The Academy will shortly be publishing three landmark documents: A guide to optimising integrated neighbourhood workforce ecosystems; an integrated neighbourhood workforce ecosystems maturity matrix; and a case study of optimising integrated neighbourhood workforce ecosystems in East Leeds.
These documents are a result of a bold, system‑wide collaboration to transform how workforce can be integrated across all partners delivering services in a neighbourhood.
The three radical shifts contained in the 10 Year Health Plan for England requires a new approach to workforce, extending beyond traditional MDTs and by taking a whole‑ecosystem approach it creates a new vision for neighbourhood teams where every contribution is connected, valued and aligned to local needs.
The Academy brought together a powerful collaboration of partners from the NHS (acute, community and metal health), Leeds City Council representing social care, Primary Care, VCSE sector representatives and Leeds Beckett University into a cross-system delivery group.
Leeds Beckett University and the Academy co‑produced a rapid evidence review, providing a strong research foundation. The Delivery Group then tested and translated the evidence into Leeds‑specific insight through open dialogue, constructive challenge and shared learning ensuring the outcomes were rooted in lived reality of frontline leaders.
By combining a strong evidence base with lived experience from across the whole system, the project identified what genuinely works in practice and produced accessible products which can be used to enable effective neighbourhood workforce ecosystems.
Co-design and co-production were important characteristics of the way the work was undertaken. The Academy blended structured planning with relational leadership, using system‑thinking sessions, flexible engagement and clear expectations to build confidence and collective ownership. This created a safe, trusting space for partners to collaborate, innovate and tackle complexity together.
A huge thank you to all of those involved in the work which led to the generation of the insights. Everyone who was directly involved, those who helped with project mobilisation and initiation, people who helped make critical connections into other integrated neighbourhood health work in the city and especially colleagues at LBU for their agility and positive response to an unreasonable request to undertake the research in such a short period of time. A genuine Team Leeds effort.
The work is already shaping future integrated neighbourhood programmes. Insights on the importance of system thinking and collaborative culture as foundational requirements strengthen enabling workstreams, ensuring new developments build on lived experience and genuine collaboration.
The work has set a benchmark for partnership excellence and collaboration. What happens next is the scaling of that excellence fuelled by shared ambition, shared leadership and shared innovation to improve outcomes for the people of Leeds.
Chris Tissiman, Head of Collaborative Workforce Planning, Leeds Heath and Care Academy
To keep in touch with us on this work, contact chris.tissiman@nhs.net