellbeing

The health and wellbeing of NHS staff is essential to the quality of care provided to patients, service users and communities.

The Covid-19 pandemic placed unprecedented pressures on the health care workforce and is now compounding longstanding inequalities. Inadequate resourcing and chronic excessive workloads pre-date the pandemic, when stress, absenteeism and retention were already at very concerning levels.

Deepen your understanding of the health and wellbeing needs of your staff

The role of a manager and leader in protecting, supporting and promoting the health and wellbeing of staff has never been more necessary and urgent. Even if many of the forces that undermine workforce health are beyond the gift of any individual to change or influence, there are still things that managers and leaders can do to create cultures of care that foster wellbeing and create better mental and physical health.

Learning from specialists in leadership and organisational development within the UK health and care sector, you’ll explore different leadership styles and reflect on how your personal style impacts on staff health and wellbeing.

Learn where to focus your attention as an effective leader

You’ll consider how physiological, structural, cultural, and individual interventions and needs can inform a leader’s approach to supporting staff wellbeing.

Referencing real-life case studies, you’ll be able to shape a more inclusive and equitable work environment.

Put your leadership and communication skills into action and develop a culture of care

You’ll finish this course by exploring emotional self-awareness and self-compassion as a foundation for effective leadership, learning how to foster team dynamics using open dialogues, problem-solving, and inquiry and advocacy.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Raising awareness

    • Welcome

      Find out more about what this course will cover, who you'll be learning with and how you will be learning.

    • Mapping the field

      What is the current state of staff health and wellbeing? What is your relationship with work and how is this linked to wellbeing?

    • What does this mean for me?

      Now that you have spent some time thinking about the current state of your health and wellbeing, it's time to consider how this links with your role as a leader.

  • Week 2

    Deepening understanding

    • The physiological

      How can we start thinking about all the needs that are related to our health and wellbeing? This activity will focus on our physiological needs: rest, nourishment and security.

    • The structural

      What are the wider societal inequalities and injustices that show up in the workplace and impact on staff health and wellbeing?

    • The cultural

      What are the conditions required in a socially and emotionally healthy workplace and how can this support staff health and wellbeing?

    • The individual

      What are the factors that are unique to you that impact on your health and wellbeing? What do you have control over and responsibility for in relation to your wellbeing?

  • Week 3

    Taking action

    • Leadership skills

      Now that you have a deeper and different understanding of the factors that impact on staff health and wellbeing, it's time to think about the leadership skills required to help tackle these challenges.

    • Communication skills

      How can you hone and develop your communication skills to create a healthy and open culture? This activity will explore listening, holding space and speaking up and out to support staff health and wellbeing.

    • Closing the loop

      Taking into account all of the learning on this course so far, we'll now spend some time thinking about what this means for how you go forward with your leadership.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Recognise the relationship you have to your own health and wellbeing as central to how you take up your leadership and relate to the health and wellbeing of others.
  • Understand the role of un-acknowledged dynamics and systemic forces in shaping health outcomes for staff.
  • Identify the various human needs that must be met in the workplace to support and promote staff health and wellbeing.
  • Understand what effective action on staff health and wellbeing looks like.
  • Recognise the skills and qualities central to leadership that is humane, compassionate and effective in the current context.
  • Reflect on your own performance, capacity and skills as a manager and/or leader.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for current and aspiring leaders within the NHS. It’s suitable for those working in clinical and managerial contexts, as well as senior leaders, team leaders and managers.

Whilst the course is focused on NHS leaders, it may also be beneficials to leaders and managers working in related fields such as social care and the voluntary or community sectors.

Who will you learn with?

I work at The King's Fund as a Senior Consultant in Leadership & Organisational Development. I am also co-founder and Director at The Centre for Patient Leadership

Dr Eleri Powell
Eleri works as a psychologist, coach and learning facilitator in the NHS and Social Care Sector, supporting employees, patients and carers.

I am a Senior Consultant in the leadership and organisation development team at The King's Fund.

Who developed the course?

The King's Fund

The King’s Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. Its vision is that the best possible health and care is available to all.

Ways to learn

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 18 Apr 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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