The centrality of person-centredness as a core value linked to action that enables authentic partnerships, practice and workplace cultural transformation to occur is becoming widely recognised.

Four Guiding Lights for Effective Workplace Cultures (GL for EWC) were developed through a collaborative inquiry based on the principles of appreciative inquiry and realist evaluation:

1. Collective Leadership

2. Living shared values

3. Safe, critical, creative, learning environments

4. Change for good that makes a difference

The GL for EWC describe what good workplace cultures are; and the intermediate and ultimate outcomes that result for the person providing and/or experiencing care/services (Cardiff et al., 2020; Sanders et al., 2021; Webster et al., 2022). A GL for EWC programme was commissioned by NHS England/Improvement. It focused on applying the four GL for EWC to the community (nursing and/or interdisciplinary) team setting across the 7 regions of England. 21 participants joined the programme from a range of different community settings.

Evaluation of the programme identified that participants used the GL for EWC with their teams as an opportunity to learn about workplace culture as it provided a structure for both evaluation of and action planning to enhance their workplace setting.

The end of the programme was not perceived as closure, rather the start of ongoing development (Webster and Sanders, 2022). The programme facilitators recognise the centrality of the ‘person’ to effective workplace cultures and the resonance with the need to create ‘healthful cultures’ (McCormack and McCance, 2021) that support learning, development and transformation.

Following the success of the national programme, the former Norfolk and Waveney (N&W) Clinical Commissioning Group (now N&W Integrated Care Board) have commissioned the delivery of the programme across the N&W Care System (September 2023 – March 2024). The presentation will blend learning from both the national and N&W programmes.

References

• Cardiff, S., Sanders, K., Webster, J., Manley, K. (2020) Guiding Lights for effective

workplace cultures that are also good places to work. International Practice

Development Journal. Vol. 10. No. 2. pp 1-20.

• McCormack, B. and McCance, T. (2021) The Person-centred Practice Framework. In:

McCormack B et al. (eds.) Fundamentals of Person-centred Healthcare Practice.

Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

2

• Sanders, K., Webster, J., Cardiff, S., Manley, K. (2021) Recognising and Developing

Effective Workplace Cultures across Health and Social Care that are also Good Places to

Work. In: International Practice Development in Health and Social Care (2nd edition).

Manley, K., Wilson, V., Oye, C. (eds.) Wiley Blackwell: Oxford, UK. pp 205-219.

• Webster, J. and Sanders, K. (2022), Guiding Lights for Effective Workplace Cultures:

Evaluation Report. Available from:

https://www.fons.org/resources/documents/Guiding-Lights-for-Effective-WorkplaceCultures---Evaluation-Report.pdf. (Last accessed 28th August 2023)

• Webster, J., Sanders, K., Cardiff, S. and Manley, K. (2022), Guiding Lights for Effective

Workplace Cultures: enhancing the care environment for staff & patients in older

people’s care settings. Continual Professional Development. Nursing Older People. DOI:

10.7748/nop.2022.e1377