Staff
will be aware that I am leaving Pennine Care in the New Year. I have been
overwhelmed by the amount of people wishing me good luck and saying they are
pleased for me. I have also heard the odd rumour or question as to whether my
departure has anything to do with the CQC rating, or had I been positioning
myself with the work I have done at a Greater Manchester level. Neither of
these are true or accurate and so, having been at Pennine Care and previously
Stockport mental health services for 16 years, I wanted to write a blog
explaining why I am moving on.
The
main feedback I have had following news of my departure is shock that after 16
years I was moving on, given I am seen to be synonymous with Pennine Care.
There is also concern as to what this will mean for Pennine Care NHS Foundation
Trust. This will be a brief blog in which I hope to address and answer three
questions: is my move in anyway related to the Trust’s recent CQC rating? Have
I been seeking other opportunities as part of my work at a GM level? What does
this mean for the Trust going forward?
Taking
each question in turn.
My
move is not in any shape or form related to the recent CQC rating of Requires
Improvement. I can understand why people might ask the question but there
aren’t any links and it worries me that staff, patients or the public might
think the recent rating by the CQC was significantly negative, because that
just isn’t the case.
The
CQC described our rating as a ‘Green’ Requires Improvement. If you read the
report and look at the ratings there are many green and good ratings, we can be
proud of what we have achieved. I am not trying to downplay the Requires
Improvement rating, we must take the concerns raised seriously, I am just
trying to provide some balance. Our CAMHS in-patient services were rated
outstanding, which is a fantastic achievement, and no services were rated
inadequate. Where we do Require Improvement, these are services we are actively
supporting. An example of this would be the additional investment into our
wards which we secured last year and have done again for 17/18.
Pennine
Care’s CCGs have offered to set up a supportive Improvement Board, where we can
collectively progress the action plan already in place. This support is very
welcome and the CQC felt we should be able to secure an overall Good rating
within a relatively short space of time. So there’s much more good news than
bad, a lot to be proud of and not a reason to be moving on or be moved on!
Turning
to why I am moving on. Staff work tirelessly for this Trust and for me as Chief
Executive, so I thought it important to offer a personal explanation as to why
I have accepted a new position. To give some context to my decision, over the nine
years I was a Director of Operations and the three years I have been Chief
Executive, I have been approached on a number of occasions encouraging me to
apply for other positions and opportunities. I have always said no as I could
never envisage a better opportunity than the one I have here at the Trust. I
have loved my work at Pennine Care and am immensely proud to have led the Trust
and served the six towns we provide services for. I believe in our strategy and
feel we have really achieved a lot together. The Trust has a strong reputation
and is viewed positively by the vast majority of stakeholders and those who use
our services. We don’t get everything right but we can justifiably stand tall
at the dedication of the Trust’s staff to deliver high quality and safe
services.
In
the last year or two, my profile as Chief Executive has been raised within
Greater Manchester but I haven’t pursued this to position myself, as that just
isn’t my style. All I want to do each day, and have done since I was a student
nurse, is do the best job I can and try to make sure patients get the best care
possible. As part of my personal objectives, I have had two in particular that
I suspect have led to the opportunity I am going to. Firstly, I was tasked with
influencing the Greater Manchester strategic case for health and social care to
ensure out of hospital care and mental health featured in the GM strategy. I am
pleased to say we definitely influenced themes 1 and 2 of the GM strategy
developing (prevention and community services respectively) and we helped ensure
mental health has secured its own strategic space. Secondly, during the bid for
Manchester’s mental health services (which we didn’t win!) we learned the Trust’s
profile and reputation wasn’t high enough. Again I was tasked with making sure
the Trust was better positioned in the bid process we were pursuing. We
definitely had the Trust’s qualities, values and capability showcased during
the bid and received some overwhelmingly positive feedback. That said, we
couldn’t compete financially, which I think ultimately left us unable to win
the bid.
All
of that work shone a light on Pennine Care and the great work we do. It also
highlighted in the GM system the style and approach I take as a Chief
Executive. Without a long winded explanation, the opportunity in Manchester and
my leadership offer seemed the right fit. Once I saw the detail and the
potential I have to concede I was unable to resist the challenge.
Third
question: what next for Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust? A change of leader
can be unsettling and create some uncertainty. However, a leader is just one
person and the Trust succeeds upon the efforts of many. Pennine Care is a
valued member of a leadership community across six towns, helping lead the
development of Local Care Organisations (LCOs) and as a leader for developing and
implementing a mental health strategy. The Trust is valued based on all our
collective efforts and this won’t be diminished by my moving on. My personal
view is that the Trust has a strong future and the challenge ahead will attract
a high quality leader as the next Chief Executive.
I
would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and for those who don’t celebrate
the festive season, a peaceful break and for everyone all the best for 2017.
Finally,
a big thank you to all our staff who will be working during the seasonal
period. I want to personally acknowledge the work you provide to keep services
open 24/7, 365 days a year and the vital support this provides to people with
health and social care needs.
Best
wishes to everyone and I will blog in the New Year to reflect on the many
achievements we have had together over many years, to celebrate the great work
of the Trust as I move on to a new challenge.
Thank you,
Michael
Thank you,
Michael
