Many of the Essentials for Change steps are part of a Quality Management System. They are an important part of high-quality change. Each step drives towards achieving a single vision and enabling sustainable change. A person-centred approach should underpin these steps. Find out more about the Quality Management System on the ihub website.
This list has been identified through multiple change projects.
Person-centred approach
A person-centred approach ensures the change meets the needs of the people it affects. This involves considering the needs of the individual at:
- every step of the change process
- the delivery of each of the essentials for change
People who use and need services should be actively involved in the design and delivery of care. This results in an output which is fit for purpose, compassionate, coordinated and for the individual.
Learning
Continual learning and critical reflection are essential throughout the change process. It’s important to feel safe to experiment and to learn from mistakes. We should use data and information to learn and prompt questions, rather than using it to manage performance.
Learning takes place at all levels within the system. This includes:
- individual level
- team level
- organisational level
Learning should also be shared, both when things have gone well and not so well.
Leadership
Leadership within change focuses on empowering people to speak up, innovate and learn. Leaders connect people across different teams. They should have a courageous and compassionate style of leadership. Leaders should remove barriers for people undertaking change, while also building the will for change. Finally, they should draw on relevant technical knowledge to support change to happen.
Engagement
At every step of the change process, you should embed meaningful engagement. This helps you make informed decisions based on what you have learned. This learning should come from people who use and provide our services.
Meaningful engagement allows us to capture the experience and needs of all groups of people. It’s important to involve people with lived experience in the planning, design and delivery of services. We should also consider inequalities as part of this meaningful engagement.
The Participation Toolkit includes various tools to support engagement throughout the change cycle. Head to the ihub website to find out more about the Participation Toolkit.
Methods and tools
The deliberate and structured use of evidence-based methods and tools underpins change. The specific tools used depend on the context, scale and setting of the change. We draw this from a multidisciplinary approach, using the most appropriate tools for the specific change.
Methods and tools help us to understand:
- the service and strategic landscape
- the current service provision
- peoples experience
- the organisational culture
- good practice and innovation
Methods and tools also provide a structured approach to the planning, delivery and evaluation of the change.
Data, measurement and evaluation
Throughout the change process we should collect and evaluate data to inform our decisions. This helps us to:
- review whether changes are having the desired effect
- determine if the change is sustainable
- understand its potential for spread
We should use data and measurement to learn. It helps us to identify any variation from our quality standards. It also provides assurance of quality and outcomes.
Data comes from many sources. We should use both quantitative and qualitative data for our outcome measures by speaking to people who use and provide our services. This helps us to identify impact in different parts of the system where we are making change. Evaluation can also evolve in response to emerging issues.
Networks and partnerships
People are essential in successful change. Networks and partnerships enable change. This supports us to:
- learn
- collaborate
- share ideas
- gain insights
- spread change
Having a network provides support and resilience to the change team. In order to be successful, we should consider workforce planning and engagement.
Governance and finance
Good governance ensures the change you are making is of high quality. It helps you to manage performance, engagement and outcomes.
Effective and transparent governance systems underpin the change process from planning through to delivery. The processes should be robust, focused on learning and promote shared decision making.
Governance systems should consider the full implications of the change, including:
- safety
- effectiveness
- financial impact
- risk management
- legal considerations
- workforce
- population health
- inequalities