Strategic Leadership Programme
Hospice UK's Strategic Leadership Programme is a professional development course specially designed for hospice leaders and available exclusively to our members.
The 2024/25 course is currently full and closed for applications.
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About the programme
The landscape for hospice leaders is complex and challenging. Many hospices have seen their funding remain static or even fall, whilst the demand for end-of-life care is predicted to increase significantly in the future.
The NHS and local authorities are urging local leaders to develop end of life care support that is integrated, accessible, systematic and responsive to the needs of the dying, their loved ones and the bereaved.
This programme will help you to:
- navigate and shape this landscape
- respond in new ways to the challenges you face
- develop a high-impact strategic leadership style
Since launching in 2016, the programme has been highly rated in evaluations from over 200 hospice leaders. In 2019, the programme was awarded the Leadership in Palliative Care Award by the European Association for Palliative Care and the European Palliative Care Academy.
Register your interest
Bookings for cohort 11 of the Strategic Leadership Programme are now closed.
To receive information about future course dates, please register your interest using our online form.
Key information
This is a bespoke programme created by Hospice UK and The Westcott Group. Find out more about the course below.
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This course is suitable for hospice leaders who want to make change happen and who wish to increase their personal and strategic leadership impact. This includes senior managers and clinicians as well as those who head up service delivery.
The programme is only open to members of Hospice UK.
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The Strategic Leadership Programme will enable you to develop and apply contemporary leadership skills with relevance to the challenges and uncertainties you and your hospice faces. It will help you to:
- clarify the role of hospices in the emerging world of integrated health and care systems
- forge new strategic partnerships and work collaboratively in creating new systems of care
- influence within your organisation and across your health and care system
- engage others in improving care
- manage conflict well
- make change happen
- deal effectively with challenges
- hone your personal leadership skills
- develop a systems and compassionate leadership approach
- engage in a supportive network with the shared knowledge and skills to develop the local and national end of life landscape
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The whole programme is delivered online to help you balance your development with your busy role. It emphasises building a learning community through a focus on working in pairs, threes and small groups. This enables participants to build deep and long-lasting professional relationships across the sector.
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The programme takes place over seven months and comprises of:
- 15 training modules (equates to 54 hours)
- 3 small group action learning sets (equates to 9 hours)
- 3 x 1:1 coaching (equates to 3 hours)
The group sessions run over half days and whole days and the coaching sessions last for one hour each.
Cohort 11 will take place from 22 October 2024 to 13 May 2025: View the dates for the 2024-25 cohort.
The programme is unique in its emphasis on the role of leadership in hospices. It focuses on understanding the health and care environment, leading in complex systems and developing high impact personal leadership skills. You will:
- learn about new concepts and theories
- participate in practical workshops
- engage in facilitated small group problem solving sessions
These experiences and the development they bring, will help you lead during a critical period of change and uncertainty across the sector.
Learn more about the course content in our information pack.
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The Westcott Group comprises highly experienced facilitators who combine extensive experience of leadership development with exceptional expertise in developing personal impact and a deep understanding of the health and care environment and end of life care policy.
They previously worked for many years at The King’s Fund, the NHS Leadership Academy and in senior leadership and policy roles in the public sector. They have designed and delivered thousands of development interventions for health and care leaders, organisations and systems and they are passionate about facilitating hospice leadership development.
Testimonials
...I cannot speak highly enough of the transformative experience it provided. The course is meticulously designed, blending theoretical insights with practical, real-world applications that have profoundly enhanced my leadership capabilities.
...Overall I could not recommend this course enough. It is absolutely money and time well spent.
Helen Carlson, Head of Fundraising, St Marys Hospice
A well balanced range of topics delivered online with imagination and innovation
Angela Grimes, Director of Income Generation, Princess Alice Hospice
The programme allowed me valuable space to reflect on my leadership skills in a supportive environment of enquiry ... The facilitation was expert and really helped to deepen understanding.
I have shared many aspects with the team here and I definitely feel I have changed for the better after the course.
Colin Twomey, Nursing Director, St Wilfrid's Hospice (Eastbourne)
Contact us
If you have any questions about this programme, please contact us.