Help co-create the change: recognising, respecting and responding to the
needs of our NHS people
Source of image: LEDx Learning and Leadership
The NHS People Plan
unconference
13th February 2020
#OurNHSPeople

Today’s event code is…
#OurNHSPeople

A poll
Do you know :
•The person to the right of you?
•The person to the left of you?
•The people on both sides?
•Neither of them?
sli.do#OurNHSPeople

A poll
I and other NHS people have the power and freedom to lead change
collectively in 2020
• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree​
sli.do#OurNHSPeople

OurNHSPeople
12345abcde
Free Congress Centre wifi

The aim of the unconference is to unleash the power
and wisdom of 200+ diverse people (every kind and
level of NHS people, plus guests and NHS partners) to:
• Generate hundreds of ideas and perspectives on the NHS People Plan that can be
brought into the implementation approach across the country
• Break down barriers and give people taking part the power and freedom to
conduct the entire discussion process
• Help people build their own skills, knowledge and networks so they can play their
part in implementing the People Plan
• Unleash innovation and creativity and “thinking differently” about how to
achieve the gains we want from the People Plan
• Leave the unconference with energy and power as advocates for the People Plan
so we can play our part in making the NHS the best place to work
#OurNHSPeople

Why an unconference?
“The sum of the expertise of the people in the
audience is greater than the sum of expertise of the
people on stage”
David Winer

The power of the unconference
• Collective wisdom, the power of diverse angles
• Direct implementation is possible
• Decisions are supported by those involved in deciding
• Ideas can be tested and new ideas explored
• Dialogue and collective thinking gives power, respects and includes
• Deeper understanding and wishes can emerge
Source of image: LEDx Learning and LeadershipSource: Floris Koot
#OurNHSPeople

Agenda for the day
1000 How today will work
1015 The call to action (Prerana and Navina)
1030 Pitching: collectively creating the schedule
1115 Slot 1
1155 Transition
1205 Slot 2
1255 Transition into lunch
1230 Lunch becomes available
1330 Slot 3
1420 Transition time
1430 Slot 4
1520 Transition time
1530 End of day reflections
1545 Group reflections
1600 End
We will create our own schedule
#OurNHSPeople

Principles for our sessions today
1. Whoever comes are the right people
2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have
happened.
3. When it starts is the right time
4. When it's over it's over
#OurNHSPeople
Source: Harrison Owen, Open Space

11 |
#OurNHSPeople

Creating a safe space
• We are creating a visual report and a vox pop of
today’s unconference; if you don’t want your
picture to be in the report or the film, let a person
in a green t shirt know
• We want you to tweet! If you want to tweet what
someone said in a group discussion, ask them first
• “I know you from Twitter but I’m shy”
Source of image: Columbia Daily Reporter
#OurNHSPeople

Green t-shirt people!
#OurNHSPeople

NHS England and NHS Improvement
The NHS People Plan unconference
Help co-create the change: recognising, respecting and responding to the needs of our NHS people
A call to action!
Prerana Issar
@Prerana_Issar
Navina Evans
@NavinaEvans
#OurNHSPeople

15 |
Prerana Issar
Chief People Officer
@Prerana_Issar
Why this
unconference
matters to me

16 |
Navina Evans
Chief Executive of East London
Foundation Trust and
workstream lead for Best Place
to Work
@NavinaEvans
Why this
unconference
matters to me
#OurNHSPeople

17 |
We want you to come up with ideas that will
help bring the whole People Plan to life…
The NHS People Plan will set out action to:
• make the NHS the best place to work by improving staff experience and thereby improving retention
• improve the leadership culture, with an emphasis on compassionate, inclusive and collaborative
leadership behaviours
• transform and grow the workforce (‘more staff, working differently’) in support of Long Term Plan
service priorities by:
o releasing more time for care, supported by more systematic use of digital technology
o supporting and enabling workforce redesign through better use of clinical and non-clinical roles
to support registered professions, extended and advanced roles, and using current professionals
across different settings including primary care
o growing the future workforce and reforming education and training to ensure the right number and
mix of staff – with the right skills – joining the workforce in the short, medium and longer term
• set out a clear operating model for workforce issues, with a much stronger role for integrated care
systems.
We’d love for today’s sessions to reflect all of these critically important themes –
what conversation do you want to have?
#OurNHSPeople

Four challenges for the unconference
1. The “hearts and minds” challenge 3. The “break the rules” challenge
4. The “busting cynicism” challenge
How can we connect with the
values and goals of our NHS
people so that the NHS People
Plan becomes the peoples’ plan?
How can we overcome the
“permission culture”, the policies,
restricted thinking and ways of
working that drain our energy and
act as barriers to making the NHS
the best place to work?
How can we show our
colleagues who are
cynical or sceptical
about change that it
really will be different
this time?
Will it really be different?
#OurNHSPeople
2. The “scaling and spreading what’s
great” challenge
How can we stop reinventing
wheels and build on the
strengths of what someone is
already doing brilliantly
somewhere else?
How can we learn from each
other on a big scale?

Our call to action today
Help us to
the NHS People Plan
• No idea is too stupid
• No contribution is too small
• No person is less important
• Let’s use all the wisdom and diversity of views and
backgrounds in the room to get the implementation
of the People Plan off to a flying start
• Let’s make the NHS the best place to work
#OurNHSPeople

Let’s create the agenda together
#OurNHSPeople

The pitch
Think of a topic that you would like to discuss with others:
Write your topic on the big post it note with a marker pen
Come to the stage with your post-it note, ready to make a 30 second pitch for your topic
People Plan theme Challenges Type of session
Group discussion: Suggest a topic you are
interested in taking action on, so others
can come to join the conversation;
or
My Big (or Little) Question: A question
you want to know the answer to, that you
think others in the group could help you
answer;
or
My great project: that others
implementing the People Plan could learn
from learn from
• Making the NHS the best place
to work
• Improving the leadership
culture in the NHS
• Releasing more time for care
• Enabling workforce redesign
• Growing the future workforce
• Setting out a clear operating
model for workforce issues
1. The hearts and minds
challenge
2. The scaling and
spreading what’s
great challenge
3. The break the rules
challenge
4. The busting cynicism
challenge
You can pitch anything!

• Go with the flow - this event is intended to help you find the time and
space to talk with and learn from each other.
• Follow your passion - go to the sessions that interest you.
• Use the rule of two feet - if as session isn't right for you, use your two feet
and leave.
• Support the session lead (convenor) - you share a common interest in
making the session good, so volunteer to write the notes, help keep time
etc.
Source: Unconference.net
#OurNHSPeople
Some advice for taking part in the sessions

Capturing our discussion and
ideas for action
The more alive the community, the greater the after effect.
The more clear and inviting the actions, the more practical the
differences we can make. The more visibility we can give to the
next steps, the stronger the chance of follow up.
Source: Floris Koot
#OurNHSPeople

Reflections
Source of image: GovCamp
#OurNHSPeople

A poll
I and other NHS people have the power and freedom to lead change
collectively in 2020
• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree​
sli.do#OurNHSPeople

Our learning finale: snowstorm and volcano
Write down on the white
sheet:
One positive
learning point from
today
The most disruptive thing I
heard today that we should
take action on
OR
What created a fire in my
belly today?
#OurNHSPeople