Is there anybody there, does anybody care? Experience and perceived importance of senior psychological leadership

Abstract

This paper summarises key literature relevant to senior leadership in the NHS and how that relates to the conditions required to deliver high quality psychologically informed healthcare. Despite the increasing demand for psychological services from the public as well as the increased centrality of psychological approaches in policy, this has not translated into optimizing the leadership for the most effective delivery of these services. The need for psychological leadership is not mandated nor otherwise embedded in the most senior decision-making structures from NHS England, through Integrated Care Boards, to provider organisations such as Foundation Trusts. In this study, we have focused on the latter and surveyed the views of 355 psychological professionals on their knowledge, experience, and the perceived importance of the level of influence of their Chief Psychological Professions Officer (CPPO). The term CPPO is used to refer to the most senior psychological professional in an NHS structure. The role provides overall professional leadership for psychological professions and the strategic leadership and vision to support the rapid expansion of psychological approaches described in the NHS Long Term Plan. We found a consistent difference between the experience, and perceived importance, of the level of influence the CPPO has in relation to: addressing gaps in psychological provision (9 per cent believing their CPPO has a great deal of influence over this issue, versus 60 per cent believing that it is important for their CPPO to have a great deal of influence); developing care to better align with the knowledge base (10 per cent experience, versus 54 per cent perceived importance); and workforce retention and growth (8 per cent experience, 58 per cent perceived importance). We also summarise qualitative comments given as reasons for the preferred degree of influence, opinions on the most important issues for CPPOs to address, and for experience and preferences re communication with the CPPO.