NHS England has published The NHS Leadership Competency Framework (LCF), for all board members of NHS providers, ICBs and NHS England’s Board.
The LCF provides a framework for board member recruitment and appraisal and will inform future board leadership and management training and development. It has been developed in response to a recommendation from the Tom Kark KC (2019) review of the Fit and Proper Persons Test. The LCF provides a consistent competency and skills benchmark against which board members will individually self-assess as part of the annual ‘fitness’ attestation. This is described in the NHS England Fit and Proper Person Test Framework for board members, published in August 2023.
In response to the publication of the Leadership Competency Framework, Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark, National Guardian for the NHS, said: “Over 100,000 cases have been raised with Freedom to Speak Up guardians since they were established in 2017. That’s 100,000 opportunities for learning and improvement – essential intelligence for an organisation. Encouraging a supportive listening culture ensures that leaders tap into that knowledge, swiftly address issues, and improve patient safety.
“I am delighted that NHS England have so firmly included speaking up in their competency framework for leaders, and that chairs will be appraised accordingly. This highlights not just the central importance of creating a safe speaking up environment, but also the requirement that leaders themselves speak up and challenge appropriately.
“When leaders actively listen and take action, it strengthens organisations, and fosters a culture of ongoing improvement and innovation in delivering healthcare.”