The Florence Nightingale Foundation is pleased to partner with The Mary Seacole Trust to provide a leadership development opportunity to nurses, midwives and health visitors who are working to improve health inequalities, particularly in minority ethnic communities.
This programme is open to all nurses and midwives at band 7 or 8a (or equivalent) working within NHS England and independent providers who are contracted to provide NHS services.
Mary Seacole was a British Jamaican nurse and businesswoman who set up the British Hotel behind the lines during the Crimean War. She displayed compassion, skill and bravery while nursing soldiers during the Crimean War. The programme is intended to celebrate the life of Mary Seacole while underpinning the values by which she lived and worked.
Funded by NHS England, this bespoke development programme will involve undertaking a leadership development programme, which includes a quality improvement (QI) project. The project will focus on enhancing the experience of people from minority ethnic communities accessing health services through addressing health inequalities. Participants will also be allocated a mentor for support and guidance.
Objectives
The programme will consists of two cohorts, and will be implemented in seven days over nine months (with additional days for the QI project) supported by the following leadership development elements:
- Demonstrate enhanced awareness of how personality preferences influence personal effectiveness and performance in teams.
- Identify and critically appraise opportunities to influence through personal and collective authority.
- Develop strategies to express self in a manner which communicates presence, enables influence and has impact.
- Explore personal resilience and develop tools for staying effective under pressure.
- Develop own personal approach to leadership – exploring values, biases, blind spots, and attitude to diversity.
- Formulate and put into practice plans which contribute to improved outcomes for people from the minority ethnic underpinned by evidence and quality improvement methodology.
The Mary Seacole Trust are so incredibly proud to be a partner in delivering this wonderfully inspirational programme. It is a pleasure to hear from nurses and midwives who are not just dedicated to self-development and becoming future leaders; they are also change-makers.
Trevor Sterling, Chair of the Trustees, The Mary Seacole Trust
Partners
Quality Improvement Project
Further details of this will follow before applications are open.
Mentor allocation
Each of the Mary Seacole Leadership programme participants is allocated a mentor for support and guidance throughout the 9-month programme. FNF asks the programme participant to arrange an initial meeting with their mentor to identify their personal development plan and project objectives, timelines, methods and plans for sustainability and spread.
The mentor may make further suggestions for development and broker introductions that would be useful for the programme participant to make contact with. It should be noted that there is no additional funding for the cost of the project or travel expenses for either the mentor or programme participant.
We ask the mentor to meet with the programme participant bi-monthly for the duration of the programme. This enables the mentor to check and evaluate progress and provide ongoing advice and support.
Once you have completed the programme you will join the FNF alumni community and receive ongoing networking and leadership development opportunities through events, webinars, media engagement and policy thought leadership.
Programme Structure and Dates
Applications open and close
2025
Welcome
Virtual
Quality Improvement Project
Virtual.
Influencing and Building Your Authority
Face to face (London)
Personal presence and Impact (RADA)
Face to face (London)
Writing for Publication
Virtual.
Quality Improvement Project Deadline
5pm TBC.
Celebration Event
Face to face (London)
Eligibility criteria
To participate in the programme you must:
- be a registered nurse or midwife with the NMC.
- come from a minority ethnic background.
- be working in NHS or NHS commissioned services in England.
- be working at NHS Agenda for Change bands 7 and 8a or equivalent
- have a proposed project to address inequalities in access to health services, including people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Application Process
- How you will use the programme to work with others, learn from, and share experiences.
- How the programme will support your personal development plan (PDP).
- How you will use the experience to improve patient and health outcomes and reduce health inequalities – outline of your proposed improvement/change project.
- Your aspirations to develop as a leader.
- Support from your line manager or Chief Nurse to enable you to attend all learning sessions/opportunities as part of this programme.
Upon application, you are required to include the following information:
- Personal, employment and education information.
- Support from your line manager or Chief Nurse with authorisation to join the programme.
Please note before application:
- You need to complete the form in one sitting – if you close the page before submission then any data you have entered will be lost.
- Applications that do not demonstrate commitment to the profession, improving patient and health outcomes, commitment to the Florence Nightingale Foundation Alumni will not be considered.
- Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
- Applications without line manager or Chief Nurse support will not be accepted.
- Programme places are fully funded however any associated travel or accommodation must be covered by your employing organisation. Support from your line manager is acknowledgement of this statement.
If you have any questions about applying for this programme, please contact us.
Cost
This programme is funded by NHS England. Participants will need to fund their travel costs and any other related costs including accommodation if you choose to stay overnight before or after any of the face to face elements of the programme.
Application and Deadline
Applications will open in 2025, keep an eye on our social media networks and newsletter. You can sign up to receive the newsletter, below.
