Progress your career with our MEET scheme MIDLANDS AND EAST EXECUTIVE TALENT: CANDIDATE GUIDE MEET SCHEME PROVIDED BY: NHS Interim Management and Support NHS Improvement NHS Leadership Academy NHS Executive Search
Foreword NURTURING TALENT IS ONE OF OUR MOST FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS LEADERS. NICK CARVER, CEO, EAST AND NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE NHS TRUST. Executive sponsor of the MEET scheme and chair of the midlands and east Regional Talent Board (RTB). We all have a responsibility to ensure that we develop effective, values based leaders to serve the needs of new generations of patients and communities. When I first started out as a Chief Executive there was little in the way of formal support and guidance on how to do the job. The pathway to leadership was unclear, ad hoc and unstructured. Since then, we have developed some excellent infrastructure around leadership and development. Courses such as the Nye Bevan programme are now highly regarded and provide important support to many individuals NHS career trajectory. Talent management discussions are now much more embedded although not universal at trust level, and professional networks have grown and strengthened across organisational boundaries. Whilst this is encouraging, we want to take it much further. In the midlands and east region, partners including NHS Improvement, NHS England and Health Education England are collaborating to shift the dial on how we manage talent. The newly established Regional Talent Board, comprised of leaders from across all parts of the NHS, is aiming to encourage a one NHS approach. We are seeking to understand the system-level demand for leaders both now and in the future, and to ensure that a pipeline of high calibre individuals is available to fill these roles. We will be sharing more information about the work of the talent board programme in the coming months. In many ways, MEET is an exciting forerunner of this approach and provides a regional locus for executive development within providers. We are working with trust leaders to ensure that our talent pool of individuals is the preferred solution for filling short and medium term executive vacancies across the region. If you are ready to step up to executive level, then we aim to match you with roles in which you can really make a difference: to patients, and to your future in the NHS. I hope you find this guide useful, and look forward to your participation in the MEET scheme.
WELCOME TO MEET, NHS IMPROVEMENT S NEW MIDLANDS AND EAST EXECUTIVE TALENT SCHEME. The aim of the scheme is a simple one: we want to develop a diverse talent pool of individuals who can be appointed into executive level placements in trusts across the region, on either a stretch assignment or secondment basis. As a potential candidate, the scheme offers the chance to access opportunities which can accelerate your progression into a substantive leadership role. Exposure to a new operating context provides a real learning opportunity, and a chance to test your potential, develop and build on your existing skills and experience. We are delighted to be working with our partners NHS IMAS, NHS Leadership Academy and Health Education England to offer a high quality scheme that fosters NHS talent and develops our future leaders. WHO IS THE SCHEME FOR? In order to make an application to the talent pool, candidates should: Be operating at executive level currently, or ready to step up to executive level for their next career move. Be proactive about enhancing and developing their leadership skills. Have the support of their line manager and/ or chief executive.
MEET has been designed to develop a diverse talent pool of individuals who can be appointed into executive level interim placements. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SENIOR EXPERTISE WE REQUIRED, AND THE CANDIDATE HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE TRUST. Michelle McKay, CEO, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust HOW IS MY APPLICATION ASSESSED? Your application will undergo an initial assessment which takes into account your experience, skill level and readiness for a leadership position. This part of the process is led by the NHS Leadership Academy s Executive Search team. This will be followed up with a telephone career conversation, to understand your career to date, aspirations and any specific development areas you are hoping to address via the scheme. We also require the endorsement of your current line manager. If you are successful, your application will be passed to NHS IMAS for entry into the MEET talent pool. WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE? Placements cover a range of disciplines on a short to medium term basis of up to 12 months. We want the talent pool to reflect the diversity of roles available covering all executive level disciplines. The most important thing to be aware of is that these will be senior director level opportunities, and you will need either the experience or potential to succeed at that level.
HOW DOES THE MATCHING WORK? Matching a member of the talent pool to a role is clearly an important aspect of the scheme. We want to ensure that candidates are put forward for roles that align to their career goals and aspirations. We are also keen to ensure that a placement works well for both the candidate and the recruiting trust. For each vacancy that comes in, we put together a list of suitable candidates from the pool. This is based on discussions with talent pool candidates about the nature of the role or placement. Trusts will then shortlist and interview as appropriate. The scheme relies on having good quality information about your skills and aspirations form the outset. WHAT FURTHER SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? We recognise that often in the NHS people are placed into roles that might be too much of a stretch for them, without the support and guidance that could help them to succeed. That s exactly what MEET is trying to address this is about valuing our talented future leaders, and supporting them to take the next step. We have endeavoured to make the placement and matching process as robust as possible to avoid any issues, and will be refining it as the scheme moves forward. However, where a placement isn t working, we will be on hand to step in and support both the trust and the candidate to take the appropriate next steps. For those undertaking placements, there will be regular check-in conversations available with a member of our team. Where a placement becomes a substantive appointment, we will offer support and guidance to help the placed candidates to prepare for the appointment process. Being on a placement doesn t guarantee an interview of course, but we can certainly help our candidates to prepare. Those in the pool but not yet on a placement will receive regular information about the scheme and how it is developing.
We are looking forward to hearing from you. If you would like to join the talent pool, here s what to do next: Email esenquiries@leadershipacademy.nhs.uk with MEET scheme in the subject line. Set out a bit about yourself and your aspirations. We ll get back to you as soon as we can. Alternatively, you can give us a call to talk about your goals: 0113 322 5672. AS AN EXPERIENCED HR DIRECTOR, THE MEET SCHEME HAS BEEN INVALUABLE IN ALLOWING ME TO GAIN EXPERIENCE IN A DIFFERENT NHS SETTING. Tina Ricketts, Human Resources Director and MEET talent pool member The MEET scheme is part of NHS Improvement s national approach to Developing People, Improving Care. Find out more about the framework at www.improvement.nhs.uk