The CALNAS Network
In February 2019 the CALNAS network – Culture and Leadership Network for Ambulance Services – was established. It had been approved through AACE as a formal sub-group of the HR Directors group with an agreed work programme around culture and leadership. The work programme is designed to underpin strategic priorities from AACE, priorities from the Ambulance Improvement Programme and Culture and Leadership related recommendations from the Carter review.
Early on NHSI/E were involved in conversations about how they could support the aspirations of CALNAS to help shape a national agenda for improving the culture across the sector. A number of ideas were discussed, and it was agreed that a holistic approach over a longer stretch of time closely project managed and monitored via CALNAS would create better and more lasting benefits. On that journey it was agreed to bring stakeholders from across the sector together at an event to generate some tangible ideas for improving the ambulance culture.
On 17th January 2020 around 80 representatives from across the UK Ambulance sector attended our Ambulance Culture conference where inspiration was given from outside the sector and from within. Following that, the delegates engaged in various conversations and contributed with ideas through a so-called ‘unconference’ process facilitated by NHS Horizons. It was a day of high energy from start to finish.
Resources from the January event are available here:
A visual report – which includes slides from the presentations, “speech bubbles” of comments, extra photos from the day, and the outcome of the conversations – the main topics, narrative around these, the big ideas, and potential next steps.
Download the PDF of that here, or the PowerPoint here.
- A short film about the engagement work that North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) undertook over a three year period. This film was included in their presentation on the day – watch it below.
- A film from the event that captures the key highlights from the day – you can view that here.
What’s next?
The next step is a 40 minute session with senior colleagues from across the Ambulance sector at the Ambulance Leadership Forum (ALF) in March 2020. In this session senior colleagues will be presented with an executive summary of the outcome of the 17/1 event, including watching the film about the event, be presented with the “big ideas”, be invited to discuss and further elaborate on them, and demonstrate their level of commitment and agreement to these ideas. This session will also be facilitated by NHS Horizons.
The CALNAS network will then draft recommendations for what to take forward at a national collaborative level and how.
For further information about the work of CALNAS, email Claus Madsen, Associate Director of Education and OD, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Chair of CALNAS.
