The South East London Integrated Care System (SEL ICS) launched the third cohort of the Collaborate Programme this week, in partnership with Q5.
Launched as part of the existing System Leadership Academy, the Collaborate Programme connects and develops 30 leaders from across south east London, equipping participants with the key knowledge, skills, behaviours, and mindsets necessary to succeed as system leaders.
Participants cited several different reasons for their decision to join the programme, including the non-hierarchal nature of the course, the opportunity to network on a greater scale across the system and getting to learn about a ‘renewed and refreshed’ way of working.
At the launch event, participants learned about the structure of the programme in detail and got to know their new colleagues through a range of creative activities.
On the day, a panel of Collaborate alumni shared their experiences of their time on the programme and imparted some words of advice onto the new cohort.
As part of this panel, Dr Divanka Wijendra, GP, Clinical and Care Professional Lead for Primary and Community Care, noted that Collaborate taught him the importance of cross system working, and showed him the benefit of leveraging the voluntary sector to provide better care for his patients.
Another panellist, Fiona Small, founder and director of the Young Mums Support Network, spoke about the rewarding connections that the programme enabled her to make. She also advised new participants to push themselves outside of their comfort zone and embrace the challenges that come their way.
SEL ICS leader Folake Segun (Director of South East London Healthwatch) and Paul Najsarek (SEL ICS non-executive director), also took time out of their busy schedules to share their insights with participants about what system leadership meant to them. They left cohort three with an important piece of advice – apply the learnings from the course in your daily work.
Former SEL ICB joint medical director, Jonty Heaversedge, also dialled in all the way from Singapore to share why he was so passionate about this programme during his time working in south east London.
He shared his own leadership journey with the group, and shared his take on system leadership, as well as some important pieces of advice for participants as they embark on the Collaborate journey in the coming months.
Read more about the Collaborate programme here: Collaborate – South East London ICS (selondonics.org)