News & Events

 “Creating Conditions for Change & Integration” Launched

Organisation Development, HSE Change and Innovation has recently launched Creating Conditions for Change & Integration. This resource has been designed to provide practical help and guidance to individuals and teams to increase readiness for change and support integrated working enabling the implementation of Health Regions across the country. It is aligned to the Health Services Change Guide programme of work which is focused on building change capacity and capability across the system.

Creating Conditions for Change & Integration - A New Resource has Launched (YouTube)

Creating Conditions for Change & Integration recognises the importance of:

  • Focusing on people and culture as a key platform for change
  • Understanding the complex nature of healthand social care services
  • Assessing readiness so that ‘changemakers’ know when and how to intervene appropriately

Creating Conditions for Change with the Health Services Change Framework - Explained (YouTube)

The evidence on change is clear – we need to engage with the people who will be impacted by the change early and often. Their experience and insight will be key to informing what needs to be attended to and how best to progress change at local level.  There are helpful prompts included in this resource that will assist teams to consider all of the different elements:

  • Why is this change so important?
  • How will it impact on me and the team I work with?
  • What do we need to do to improve readiness and support the transition?

It is also important to recognise that change within health and social care systems is complex, unpredictable and often quite messy. It rarely follows a step-by-step process. To bring about meaningful change it is important that we take the time to understand our own local context and all of the factors that make it unique – the people, relationships and the ways we do things.  This resource outlines three simple rules:

  1. Agree a shared purpose – this will help to unite people on what is really important
  2. Focus on relationships – connecting with people and working together to find solutions
  3. Use appropriate interventions – thinking about what will work best in your team or service based on your needs.

Speaking at the launch, Caitríona Heslin, HSE Organisation Development, acknowledged the importance of having change, project management and quality improvement supports in place for teams and services across the country to enable the implementation of RHAs and to build on the work that is already taking place on delivering integrated pathways of care. “We have a responsibility to support change leaders at all levels to find solutions to the many challenges they face on a daily basis in delivering services to local communities. We cannot be change leaders on our own and we need to develop networks of support locally. This resource is intended to help in a practical way and builds on the work we have been doing in recent years to join up our efforts to support service improvements.”

Helen Bevan who is very well known internationally as a strategic leader and advisor on change and transformation shared very interesting insights at the launch –  “the most important factor when it comes to the ability to make change happen across big complex systems is cultural readiness for change. Organisations that have invested in building cultural readiness and that have developed and amplified the values of their organisation, strengthening relationships and building connections are the most successful.” Helen referenced evidence from evaluations citing organisations that have created really strong foundations, so that when an improvement approach is introduced they could plug it into what was already happening.

Creating Conditions for Change and Integration is available in hard copy on request by emailing changeguide@hse.ie or you can download a digital copy of the Creating Conditions for Change & Integration resource.

Connect with us on LinkedIn at Health Services Change Matters for updates or follow us on Twitter @HSEchange_guide 

Watch a case example from Phillipa, a Clinical Nurse Manager III in Ireland

Launch of the ‘Delivering Change Together’ – Experiential Change Practitioner Programme 2023

The first Delivering Change Together-Experiential Change Practitioners Programme was launched in Sligo and is the culmination of significant partnerships at local level and national support services, integrating to support the delivery of RHAs.

You can watch a video of the launch day here to listen to the programme participants, development services and Chief Officer Sponsors.

The programme has people coming from across Saolta University Health Care Group, Community Healthcare West and Community Health Care Cavan Donegal Leitrim Monahgan and Sligo, from services supporting ICPOP, ECCs, Chronic Disease and Cancer programmes among others. The programme is sponsored by the Chief Officers Tony Canavan, Breda Crehan-Roche and Dermot Monaghan, and supported by the PMO teams in each area with ourselves in HSE Organisation Development-Improving Change Capacity in partnership with HSE National QPS Directorate, Nursing Midwifery Planning and Development Units West and North West and National HR Culture and Capability, working together to support teams in preparation for RHA integration and deliver on the priorities of: 

  • Improving Access & Performance
  • Ensuring Timely Implementation
  • Building Public Confidence

The launch event provided an opportunity for participants to come together and form their Communities of Practice, one of the learning methodologies which will happen over 11 months. On the day they heard from guest convener and Change Advisor and Strategist Helen Bevan who shared insights on change readiness and enabling large scale change. The Delivering Change Together Experiential programme is about equipping people with the skills, supports and resources necessary to embrace, participate in and effect positive change in line with the HSE Corporate Plan for building change capacity to implement RHAs. We are immensely proud of everyone involved in the programme and look forward to the sustainable, long term developments, relationships and integrated ways of working that will emerge from the journey. You can read more the programme on page 12 of the Spring edition of the HSE health Matters eZine - https://lnkd.in/emBcgWKc