The NHS People Plan 2020/21, the workforce strategy for delivering the Long Term Plan for the NHS, outlines a deliberate approach to talent management and recognises the need for system collaboration and multi-professional leadership that delivers impactful, compassionate, and inclusive leadership.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all our activities, whether that is supporting the development of mobility schemes, supporting systems to explore positive action initiatives or engaging organisations and individuals to understand and remove blockers to fairer career progression.

The London Talent Team, working together with the London Regional Talent Board, aim to bring to life the talent management requirements that are set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, the NHS People Plan and deliver the recommendations set out in the Messenger Review, Ockenden Report and Fuller Stocktake.

Our mission statement:

We will ensure that we attract, identify, and where appropriate deploy diverse, talented people to fill all NHS leadership roles, and provide support to NHS Integrated Care Systems and organisations to optimise their own talent approaches and succession planning in order to relentlessly achieve the best possible patient outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

What we do:

We are dedicated to understanding how to improve not only Board diversity across the NHS in London but also ensuring that all colleagues are recognised for their talent and enabled to reach their potential within the health and social care sector, for their own benefit as well as the benefits of the patients.

Scope for Growth:

Purpose: To support the development of inclusive end-to-end Talent Management processes where all of our workforce is enabled to achieve work and career goals, personal growth and development and provide the best care and outcomes for patients.

We are working with a several organisations and systems across London to pilot the new Scope for Growth - career conversation tool. The tool provides a structured approach to help everyone recognise and discuss their strengths, future aspirations and contribution to their organisations and local systems.

The tool recognises that everyone has talent and agency in their own career story and the aim is that all individuals are supported to develop their skills, achieve their goals, progress their careers and perform at their best. The use of this tool will also help us to better understand NHS talent pipelines and gaps in critical roles.

Talent Pools and Talent Pipelines:

Purpose:  To build and strengthen inclusive, high-quality career offers, pathways and pipelines to ensure that we have the workforce to deliver healthcare now and into the future. To increase the sustainability and visibility of diverse leadership pipelines enabling organisations to recruit from pools of internal and external entry talent.

Getting people out of talent pools and into jobs is one of our key priorities. We offer bespoke career support to enable you to take your next career step – whatever that may be. We offer expertise, connections and networking opportunities, signposting and access to various resources, tools, and information to help you realise your aspirations.

London Talent Sponsorship Scheme (LTSS): LTSS is a talent mobility scheme that was developed to explore how we can create mobility within the Health and Social Care system. The scheme covers all professions.

In year one (2021-22), the Scheme enabled 11 diverse participants from commissioning organisations (72% of participants are from minority ethnic backgrounds and 64% are women) to gain invaluable immersive experience within the health and social care sector via 12-month placements. 

The scheme has helped support new networks, offered opportunities for exposure and has begun to improve the employability and future options for these talented diverse London colleagues. Within 6 months of the scheme, 36% of participants secured promotions and act-ups with a view to promotion. As we enter the final 6 months of year one, participants will receive individualised career and talent offers to support them in their career journey.

Executive Director Pathway (EDP): EDP is an inclusive talent scheme which aims to support aspiring executive leaders progress in their careers through a series of targeted development opportunities. The scheme focuses on HR, Finance, Operations, Nursing and Medical leadership roles. The scheme is for individuals who demonstrate high potential and have an interest to become an executive director on an NHS Provider Trust Board within 12–24 months. It provides a clear development journey to senior executive leadership, combining best practice in both talent management and leadership development

ICS and ICB Support:

Purpose: To share and support our systems to be excellent in Talent Management practices fostering a collaborative approach across, and in time beyond health. To support a shift in culture within the NHS so that Talent Management becomes a cornerstone of being a successful leader; creating a talent ecology that supports talent to thrive.

The development of statutory ICSs provides an opportunity to work across systems and to start to think about how workforce could be deployed across both organisational boundaries and sectors.

We are working with ICS HRDs on systemic talent management focusing on roles and responsibilities, mobility, consistency, and accountability.

London Regional Talent Board:

Purpose: To ensure senior leaders and boards are accountable for how well Talent Management is done across their organisations and systems.

The London Regional Talent Board (LRTB) oversees the critically important programme of work to develop and embed a more structured and focused approach to talent management across NHS London and support the emerging ICS’ People Board.

The LRTB will lead by example as individuals and as a Board with regards to inclusivity and Talent Management practices, acting with transparency, fairness, and collaboration in all that it does. As leaders of employing organisations, the Board will continue to hold themselves to account and use their influence to ensure best practice and good behaviours are encouraged and poor behaviours are addressed.   

If you would like to know more about some of the work that we are doing or if you have any questions, please contact the London Talent Team via [email protected]