Events

Past events

Addressing cultural barriers to flexible working, with an introduction to a new online course for the NHS

The National Flexible Working Team, with King’s Fund and Timewise, hosted this well received webinar on 15th July 2021 to nearly 200 attendees. The aim was to share and explore the findings from the King’s Fund report on cultural barriers to flexible working, explore some personal reflections on flexible working from senior leaders, and to launch the new online, taught flexible working programme: NHS Flex for the Future run by Timewise for NHS England and open to NHS organisations.

The webinar included personal reflections from Joe Harrison, CEO, Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Rebecca Longmate, Director of Nursing, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust on their own and their organisational journey through flexible working, an overview from the King’s Fund on their findings, an update from NHS Employers and the Staff Council on their support for flexible working and how they are working with NHSE to help organisations in this cultural change

You can watch the recording of the webinar here and share with your colleagues across the NHS: View the recording here.

If you’ve accessed the support and resources for working carers, the NHS England flexible working team would be keen to hear from you. Get in touch via weworkflexibly@nhs.net.

Supporting our working carers’ webinar

On Thursday 4 February 2021, the NHS England flexible working team hosted a webinar to help NHS HR colleagues, workforce leads, carers and line managers to find out more about the support for working carers in the NHS. You can watch the recording of the webinar here and share with your colleagues across the NHS: View the recording here.

If you’ve accessed the support and resources for working carers, the NHS England flexible working team would be keen to hear from you. Get in touch via weworkflexibly@nhs.net.

Flexible working: The case for change in the NHS

The national flexible working team in collaboration with Deloitte hosted the ‘Flexible Working: The case for change in the NHS’ webinar on Thursday 25 February 2021. It provided an incredibly insightful and interesting discussion with over 145 attendees from trusts, GPs, and ICSs in senior board-level roles, senior HR/workforce managers and other key manager roles too. You can watch the recording of the webinar here and share with your colleagues across the NHS: View the recording here.

The themes that came up in the webinar were:

  • Reframing of discussions around flexible working will be important
  • Culture shift and moving away from traditional assumptions of flexible working
  • Being present, doesn’t equate to performance
  • Flexible working is for everyone, not just for women with parental/caring responsibilities
  • Terminology: Do we need to move away from the word ‘flexible’ and ‘less than full time’ for doctors
  • Cross-sector working is important especially in primary care
  • We need to value ‘thinking and creating time’ more
  • We need to do more on the ‘how to’

If you work flexibly, then the team would love to hear your story – please contact weworkflexibly@nhs.net.

Flexible working – supporting your team to work flexibly

NHS England in collaboration with flexibility experts Timewise, invited managers to an interactive webinar on 17 March 2021 to discover how different types of flexible working may benefit their teams, and how to successfully lead a more flexible team. View the recording here.

In summary, the webinar covered:

  • What the vision is for flexible working and the key principles with which we want to operate.
  • The different ways NHS staff can work flexibly, including exploring which of these could work in your team.
  • The difference between informal and formal flexible working requests and the key processes to be aware of.
  • About some key tools which can help you with considering requests and managing flexible teams.

Our panel of speakers included:

  • Dan Dartington, Head of Finance & Information, Health Innovation Network, The South London Academic Health Science Network
  • Irene O’Donnell, Play and Youth Services Manager, Paediatric and Adolescent Division, UCLH
  • Nick Whitehead – Service Manager, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Flexible working in the NHS – How to ask webinar

NHS England, in collaboration with flexibility experts Timewise, invited staff to join a practical, interactive session about flexible working on 25 March 2021. Many NHS people value the opportunity to work flexibly – whether that involves remote working, reduced hours or flexible start or finish times. It was a session for those who currently have, or who would like to find or request a flexible working pattern which works for them, their team and organisation. View the recording here.

In summary the webinar covered:

  • The vision in the NHS People Plan 20/21 for flexible working and the key principles with which we want to operate.
  • The different ways you may be able work flexibly and explore which of these could work for you and your team.
  • The difference between informal and formal flexible working requests and the key processes to be aware of.
  • Practical insight and key tools which can help you consider the right working pattern for you and to prepare you to discuss a flexible working request with your manager.

Our panel of speakers included:

  • Charlotte Mayhew Goodwin, Health Play Specialist, UCLH NHS Foundation Trust.
  • Henry Walton – ED Registrar, Newham Hospital and Senior Medical Productivity Advisor, NHS England and Improvement.
  • Rifca Ledieu – Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant, Barts Health NHS Trust.
  • Tara Rampal – Consultant Anaesthetist, Medway NHS Foundation Trust.

If you work flexibly, then the team would love to hear your story – please contact weworkflexibly@nhs.net.