Leadership Matters: A mixed-methods study of leadership capability and behaviour change following a maternity and neonatal leadership development programme
Director of Midwifery, UHMBT
Senior Research Leader and Recruitment and Retention Lead Midwife, UHMBT
Principal Lecturer and Lead Midwife for Education (LME)
Programme Lead & Senior Lecturer of Midwifery, UoC
Reviews of maternity and neonatal services have consistently identified leadership, team relationships and organisational culture as important influences on the safety and quality of care. Within UHMBT, strengthening leadership capability has been recognised as an important component of maternity and neonatal improvement, workforce culture and staff retention.
Leadership Matters is a bespoke leadership development programme for senior midwives and neonatal nurses, delivered across six cohorts and informed by the NHS Healthcare Leadership Model. The programme combines focused leadership teaching, facilitated reflection and Action Learning Sets, with an emphasis on the practical realities of leading within maternity and neonatal services.
This mixed-methods study will examine participants’ perceived leadership capability, confidence and behaviour following participation in the programme. Participants enrolled in one of the six cohorts will be eligible to complete a pre-programme survey. Those who complete the programme will be invited to complete a post-programme survey and to volunteer for a cohort-based, face-to-face focus group.
Research examining leadership development among nurses and midwives remains limited, particularly within the context of clinical maternity and neonatal settings. This study will provide locally relevant evidence about the perceived impact of a clinically led leadership programme, explore how participants describe changes in their leadership practice and identify which elements of the programme they consider most helpful. The findings will be useful for wider NHS maternity and neonatal services.