HSE Organisation Development & Design - Improving Change Capacity have 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 health and 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:
- Agree a shared purpose – this will help to unite people on what is really important
- Focus on relationships – connecting with people and working together to find solutions
- 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 Health Regions 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 and supporting template below:
Creating Conditions for Change & Integration - Health and Social Care Services (PDF, size 4.9 MB, 32 pages)
Template 6.5.3: Creating the Conditions for Change & Integration (Word, size 556.6 KB, 7 pages)
