Florence
Nightingale
Foundation

Shine a light

Sherry McBain (uniform) and Anne Watkins

Nightingale Frontline

The Nightingale Frontline® Leadership Support Service provides a psychological safe space for staff to explore professional and personal challenges. Our facilitators create a secure and confidential environment for staff of all levels to come together, to decompress and reflect on leadership challenges.

Since the service launched in April 2020, we have supported over 3000  staff members working in all areas of health, social and voluntary care across the UK.

The sessions have remained in high demand over the past year with our evaluations showing staff value accessing a unique and confidential support service independent from their organisation. Attendees have also found significance in working through leadership challenges with peers and learning new approaches to difficult situations during a time of constant change in a calm and supportive environment.

Link to facilitators 

Related
Leadership Programmes
Online Learning
Scholarships

Our Commitment

  • We have made a commitment to continue to provide this service in recognition of the ongoing support and development needs of our workforce. It is more essential than ever that we invest and take care of our staff, to ensure retention of our workforce and promote a culture of staff wellbeing across the health and social care sector.

The Service

Our specially trained facilitators utilise a group coaching model known as co-consulting. Groups of three – six work with one of our trained specialists during a 90 minute – three-hour session. During the session they learn to develop vital leadership skills to support themselves and their colleagues.

Sessions are available remotely for the following groups and run from 8am – 8pm, Monday – Saturday:

  • Early Career Healthcare Professionals (registered for 2 years or less)
  • Senior Leaders
  • Staff Nurses/Midwives/Healthcare Professionals
  • Ward Managers/Team Leaders or Healthcare Professionals with Line Management Responsibilities
  • Registered Healthcare Professionals from Ethnic Minority Backgrounds

How to Access

Find and Book a Session

We update our bookings often so please check regularly for new sessions.

When you book you will be asked to give the name of your Chief Nurses name and your professional registration information. This assists us to ensure appropriate personnel are using the service. The only information sent to your employer is the number of attendees over a period of a calendar month. No identifiable data is sent. This is a confidential service and no additional information is shared with the employer. This includes any issues that are discussed within the sessions.

If your organisation or Trust is interested in accessing the Nightingale Frontline Leadership Support Service, the cost is £5,000 for 30 places. Please email academy@florence-nightigale-foundation.og.uk for more information. The service is also one of the benefits most valued by our Members of the FNF Academy.

Terms and Conditions

Nightingale Frontline Leadership Service Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions apply to the service:

  1. The service is charged at £5,000 for blocks of 30 places for nurses and midwives
  2. The service will not be available until the related invoice is paid in full.
  3. Each place entitles one employee of the client (Chief Nurse) to attend a virtual session of the Nightingale Frontline Service.
  4. Whilst the Florence Nightingale Foundation will make every endeavour to provide a variety of sessions at a variety of times no guarantee is made that the individual requirements of clients can necessarily be met.
  5. Once the initial 30 places have been used, if required a further block of 30 must be purchased for a further £5,000 charge.
  6. Places reserved but not used (i.e. DNAs) count against the above allocation unless cancelled more than 48 hours in advance of the session.
  7. Any unused places expire twelve months after the purchase date. This period commences from the 1st of the month in which the service begins.
  8. Spaces allocated to a client via membership of the Florence Nightingale Academy, or any other mechanism, will be treated as used after any purchased directly.

Payment of invoice confirms agreement of these terms and conditions.

"The impact the session had was primarily on my motivation and energy; it came at just the right time to give me a boost and was like an injection of realistic inspiration.

The session was incredibly useful to listen to the challenges that colleagues across the country are facing. The small size of the group was especially appealing to me and I felt that I was able to contribute effectively. The group was very balanced and supportive and the facilitator was reassuringly experienced and sensitive to the people in the group, skilfully drawing out the primary issues and supporting solutions."
Claire Pendlebury
Claire Pendlebury
Teenage Cancer Trust Lead Nurse and Nightingale Frontline® Participant
"The FNF frontline leadership session provided me with much-needed support at a time of uncertainty while being newly qualified. It has been increasingly difficult to access supervision at work, due to social distancing and caseload commitments needing to take priority. The impartial support offered by the Florence Nightingale Foundation® has been so beneficial, I feel so much better for having a safe space to reflect on my leadership abilities and consider my strengths and ability to care at such an unprecedented time. It was also a brilliant opportunity to connect with people all over the UK in similar roles, seek peer support, gain new ideas and coping strategies. I am incredibly grateful and want to stress it was way beyond the scope of supervision or leadership support I would normally have access to within my role, it was well considered and I feel it will benefit me greatly."
Pippa ChillmanNewly Qualified Registered Mental Health Nurse
"Leading others with confidence and courage can also feel lonely and overwhelming. Let’s use the extraordinary place we find ourselves in as a profession to learn, develop and support each other."
Professor Gemma Stacey
Professor Gemma StaceyDirector of Academy, Florence Nightingale Foundation®
"I participated in one of the leadership support sessions in the middle of the pandemic and before I joined the session I was feeling quite lost, searching for the kind of structure that I am used to when commencing a new clinical placement. The support session enabled me to voice my worries and concerns about my current situation, and figure out a way forward. During the session I was also able to provide support and feedback for my colleagues which was a learning experience in itself and I was pleased to be able to provide support to others. The model used is adaptable to many settings and groups - in fact I strongly believe that this should be rolled out for all student nurses in the current emergency situation."
Jessica Sainsbury
Jessica SainsburyResearch and Policy Associate - Student Councils Project Lead
"I am delighted to support this Florence Nightingale Foundation® initiative funded by NHS Charities Together. Nurses and Midwives are facing the biggest leadership challenge of their lives and this support service will provide them with a precious and safe space for reflection and peer support. We are committed to look after our NHS leaders and we thank this partnership to support our extraordinary professions"
Hilary Garratt CBEDeputy CNO for England
"The Florence Nightingale Foundation® continues to support nursing and midwifery leaders during this coronavirus pandemic."
Professor Greta Westwood CBE
Professor Greta Westwood CBECEO, Florence Nightingale Foundation®
"Never in a lifetime has visible and authentic nurse leadership been more vital than now, where nurses everyday are facing ethical, moral and practice dilemmas. In order to lead and continue to care for our patients, staff and their families leaders must too have time and a safe space to reflect and share experiences' Effective leadership equals not only happy staff but safe care for our patients."
Emma WadeyHead of Mental Health Nursing at NHS England & NHS Improvement
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