Person-centred Cultures: A FoNS Development Programme

This fully funded programme will run from September 2025 to May 2026 and offers:

1. Learning Blocks

The three learning blocks to:

• Develop skills as facilitative leaders of culture change
• Explore and enable the use of effective strategies for creating person-centred workplace cultures
• Promote continuous improvement

The blocks are:

The programme will be underpinned by the Person-centred Practice Framework (PCPF) (McCormack and McCance, 2020) and informed by FoNS’s extensive expertise in culture change in health and social care.

2. On-going support

The Programme includes a variety of support mechanisms.

2.a. Support via virtual meetings/ telephone/email from a FoNS Person-centred Practice Facilitator to:

• Refine and use skills in facilitation to lead and develop their team
• Promote reflective practice
• Support problem-solving
• Undertake evaluation and actively share outcomes via report writing and publishing to spread learning across their organisation and more widely

2.b. Peer-to-peer mentorship, based on the Critical Allies Framework (Hardiman, 2017).

2.c. All participants are required to secure the support of an internal mentor (for example the participants line manager) who will ensure that support and time are available for culture change and practice improvement work.

3. After the programme

All FoNS participants are warmly welcomed into the ‘FoNS family’, and are encouraged to continue their connection with FoNS, through writing blogs, attending alumni events and potentially participating in other programmes.

The programme is open to applicants from any care setting in health and social care across the UK. We encourage applications from across the UK, and from any health or social care background.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds.

FoNS is looking for nurses, health visitors and midwives who lead nursing and/or care teams at the point of care, who have a desire to create more person-centred workplace cultures for patients/residents/ service users and staff.

Applicants should:

• Hold a UK NMC registration
• Be leading a nursing and/or care team with direct patient contact
• Be the direct line manager for the members of the team
• Be willing to explore workplace culture and continuous improvement
• Be able to commit to all the workshop dates of the programme

Application process

• Read all the information on this page of the FoNS website
• Consider the technical and time aspects of this programme:
• You will need to be able to attend the face-to-face and virtual sessions and will need access to a computer with a camera and microphone that can use Zoom and MS Teams. You will need to be able to use a quiet private space.
• You need to be free for all the sessions
• Block 1: (Face-to-face), this workshop will begin at 12 noon Wednesday 10 September 2025 for lunch. Afternoon workshop followed by dinner and an overnight stay. Thursday 11 September is a full day workshop finishing at 5pm. The workshop will be held in Solihull. Full board and learning materials included as well as reasonable travel expenses if required.
• Block 2: (Virtual) All day 30-4.30 on Wednesday 8 October 2025, Wednesday 19 November 2025, Wednesday 28 January 2026 and Wednesday 11 March 2026
• Block 3: (Face-to-face) One day workshop arriving on Tuesday 5 May 2026 for a full day workshop on Wednesday 6 May 2026 finishing at 5pm. Full board and learning materials included as well as reasonable travel expenses if required.
• Join one of the drop-in sessions (see below) and for more information, email the programme lead Giselle Cope [email protected] to arrange an informal discussion about your application. This provides an opportunity for you to discuss the support and facilitation that is available from FoNS and to explore the commitment and the robust application process required for the programme.
• Contact your executive sponsor, who should be the Director of Nursing (or equivalent). It is an essential requirement of this programme that your executive sponsor provides a supporting statement and signature as part of your application. Organisational support to take part in the programme is essential.
• Contact your direct line manager/matron to discuss support for your application. It is an essential requirement of this programme that your direct line manager provides a supporting statement and signature as part of your application. This is because you will need time out of practice for the face-to-face/virtual workshops, individual coaching support sessions and for any practice improvement initiatives undertaken as part of the programme. The line manager will be invited to attend the first 5 minutes of the interview.
• Identify an internal mentor ideally at a more senior level (e.g. line manager) to ensure you can maximise the opportunities created by the programme. Successful applicants will be required to have regular face-to-face/virtual meetings with the internal mentor to ensure that appropriate support is available internally. This includes prioritising time to meet with your mentor and to undertake activity relating to development and innovation.

Complete the application form. You will need to submit it electronically with signatures (you, your line manager/mentor and exec sponsor). Electronic signatures are acceptable, but not just a typed name. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Application timetable

* Please ensure you can attend an interview during this time period. Your line manager will be invited to join the first 5 minutes of the interview to confirm his/her support for your application. You can choose to be in the same place as your line manager or can access the online interview separately.

** We will inform applicants of the outcome by email, using the email you have put on your application. If you will be unable to access your emails during this time, please give us an alternative communication method.

Application pack

Drop in sessions will be held online using MS Teams. No need to book, just come along.

25 April 2025, 12.00-12.30 Join the meeting

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We’ve put together some additional information in this ‘Frequently Asked Questions‘ document.