First non-clinical leadership courses for mental health managers

In 2024, IPC was delighted to run the first non-clinical leadership courses for mental health managers. The programmes ran across three areas – South Wales, West Wales and North Wales – and welcomed students from health boards, local authorities and third sector organisations.

Key areas covered on the three modules included:

• Principles of leading and managing for quality outcomes
• Using evidence to inform and improve practice
• Managing change for quality improvement, including working with diverse perspectives.

We ran three successful applied programmes and three more are underway. Students achieved a post-graduate certificate accredited by Oxford Brookes University after 13 months of study.

Course activities included:

• Taught elements regarding leadership, management and change theory, as well as exploration of implementing evidence-informed practice
• 360-degree assessments to seek initial feedback on performance from participant direct reports, peers and managers
• The development of individual Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
• Group activities to explore the application of leadership theory to real-life work situations
• Action learning sets to address live work-based challenges, drawing on the experience and skills of the participant group
• Three written assignments addressing the personal development and practice improvement of the participants
• Individual support sessions with an Academic Adviser to support personal development throughout the programme against the individuals PDPs.

IPC are delighted to hear that participants have progressed in their careers. Below is feedback from one of the members of the first cohort, Karen Shapcott.

Karen is an Occupational Therapist by training but has worked within the Aneurin Bevan Health Board as a co-team leader within the Primary Care Mental Health Support Service.

She was part of the first cohort of the Leading and Managing Mental Health Services in 2024 delivered by IPC and said:

“The course really helped me as a team lead. It’s given me the tools to shape, design and deliver services. The content of the course is also very relevant right now too, with conversations happening around co-production, cultural change, compassionate leadership, and systems thinking. The timing of the course couldn’t have been better for me, and with the new Mental Health Strategy in Wales released in summer 2025.”

Before her final results were released, Karen was offered a promotion on secondment within her health board as an operational manager in Primary Care Mental Health Support Service. Karen strongly believes that the programme supported her interview and now in a more senior management role. Her post is set to become permanent. She said:

“[The programme] would be a real asset for other managers going forward as mental health services are set to go through a major transformation over the next 10 years.”

“Keep doing the fabulous work you do in IPC, as the teaching really does support us as leaders.”

From the evaluations to date, participants have identified a number of factors that are supporting them in their personal development.

These included:

• Having time to think and reflect
• Networking with peers
• Theories and models of leadership and management, such as compassionate leadership and emotional intelligence
• Time to think about co-production
• Consideration of the definition of quality
• Guest speakers within the taught days to develop thinking.