Further information
Find out more about our Communities of Practice (CoP) Leadership Development Programme.
Explore nowCommunities of Practice
Supporting and nurturing Communities of Practice (CoP) to share learning and bring about change for the better.
Overview of Communities of Practice
The complex and fast-paced challenges faced by clinicians and managers working in healthcare require the health and social care system to adapt quickly. Collaborative working outside our traditional silos, and learning from our peers, are essential components in addressing these challenges effectively. Communities of Practice (CoPs) are a form of social learning, offering a way for groups of people, who share a passion or a concern for something they do, to discover how to do it better as they interact regularly. They offer a way for groups of individuals with shared goals and responsibilities to work together and find solutions, enhance their skills, and develop their practices to improve patient care.
Listen to this podcast to learn more about how CoPs can help you in your work here.
The HIN recognises the important role that CoPs can play in delivering patient-centred coordinated care. For a number of years, we have supported a number of CoPs to form and grow, as well as providing leadership programmes for CoP convenors recognising this as a vital role in the success of developing any CoP.
Read more about our work below.
CoP Leadership Development Programme:
Now in its 3rd year, in January 2019 the Health Foundation’s Q Network and the Health Innovation Network (HIN) launched the first Communities of Practice Leadership Development Programme as an experiential learning programme specifically to address these challenges and provide all the building blocks for successful Community of Practice leadership.
The programme is strongly based on practical experience and builds on successful Communities of Practice currently hosted by the HIN and Q members, recognising the convener role as a key leadership skill for the complex issues faced by the health and care professionals of today.
Click here to find out more about the Communities of Practice that the programme participants developed.
Additionally, you can hear from our previous participant, Rona Inniss, who attended our Communities of Practice (CoP) Leadership Development Programme.
“The things I learnt on the programme, both theoretical and practical, have impacted the entire way that I work and engage with my colleagues.”Previous participant
“I have set up a successful CoP in my hospital, which adheres to the key principles without being bound by too many rules. We have secured training funds and support from the Executive Team to continue and embed the principles of the CoP across the organisation, and this is all directly as a result of the input and support from the course.”Previous participant
Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do, who come together to voluntarily explore how to bring about change for the better. They do this by focussing on patient areas affecting our member organisations. The work of these self-selecting communities will have a real impact on patient experience and outcomes.
Read about our work with the South East London Cancer Alliance Here
Screengrab from the last Community of practice
“On a wider scale our Community of Practice has helped to enhance the patient voice as it has enabled us to discuss ideas, issues and priorities that would be difficult to find the space for in any other setting.”Jannike Nordlund, Patient and Public Involvement Lead, South East London Cancer Alliance CoP evaluation report
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If you have any questions or would like more information about Communities of Practice please contact us.
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