Our Unique Experience
Evolutionary Connections is uniquely experienced in supporting health and care organisations in the UK to adopt these new ways of working. We have worked with small providers and large statutory health and social care organisations to design and implement specific self- managing techniques and to move whole systems towards a self-managing culture and structure. We are passionate about this approach and the benefits that are realised using this approach for staff, the people and communities they serve and their organisations. Working in this way delivers,
- increased autonomy for staff to do what they do best
- alignment of everyone's efforts and energies to a shared purpose
- a commitment to supporting people to do what is important to them enabling person-centred support
- resources freed up to focus on value adding activity
- a culture that aligns to compassion and self care
- clear roles and boundaries creating clear expectations and robust assurance systems delivering safe, high quality services
The movement is spreading fast, and we have been privileged to support health and care organisations moving to work in this way in the UK. Large NHS Trusts, both acute and community services, GP practices, homecare teams, charities supporting people with disabilities, services supporting people with mental health problems in the community and in crisis, therapy providers, government and education providers are all working in this way.
Areas to work on
We have found that organisations start in different places and progress at different speeds. We think its best to follow the energy and to start by building on some great practices you already have or to focus on an area where new ways of working can bring you the greatest benefits. Our diagnostics and consultancy can help you identify this or if you are ready to start, we can facilitate initial workshops or coach you and your staff to use our tried and tested resources to take your first steps.
Areas to work on include
Areas to work on include
- Leadership and stewardship
- Thinking differently about roles and job descriptions
- Developing new ways of having meetings and working together across the organisation
- Creating, understanding and accessing information to enable self-management and self-correction
- New ways of connecting and communicating
- Making decisions
- Resolving conflict and addressing difficult issues
- Continuous learning, development and improvement
- Assurance and complying with regulation
- Back office systems and support departments
How new ways of working show up in Health & Care
There is no right way to develop this way of working, every organisation and team will find its own way. These are ways we have noticed that seem to work well in health and care. This way of working aligns well with a commitment to providing real person centred care, giving autonomy and control to the person accessing services. It also works well for organisations that recognise health as a social asset and communities as capable of generating or degrading our health and wellbeing.
Self-managing or self-organising teams are ways of working without traditional, management hierarchies. Groups of people united in providing a product or service and deciding as a team how best to do this. Contrary to popular myth this doesn’t mean teams and people doing as they wish. Shared values and purpose align their decisions to the wider organisation and clear processes and boundaries channel decisions and resources to the most appropriate person for the task. For many organisations working in health and care this also encompasses ways of working that co-create care plans and services with the people they support and their families and communities.
Welcoming the whole person at work. Recognising the rational, emotional, intuitive and spiritual and creating inclusive workplaces where everyone feels valued and safe enough to be our real selves. In this way we can bring respect and diversity into our workplaces and value all the talents, experiences and potential of our people, not just the bits that are listed in a job description. This makes looking after ourselves and tending to the wellbeing of our colleagues an important responsibly in this type of organisation. For many organisations this principle also underpins the way services are provided, focusing on what is important to the person in receipt of the service and their families and communities.
Evolutionary purpose. Much more than a mission statement on a wall or the back of your ID badge. This happens when an organisation really takes its purpose seriously. What is the organisation trying to do that is worth doing? This approach views the organisation itself as a living thing that has its own energy and sense of direction. We need to sense where it needs to go and work to help it get there. This also means that every organisation will be different. We have much to learn from each other and recognise our strength will be in the diversity of our membership and our ability to embrace this.
Self-managing or self-organising teams are ways of working without traditional, management hierarchies. Groups of people united in providing a product or service and deciding as a team how best to do this. Contrary to popular myth this doesn’t mean teams and people doing as they wish. Shared values and purpose align their decisions to the wider organisation and clear processes and boundaries channel decisions and resources to the most appropriate person for the task. For many organisations working in health and care this also encompasses ways of working that co-create care plans and services with the people they support and their families and communities.
Welcoming the whole person at work. Recognising the rational, emotional, intuitive and spiritual and creating inclusive workplaces where everyone feels valued and safe enough to be our real selves. In this way we can bring respect and diversity into our workplaces and value all the talents, experiences and potential of our people, not just the bits that are listed in a job description. This makes looking after ourselves and tending to the wellbeing of our colleagues an important responsibly in this type of organisation. For many organisations this principle also underpins the way services are provided, focusing on what is important to the person in receipt of the service and their families and communities.
Evolutionary purpose. Much more than a mission statement on a wall or the back of your ID badge. This happens when an organisation really takes its purpose seriously. What is the organisation trying to do that is worth doing? This approach views the organisation itself as a living thing that has its own energy and sense of direction. We need to sense where it needs to go and work to help it get there. This also means that every organisation will be different. We have much to learn from each other and recognise our strength will be in the diversity of our membership and our ability to embrace this.
Jane Pightling from Evolutionary Connections convenes a learning community on behalf of the Health Foundations Q Network. Access recordings of the latest learning conversations from Reimagining Health & Care below.
Buurtzorg is a famous example of self-managed teams working in health care. Jos De Blok created small teams of nurses providing care to local people. He wanted to improve quality, reduce costs and increase the autonomy of nurses to be able to provide what their patients needed. The approach relies on building networks with local communities and uses a system of coaches to support teams to make decisions and undertake tasks traditionally done by managers. Buurtzorg has been very successful and now operates in a number of countries including the UK.
If you have aspirations like Jos De Blok to transform the way you work
If your organisation needs to meet increasing demand with the same or less resources
If your staff are not as engaged as you need them to be
If your staff are stressed and you are entering the spiral of staff shortages leading to even greater pressure on your workforce resulting in sickness, absence and further attrition
If you want to ensure person centred services where people focus on what is important to them
If you want to create an organisation that connects and responds to its communities and customers
It you want your organisation to make a difference
If you want your organisation to be successful and sustainable
If you have aspirations like Jos De Blok to transform the way you work
If your organisation needs to meet increasing demand with the same or less resources
If your staff are not as engaged as you need them to be
If your staff are stressed and you are entering the spiral of staff shortages leading to even greater pressure on your workforce resulting in sickness, absence and further attrition
If you want to ensure person centred services where people focus on what is important to them
If you want to create an organisation that connects and responds to its communities and customers
It you want your organisation to make a difference
If you want your organisation to be successful and sustainable