In September 2022, the Dragon’s Heart Institute alongside Becky Margiotta of the USA-based billions institute delivered three Spread and Scale Academies across the UK in three consecutive weeks.
The Spread and Scale Academy is an immersive training event designed to give people the tools and skills needed to unleash improvements and innovations at scale across their organisations, systems and beyond.
It has been delivered several times in Cardiff in partnership between Cardiff and Vale UHB’s Dragon’s Heart Institute team and the Billions Institute since 2019 but this autumn, for the first time, the Academy was taken on the road.
Teams often arrive at the academy with a problem they struggle to articulate effectively and therefore address. Over the course of three days, they are taught the Model for Unleashing, a ground-breaking approach to the spreading and scaling of best practice that addresses not only the work itself but also the system in which those trying to achieve spread are operating and the inner work required of them so as to not unwittingly block progress or burn out. Teams leave with renewed self-belief, renewed belief in their work, a clear aim and a robust 90-day plan for the initial delivery spread of their programme of work.
Following the Academy, they are invited to join the international Spread and Scale Community of Practice, which is run by the Dragon’s Heart Institute team. Here, graduates of the academy can come together to discuss their progress, challenges they have faced and share ideas for how they can collectively be overcome.
Beginning in Yorkshire, the team delivered an Academy for the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network. Around 100 people attended across 17 teams who were working on everything from ensuring internationally educated nurses have the opportunity to stay and thrive in their careers in Yorkshire to supporting people with learning disabilities access healthcare through the national VIP Red Bag scheme.
Following the Academy, Len Richards, Chief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said, “Thanks very much to the Dragon’s Heart Institute and the Billions Institute for bringing Spread and Scale to Yorkshire. Becky and the team helped people to think about their projects in new ways. The first Yorkshire Spread and Scale was a capacity event, with teams from Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and beyond. We look forward to welcoming the team back in the future”
In their second week, the Dragon’s Heart Institute team were at home, delivering the Spread and Scale Academy to teams from across the health and social care sector in Wales in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. This was the biggest Spread and Scale Academy that the Institute has ever run with over 110 people in attendance across 19 teams.
Teams from NHS Wales were working on range of projects such as the mainstreaming of genomic testing, formal training for pill administration to children and young people, and reducing the environment impact of Ear, Nose and Throat surgery on a national scale. They were joined by a selection of Cardiff and Vale UHB’s Executives who were in attendance as a team, representatives from the NHS Wales Financial Delivery Unit and teams from other sectors, including Academi Wales and Dark Swan (the immersive training arm of the international search and rescue charity, Serve On) as well as colleagues from Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore, who had travelled to Wales to experience training in the Model for Unleashing.
Following the Cardiff Academy, Suzanne Rankin, Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale UHB said, “I was delighted to attend the Spread and Scale Academy with my colleagues from the Health Board’s Executive Team. The programme gave us a unique opportunity as a team to delve into the barriers to positive change that exist within our system and begin to generate ideas as to how we can facilitate the excellent, innovative work that we see going on around us. The Academy also prompted us to deeply reflect on our own leadership styles and I have already begun to put into practice what I have learnt from Becky and the team.
“I was also incredibly impressed with the work that other teams in the room had brought to the Academy and am looking forward to seeing how their spread and scale projects progress so that as many people as possible in Wales can benefit from their excellent ideas.”
Finally, the team were in London, delivering an Academy to the newly formed South East London Integrated Care System. This academy was attended by around 70 people across 9 teams and was an excellent opportunity for those in attendance who have recently become colleagues to meet each other, begin to break down the siloes of their complex system and discuss the shared ambition of their system.
Following the London Academy, Jonty Heaversedge, Medical Director of South East London ICS said, “As an Integrated Care System we are entering an era characterised by collaboration. On its own this will not be enough to help us overcome the challenges we face. We need individuals and teams to have the capability, courage and confidence necessary to bring about meaningful change. The Spread and Scale Academy has helped us unleash this potential in front line teams across south east London, it has built relationships and will, over time, enable us to create the conditions necessary for innovation and improvement to underpin everything we do with and for local people. I was moved by the level of ambition, passion and determination shown by the programme’s delegates at the end of the Academy to improve the care for our population here in South East London and beyond.”
Maria Higson, Director of Transformation and Delivery at the South East London ICS said, “The Spread and Scale Academy was brilliantly received in South East London; we’ve had great feedback from the teams, and some really exciting follow-up conversations with people wanting to share and further their learning. This was our first Academy, and one week later we’ve already started planning our next.”
If you would like to know more about the Spread and Scale Academy, please visit our webpage, or contact spreadandscale@wales.nhs.uk
