Flow Coaching Academy

A communications strategy to scale up a national network of academies

The Flow Coaching Academy (FCA) equips NHS staff with team-coaching skills and the roadmap to improve the care they provide. It is an inspiring approach to achieving change in healthcare which can also be career changing.

From its roots in one NHS Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, the FCA team was charged with rapidly creating a new network of academies around the UK. They needed a communications strategy to support the roll-out of this franchise model.

We were asked to:

  • Undertake an objective audit of FCA’s communications activity and infrastructure

  • Conduct audience research, to understand the appeal of the flow coaching approach and any barriers to engagement

  • Contribute benchmarking insights from other successful social franchise brands

  • Specify the FCA’s core comms requirements, including how the team should structure and resource its communications

Our analysis and recommendations led to the creation of a new in-house role to lead on FCA’s communications. We also helped to advise on and support the recruitment to the post.

The network has now grown to ten academies working across the NHS, with support from the Health Foundation. The FCA team also returned to us after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to ask us to:

  • Develop an external influencing strategy that would reposition its work to reflect the immense changes experienced by stakeholders

  • Create a planning tool to focus the work of two new comms officer posts

  • Devise a messaging framework which would speak to their high priority audiences

The FCA is continuing to expand its influence and reach, in spite of the challenges presented by the pandemic. We are proud to have been part of their journey.

“I am so glad that we’ve had the opportunity to work with Randall and Fox. The FCA network is stronger as result of their guidance. Susannah and Selina are a pleasure to work with, and it always felt as if we were partnering with them to create a bright future for the Flow Coaching Academy.”
— Nick Deayton, Business Manager