Leadership Development to Support Engagement and Learning for Harmed Families

NHS England is seeking to appoint a supplier to design, deliver and evaluate a pilot Executive Leadership Development Programme focused on improving proactive engagement and support for patients and families who have experienced harm within NHS services.

This procurement responds to findings from national maternity and neonatal investigations, which have highlighted systemic challenges in communication, compassion, openness, and organisational culture when harm occurs. The programme aims to strengthen leadership capability in trauma-informed and restorative approaches, enabling earlier, more meaningful engagement with harmed families and embedding a culture of learning, transparency, and accountability across NHS organisations.

The appointed supplier will work collaboratively with NHS England, NHS Trusts, and individuals with lived experience to co-design a high-quality training programme tailored to senior leaders, including Chief Executives, Chairs, executive directors, and senior clinical and non-clinical leaders. The programme will focus on developing key leadership behaviours, including compassionate communication, early engagement, and openness following adverse events.

The pilot programme will be delivered to four NHS Trusts within the Midlands region, with approximately 10 participants per cohort (circa 40 participants in total). Delivery will adopt a blended learning approach, incorporating a combination of face-to-face sessions, virtual learning, and facilitated engagement with people who have lived experience.

The supplier will be required to apply a continuous improvement methodology, using iterative feedback from each cohort to refine and enhance programme design and delivery. A robust evaluation framework must be implemented to assess participation, learning outcomes, behavioural change, and impact on engagement with harmed families, culminating in a comprehensive evaluation report with recommendations for future national rollout.

The initial contract term will run from contract award to 31 March 2027 (approximately 8 months), with a maximum available budget of £130,000 (excluding VAT). NHS England may, at its discretion and subject to funding and approvals, extend the contract for a further 12 months, with an additional indicative budget of up to £130,000 (excluding VAT).

This opportunity is intended to deliver a scalable and sustainable leadership development model that supports improvements in patient experience, reduces inequalities, and contributes to safer, more compassionate care across the NHS.

The following known risk may materialise during the contract term.

• The Authority reserves the right to vary the number of participants and/or cohorts during the contract term, including potential increases in delivery volumes as requirements evolve.