We run joint programmes with the Defence Academy to enable teams and individuals from across the health and care community to participate in Defence leadership and management courses whilst providing them with a unique opportunity to further develop their own leadership skills.

Showcasing command and leadership at its best, the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom trains and develops the future commanders of the UK Armed Forces and Civil Service, as well as selected global leaders. This is achieved by drawing on the UK Armed Forces’ leadership principles of trust and empowerment and through exploiting military and science innovation.  Our courses are tailored to deliver both the tactical, operational and strategic skills that keep the UK at the forefront of global events and able to respond to the challenges of an increasingly uncertain world. We offer a diverse spectrum of courses from one-day sessions in stress and resilience management, to year-long post-graduate courses on international strategy and leadership, through to professional project management qualifications.

Concept of joint programme

The Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC) has offered The Staff College: Leadership in Healthcare (SC) places for healthcare professionals on the Command, Leadership and Management (CLM) Forum element of the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC).

The purpose behind this initiative is to provide healthcare professionals the opportunity to experience Defence’s approach to leadership development whilst further developing their own leadership skills.

The 5 day leadership and management development programme is delivered as part of a year-long professional development course for middle ranking (Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent) military officers.

Aim

To inspire and challenge you to reflect on your own leadership qualities and style.

In order to

Ensure that the way you lead the delivery of healthcare is of the highest quality

Structure

The programme is structured around central lectures to the complete cohort, facilitated discussion in health syndicates, facilitated exercises to support self-awareness raising, and time to work on a specific ‘wicked’ issue, nominated by a syndicate’s sponsor and with the aim of providing the opportunity to work on a live issue as a way of learning about the process for approaching such issues in the future.

Learning outcomes

• Critically analyse leadership and management concepts.
• Understand your personal leadership context and challenges within the healthcare system.
• Assess the value and application of self-awareness.
• Become aware of personal values, principles and assumptions.
• Reflect on techniques for enhancing leadership and management abilities.
• Analyse the features and impacts of negative or poor leadership.
• Gain awareness of how personal traits can influence performance of self and team.
• Analyse resilience and leadership following crises.
• Gain understanding of the challenges involved when managing change

Read the independent evaluation report of our first joint course in September 2016 by Dr Jaason Geerts, Senior Researcher at Cambridge University.