Building allied health professions’ leadership self-efficacy through authentic experiential learning: a participatory evaluation of allied health professions leadership fellow secondments

Background NHS England’s Chief Allied Health Profession’s Officer has called for investment in allied health professions (AHPs) leaders and the need to address limited leadership development opportunities for AHPs. We report the evaluation of a small-scale leadership initiative in a UK National Health Service (NHS) provider where part-time, fixed term, project focused AHP leadership fellow posts were established. Aim To gain insights about the implementation and benefits of an AHP leadership fellow initiative and to identify learning to inform future AHP leadership development. Method A participatory evaluative approach was adopted, involving the associate director for AHPs who established the initiative and the first cohort of AHP leadership fellows. Findings There is evidence of organisational value and benefits for AHP leadership fellows which map to mid-career leadership opportunities described in NHS guidance. Conclusion AHP leadership fellow posts provide innovative experiential opportunities for authentic and meaningful strategic leadership development consistent with NHS guidance. While small scale, with limited representation from just two of the AHPs recognised in the NHS, there are indications of positive outcomes for both aspiring AHP leaders and employers. The approach could be replicated across healthcare systems, in different settings and with wider representation from other AHPs.