Operating in an increasingly complex environment: A clear focus on Place

Featured article - 04 December 2018
By Rob Walsh, Chief Executive North East Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group

Here’s a simple ask. Can a place-based integrated health, care and wellbeing organisation, along with workforce and operating model, be democratically and clinically-led? Can it also commission for outcomes using resources from the council, NHS and the local community?

Well, in North East Lincolnshire, we’ve seen the creation of a significant and symbolic milestone - the official coming together, on a formally established governance footing, of Council and CCG leadership. We call it our ‘Union Board’ and it has a clear and straightforward vision: to grow and enhance the ‘Place’ of North East Lincolnshire to improve the health, care and life experiences of our population.

• SCIE: Leadership in integrated care systems
• SCIE: Asset-based places: A model for development

Health and social care partnership

We’ve developed a very resilient and effective health and social care partnership in the area over the last decade or so. But we are now well into the business of moving from ‘partnership’ to integration: The integration of two organisations, fusing two cultures, creating a distinct identity; designing a singular approach to commissioning, performance and delivery, with a flexible and bespoke operating model in the early stages of development. This can be the platform and the engine room, ensuring that we remain focused on our overall vision. The next 12 months are, in effect, all about shaping the ‘virtual’ one organisation to support and enable effective place-based leadership across the health, care and wellbeing spectrum

The entire system in North East Lincolnshire is gearing up to meet the challenges of operating in an increasingly complex environment. At the core of our approach is a clear focus on Place - a realisation that economy , community and wellbeing is our collective business if North East Lincolnshire is to meet its challenges and exploit its opportunities to the full. Elected Members and clinical leaders on our Union Board are there to offer challenge and support accordingly.

• Rob Tweets @CXNELC