Survive and thrive: A book club about the science of change with Kotter

Leanne has worked in healthcare settings across the NHS in England, Wales and internationally. An Alumna of the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, she has a Masters (MSc) in Health & Public Leadership. She is an MBTI Practitioner and an EMCC Global accredited Coach.

As an operational manager, she has worked largely with challenged services and teams; leading turnaround and improvements. Leanne led her teams at her Trust in London through the Covid-19 pandemic, whilst also delivering significant improvements in staff morale, sickness absence and retention and a Trust wide digital transformation programme. Leanne was the Trust’s operational lead for the Covid-19 Vaccine Programme and SRO for SW London Mortality Management.

She completed a Global Health Research Fellowship in London; a QI Leadership Fellowship in South Africa, working with leaders including their Health Minister to improve clinical leadership development across the Country; and is currently the Partnership Lead for an HEE programme in Africa.

Cath joined NHS Elect as Associate Director in October 2022, helping to nurture the skills and confidence of NHS people learning to use Quality Improvement (QI).

Background

Cath first started as a part-time clinic receptionist during university (2001) and has been working in the NHS ever since! Cath loves helping others to learn and grow, and to make a difference together.

Experience

Cath is an Improvement Advisor and an Organisational Development Practitioner. She also mentors, providing 360 degree feedback, facilitating MBTI, coaching the Affina Team Journey, and applying Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the workplace. Facilitating groups and teams is one of her favourite parts of the job – particularly Liberating Structures.

Recent accomplishments

Cath’s previous roles include Improvement Advisor at East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) through the Covid pandemic. She supported QI coaches, developing virtual facilitation skills and working with service users to shape the future of services together. She was also Organisational Development Manager through the acquisition period at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, with a focus on organisational values, staff engagement and building effective team-based working.

How she can help you

• Quality Improvement – building capacity, capability and developing strategy and infrastructure, including service user involvement
• Facilitation and workshop design
• Personal development - through mentoring and 1:1 facilitation of the Health Care Leadership Model 360 degree feedback tool (via the NHS Leadership Academy)

Nicola has over 30 years’ experience working in a variety of senior leadership and operational roles in the NHS. As a Director at NHS Elect, she supports teams to develop change management and quality improvement skills. Nicola has also been part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering national improvement programmes.

Nicola has been using coaching and mentoring skills throughout her professional career and holds the ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring. Nicola has worked with a broad range of senior leaders from a variety of professional backgrounds in the NHS. Her empathic style quickly enables her to create a safe space in which clients share their issues. Nicola uses a broad range of coaching interventions to support her clients through professionally challenging situations enabling them to analyse, reflect, plan and achieve their potential and career objectives, using their own resourcefulness.

Nicola has an MBA and is a member of the Association for Coaching.