Case Study: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust finds its VOICE and strengthens values with NHS Employers

Moving forward and finding a voice through new value creation

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust worked with NHS Employers to refresh its organisational values after a difficult turnaround period, including time spent in special measures. The trust needed a more authentic, forward-looking set of values that reflected staff views, aligned better with the NHS Constitution, and supported its role in the wider Greater Manchester devolution context.

NHS Employers supported the trust in using the Barratt Centre values framework, running focus groups with more than 220 staff and analysing the results to identify five new values: Compassion, Excellence, Openness, Integrity and Vision. These formed the VOICE brand, which was rolled out through staff-led communications, leadership events, induction, recruitment and appraisal processes, and follow-up cultural audits and staff survey analysis were planned to measure awareness and culture change.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust