Here at NHS South West Leadership Academy we are a dynamic team who are responsible for the design, creation and delivery of our interventions. We work to empower people in the South West to secure better health, care and wellbeing outcomes through leadership. Wherever opportunity lies – within the system and across diverse communities — we work to develop compassionate leaders and the conditions for inclusive, future-focused leadership.
The NHS South West Leadership Academy’s philosophy is simple – compassionate, inclusive and great leadership development improves leadership behaviours and skills. Better leadership leads to better patient care, experience and outcomes.
Our purpose is to work with our thinking partners to deliver excellent leadership in health and care to have a direct impact on patient care. We offer a range of tools, models, programmes and expertise to support individuals, organisations and local partners to develop leaders, celebrating and sharing where outstanding leadership makes a real difference.
Our History
The NHS Leadership Academy was established on 1st April 2012 to develop outstanding leadership in health in a consistent, systematic manner to ensure there is sufficient scale and pace to deliver the leadership required for the transition and to lead the new system within a tough financial regime requiring high levels of innovation, engagement and devolution.
Leadership development has been a regional priority in the South West since 2006 and recognising this long-standing commitment to improving heath and care through the development of effective leaders at all levels, the NHS South West Leadership Academy was formally authorised as a Local Delivery Partner of the National Leadership Academy on 5th December 2012.
NHS South West Leadership Academy is governed through a membership board to ensure we respond to the needs of our individuals, teams, organisations and Integrated Care Systems across the region, then nationally as a Local Leadership Academy of the NHS Leadership Academy.
On 1 April 2019, the NHS Leadership Academy moved to NHS England, in order to directly support the leadership and talent management requirements of the NHS Long Term plan.
With the publication of the People Plan in July 2020 we have a clear set of objectives to deliver in these exceptional operating conditions to ensure that we help leaders to meet our People Promise and continue to evolve a sustainable health and care system.