Senior NHS managers were among thirty people in organisational development (OD) roles in health and social care attending a conference at Lancaster University.
The one day conference “Building Resilience, Creating Connections” was organised by the Centre for Education, Training and Development (CETAD) with support from Health Education North-West.
Ben Towell, Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, Liverpool Community Health, said: “I have come away feeling truly inspired, motivated and proud that I work amongst such committed, passionate staff who consistently give their all to the organisations that we work with. I feel massively motivated and re-energised to support our workforce.”
The speakers included Jane O’Brien, Centre Director, CETAD, Professor Michael West from the Centre for Performance-led HR, Lancaster University Management School, Catherine Loftus, Interim Deputy Director at NHS North West Leadership Academy and Paul Taylor, Assistant Director for Organisational Development, NHS Employers.
Belinda Weir, Associate and OD Event Lead, CETAD, said: “We know that OD practitioners have a central role in ensuring healthcare systems are capable of delivering high quality, compassionate care with engaged and supported clinicians and staff; we also know that to do this, OD practitioners need support, the opportunity to share good practice and learn from and with each other.”
The event was designed with four key aims:
- To share ideas and current thinking about the influence and value of OD in today’s health and social care system
- To provide an opportunity for delegates to network, connect with colleagues across the region and establish the basis for a learning community of OD practitioners
- To explore the learning and development needs of OD practitioners as well as clinical staff
- To explore resilience at individual, organisational and system levels, and consider strategies for its development
The day was hugely successful, with an animated conversation kick-starting discussion around opportunities to share ideas, connect with colleagues across the region and explore solutions to some of the challenges delegates face as OD practitioners in healthcare, specifically in engaging and developing clinical staff.