This stage supports individuals delivering operationally and accountable at a senior management level. The competencies enable these established leaders to translate organisational strategy into action, lead larger or more complex areas, and influence across functions or systems.
Personal impact
These standards focus on personal capabilities and competencies that are required for leaders and managers do their jobs well in health and social care.
This includes being self-aware, understanding others’ feelings, and acting with honesty and integrity. The competencies help leaders and managers be effective, make fair decisions and model inclusive, compassionate leadership.
This focus area includes 3 sections:
Personal productivity and wellbeing
Prioritise for personal productivity
I manage and align complex and evolving priorities across my areas of responsibility to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.
Develop personal safety and wellbeing strategies
I lead on building strategies for colleague health and wellbeing, removing barriers and ensuring colleagues have access to appropriate support and resources.
Commit to continuing professional development
I model and promote skills and knowledge development. I support learning, curiosity, innovation and the adoption of good practice.
Communicating well
Communicate with clarity and purpose
I am flexible and inclusive in the way I communicate, and I support others to do the same.
Encourage open dialogue and feedback
I lead by example and invite feedback on my actions from staff and patients – creating space for honesty without fear of consequences.
Influence, negotiate and manage upwards
I influence and negotiate across functions or systems, acting as an advocate to improve outcomes and experiences for all.
Responsibility and integrity
Take accountability for my actions
I take responsibility for my team’s actions, make sure we are fair and inclusive, and challenge inappropriate behaviour and any failure to address it.
Be visible, transparent, and present
I am readily accessible and visible to others, joining team and stakeholder meetings and communicating frequently through different channels.
Manage with civility and compassion
I promote compassionate and inclusive leadership, including identifying and calling out discourteous or inappropriate behaviour.
Managing people and resources
These competencies focus on the trust, support and shared purpose required to build strong teams that deliver safe, high-quality care.
They highlight the need to create safe and inclusive workplaces, help people develop by communicating with them clearly and honestly, and supporting professional growth.
The focus area includes 3 sections:
Building teams
Build engagement
I foster a culture of respect and creativity that motivates people and values everyone’s ideas.
Make sure people feel safe in the workplace
I implement appropriate safety policies, making sure everyone understands their role in achieving a safe working environment and has access to safety training.
Manage challenges
I manage complex challenges – spotting risks early, setting out clear expectations, and empowering others to identify, develop, implement, and evaluate solutions.
Back to managing people and resources
Performance and delivery
Provide clear purpose, vision, and deliverables
I help to articulate a clear vision for the organisation and work with senior leaders to turn national goals into practical plans with measurable deliverables.
Manage and measure performance
I embed high performance across functions or systems – and use data and digital tools to track progress, measure impact, manage risk. I embed quality appraisals for all staff and intervene to mitigate and solve underperformance.
Manage conflict and sensitive conversations
I oversee conflict management keeping communication open, offering guidance and support and engaging experts to help deal with complex or serious cases.
Back to managing people and resources
Efficiency and effectiveness
Allocate and optimise the use of resources
I plan ahead to make sure we have the right, sustainable resources, use these in a way that supports our strategic objectives, and think about how this fits with wider system plans.
Maximise outputs and get best value for public money
I lead strategic financial planning and budget allocation, considering system-wide impacts and managing financial risks to ensure quality and protect service delivery.
Use data, evidence and critical thinking
I champion the use of data, evidence, digital tools and critical thinking to design more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable services.
Back to managing people and resources
Delivering across health and care
These competencies focus on keeping teams aligned with the values, strategic objectives, and regulations across the health and care system. They highlight the importance of strategic planning, working in partnership and, fair decision making and continuous improvement.
The focus area includes 3 sections:
Improving quality
Respond to safety concerns, needs and preferences across patients, staff and the public
I use patient and public feedback, perspectives and data to drive improvement that ultimately supports safety and experience of patients, staff and colleagues.
Personalise care
I lead initiatives to address inequality, collaborating with patients, staff and stakeholders to share lessons learnt and driving systemic improvements in personalised support and care.
Implement policies and ensure good governance
I help develop and implement care policies and procedures that meet national standards and regulations and drive service improvement.
Back to delivering across health and care
Innovation and improvement
Drive continuous improvement and innovation
I build a culture of continuous improvement that encourages team members to work together, develop new approaches, and implement and measure those approaches effectively.
Transform through technology and innovation
I make digital skills a priority for everyone, promoting new technologies and ideas aligned with organisational strategies.
Support others through change
I lead and embed organisational change, making sure colleagues and patients are supported and engaged, and change is implemented effectively.
Back to delivering across health and care
Working collaboratively
Build relationships
I build networks and shape key strategic relationships with other departments, organisations and the wider community to allow us to reach shared goals and deliver improvement.
Lead a collaborative team
I promote collaboration across functions, making sure teams share responsibility, trust each other, and value different perspectives.
Share good practice
I lead initiatives to share good practice, lessons learned and innovations across the organisation to improve the quality of everything we do.
Select a segment on the wheel to explore the competencies within that standard.