HFMA 2021: programme lines up pipeline of senior leaders

09 December 2021 Steve Brown

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The One NHS Finance sponsorship initiative started in 2018 to provide support to high-potential finance staff from groups that are under-represented at director level within NHS finance. The programme matches candidates with a senior leader in their organisation, region or from across the country. It is aimed at women, individuals from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.natasha.munro.L

Natasha Munro (pictured), senior finance manager at NHS England and NHS Improvement, joined the programme in 2018 and attended her first HFMA conference that year on the back of the programme.

She told this year’s conference that she had been at a point in her career where she was thinking about what she needed to progress, in terms of support, influencing skills and greater visibility. Although Ms Munro was based in London, she was provided with a Manchester-based sponsor and the experience helped her to expand her views on progression, thinking beyond moving to the next band in her organisation and thinking more widely about opportunities across the whole NHS.

Her sponsor helped her to connect with finance directors in other types of organisation, which led to some shadowing experiences. ‘The best part of shadowing them was not just attending the senior meetings to see what happens, but the actual conversations that we had,’ she said. ‘They talked about their careers, their formal and informal sponsors and the support they had had. And they talked about what they look for in candidates – that was really helpful.’

This enabled her to identify areas where more experience would be helpful. And, although the Covid pandemic reduced recruitment opportunities, Ms Munro explored the potential for secondments and stretch assignments, so that she would be more prepared for future opportunities.

She said there was now a network of more than 150 sponsees ranging from bands 8a to 8d. ‘We’ve got your future leaders, we’ve got your pipeline,’ she said. ‘We just need your support now to get to where you are.’

The network has provided feedback to the programme, suggesting it would be beneficial for bands 6 and 7 too, as the original band 8a criteria potentially provided another obstacle to under-represented groups. The programme has now been expanded to other bands.

‘The additional benefit I have got is confidence,’ she said. ‘The fact that I am standing here talking about the programme is due to the programme, and having a sponsor and team behind me pushing me.’ She called for senior finance leaders interested in becoming sponsor to step forward.