Welcome to the Improvement Foundation

The Improvement Foundation leads the field in service improvement work across the public sector in the UK and overseas.

We work in partnership with frontline staff and service users to deliver large-scale improvements in health, education and service outcomes, and provide leadership and quality improvement skills training.

We work closely with the Department of Health, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and several other public sector bodies and other organisations. Experts in quality improvement, we have a nine-year track record of demonstrating significant, sustainable impact and value for money.  

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Addressing Health Inequalities for BME Communities Event - Closing the gap

On 15 October 2009, the Improvement Foundation will host an event in London on tackling health inequalities for BME populations. The event will include interactive sessions, practical examples along with hearing about different approaches and successful outcomes from partnership working.

This event is a must attend for health professionals, local authorities and those who work in the voluntary and third sector.

The event will be chaired by Gideon Ben-tovim, Chair of Liverpool PCT and Chair of the National Race for Health Board.

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Basic Commissioning Course launched

The Basic Commissioning Course is three, one-day learning events offering training on key elements of commissioning aligned to the world class commissioning cycle and assessment framework. The course is delivered in three distinct modules and participants can register for individual learning events or all three. We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications to the course for 2009.

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Guy Rotherham Awards 2009

Applications for the 5th Annual Guy Rotherham Awards 2009 are currently being accepted with the deadline date for submission set for 5pm, 24 July 2009.

The Guy Rotherham Awards are open to any NHS community-based team in the UK that is providing services to patients in primary care, including primary care trusts, general practices, community nursing teams, primary care consortia, or any other community-based NHS team.

This year the Guy Rotherham Awards have a special new category for care homes.

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Early presentation of cancer and CVD programme praised by the Public Health Minister

During her speech at the UK Public Health Association Annual Forum on 25-26 March, Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo praised the Improvement Foundation's Healthy Communities Collaborative programme.

She said, whilst talking about frontline Communities for Health programme projects, "If I can give you one great example, the Department of Health is currently funding the Improvement Foundation to deliver a Healthy Communities Collaborative programme. The programme is working in 28 sites in our most disadvantaged communities to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancers and CVD, and encourage people who may have symptoms to seek help earlier.

"The projects to date have targeted different groups - men, older people, BME groups, people with learning disabilities. They've delivered interventions in various places - from the local bingo halls or post offices right through to mosques, working men's clubs, reading groups, betting shops, even a local DIY store. Quite simply, wherever people live their lives. It shows this approach - this community-based approach to public health - can be tremendously successful."

 If you would like to join our cancer programme, or would like further information, please contact Jenny Knowles, our inequalities lead, by email  

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Publications list now available online

A comprehensive list of all publications by members of staff from the Improvement Foundation since 2007 is now available online.

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Health Select Committee Report on Health Inequalities March 2009

The Health Select Committee published the report of its inquiry into health inequalities in March 2009. The report focuses predominantly on the difficulties in evaluating policies put in place by the Government to tackle health inequalities. The Improvement Foundation, who submitted evidence to the Committee, welcomes the focus on the policy changes needed to tackle inequalities effectively. Our own success in reducing health inequalities through our Healthy Communities Collaborative (commissioned by the Government's Health Inequalities Unit) provides policy-makers with an ideal platform from which to develop policy that reduces inequalities, for the long-term, in areas with the greatest need. This success has been underpinned by a robust evidence base, allowing progress to be measured and evaluated at every stage.

The involvement of members of the public to drive and lead improvement in their own communities allows our approach to be replicated across the country, cutting inequalities and leading to significant and lasting change.
 


Improvement Foundation opens recruitment for a new leadership programme that will directly support the implementation of the recently launched ‘Transforming Community Services' initiative

Providing direct support to the recently launched 'Transforming Community Services' initiative, the Improvement Foundation is currently recruiting to a new leadership programme for frontline providers of community services - Leadership for Clinical Service Improvement - chaired by Dr David Colin-Thome OBE, National Clinical Director for Primary Care. Applications are now being taken.

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Apply now for Advanced Commissioning 2009/10

Following on from the two successful and highly popular Advanced Commissioning courses, we are pleased to announced that we are now accepting applications to the 2009/10 course.

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