Advancing Leadership for Integrated Care Excellence (ALICE)

Advancing Leadership for Integrated Care Excellence (ALICE)

A national team-based quality improvement and leadership programme for health and social care professionals working to strengthen integrated care delivery

"Strategically leading and supporting HSCPs to maximise their potential and achieve the greatest impact for the design, planning, management and delivery of person-centred, integrated care." Vision of the National Health & Social Care Professions Office

Programme Overview

Duration:       6 Months

CPD:        28

Assessment Mode : Project

Award: Certificate

 

The ALICE programme is a national, structured learning initiative designed to support multidisciplinary teams to improve care through quality improvement (QI) methods and workplace-based improvement work.

Building on the learning and achievements of the first two cohorts, Cohort 3 offers a blended learning experience combining expert facilitation, coaching, workplace-based improvement work, and peer learning. Participants will develop leadership capability, apply proven QI methodologies, and deliver measurable improvements within their own service.

The ALICE programme consists of two connected phases. Phase 1 focuses on developing quality improvement capability through the exploration of a workplace-based service problem and the testing of potential improvements. Phase 2, Leadership in Practice, is an optional but strongly recommended continuation pathway funded by the National Health and Social Care Professions Office. It provides ongoing opportunities for personal and professional development, sustained improvement work, peer networking and leadership growth across health and social care settings.

Read the ALICE Cohort 1 Report

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to: 

• Lead and contribute to quality improvement projects in integrated care settings

 
• Apply quality improvement methods to understand problems and test changes 

 
• Use data to guide improvement and demonstrate impact

 
• Engage patients, service users and stakeholders in improvement work

 
• Sustain and spread successful improvements

 
• Demonstrate increased confidence and capability as improvement leaders 

 
• Influence change within multidisciplinary and cross-service environments

• Contribute to a community of practice that supports continuous improvement across health and social care services

 

Two-Phase Programme Structure

The ALICE programme consists of two connected phases designed to support both team-based improvement and longer-term leadership development.

Phase 1: Team Improvement Programme (6 Months)

Phase 1 focuses on developing quality improvement capability through a workplace-based improvement project.

Working as an established multidisciplinary team, participants will: 

• Explore and define a meaningful service problem.

• Engage patients, service users and stakeholders in understanding the problem.

• Apply quality improvement methods and tools.

• Use data to guide decision-making and measure impact. 

• Test and evaluate potential improvements. 

• Develop leadership capability through practical experience.

• Share learning and results with peers and stakeholders. 

At the end of Phase 1, teams will present their project outcomes and reflect on their learning and leadership development.

Phase 2: Leadership in Practice (Optional but Strongly Recommended)

Phase 2 is a funded continuation pathway supported by the National Health and Social Care Professions Office and represents an ongoing investment in participants' development as leaders of improvement.

While participation is optional, teams and individuals are strongly encouraged to continue into this phase to maximise the impact of their learning and improvement work.

Leadership in Practice recognises that services, teams and careers evolve. Participants may continue as their original team, continue with some members of the original team or participate as individuals if roles, services or organisational circumstances have changed.

The focus moves from leading a single improvement project to strengthening the capability and confidence needed to lead change throughout a professional career. 

Participants will be supported to:

• Sustain and embed improvements achieved during Phase 1.

 
• Spread successful approaches to other areas of practice.

 
• Apply improvement methods to new challenges and settings.

 
• Continue developing leadership capability and influence.

 
• Build and maintain professional networks across services and disciplines. 

 
• Share their experience and learning with peers.

• Contribute to a growing community of improvement practice across health and social care.

Leadership in Practice provides an opportunity for participants to continue their development while remaining connected to the wider ALICE network and the improvement community established through the programme. This phase reflects the National Health and Social Care Professions Office's commitment to investing in leadership development beyond completion of a single improvement project.

 

Who Is This Programme For?

ALICE is designed for established multidisciplinary teams who already work together to deliver care within the same service, care pathway, programme or integrated model of care.

Team members should share responsibility for the same or a closely related patient or service-user population and have the ability to work together between programme sessions to test and implement improvements.

ALICE is not intended for teams created solely to participate in the programme.

The strongest teams:

• Work together regularly in practice 

• Share responsibility for the same service, pathway or patient cohort

• Have a genuine service challenge they want to improve

• Can test and measure changes in their workplace

• Have organisational support to implement improvements

Click the tabs at the top of this page to learn more about the course timetable, what to expect and how to apply.

Please note that all course dates are provisional and may be subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to participants accordingly.

Month	Format
December 2026	Wed 16 Dec – Virtual (1-2pm)
January 2027	Tues 12 Jan – In person (9.30am-4pm)
February 2027	Tues 9 Feb – In person (9.30 am-4pm)
March 2027	Tues 9 Mar – Virtual (9am-12.30pm)
April 2027	Thurs 8 Apr – Virtual (2-5pm)
	Thurs 29 Apr – Virtual (9am-12.30pm)
May 2027	Tues 11 May – Virtual (2-5pm)
	Thurs 20 May - Virtual (2-5pm)
June 2027	Thurs 10 Jun – In person (9.30am-4pm)

 

This collaborative learning programme includes five core learning sessions (three in-person, two virtual) and two virtual coaching sessions over a seven-month period. All team members are expected to attend every session to successfully complete the programme.

Participants will be awarded 28 CPD credits upon completion of the learning programme and an additional 12 CPD credits after the follow-on programme.

The course combines blended teaching, coaching and workplace-based project learning. Most of the learning occurs through team-based project work supported by coaching and guided assignments. Participants will also complete a small number of individual leadership-focused tasks throughout the programme.

Structure

 • Pre-course learning: ~2 hours of self-directed foundational content

 • Monthly sessions: Dynamic and interactive, with expert facilitation

 • Team project work: Central to the programme, developed across sessions

 • Individual assignments: Focused on leadership reflection and personal development

 • Coaching: Two targeted virtual sessions providing feedback and tailored support

Outputs

Each team will complete a quality improvement project in their workplace, with final outputs typically including: 

• A team abstract

• A digital and printed poster 

• A short video presentation

Between sessions, teams will complete structured project tasks (e.g. SMART aims, driver diagrams, testing cycles), while individuals will reflect on leadership growth and engagement.

Defining a Team

For the purpose of ALICE, a team is an existing group of professionals who routinely work together and share responsibility for the delivery or coordination of care for a common patient or service-user group.

Team members may come from different disciplines or organisations provided they:

• Already collaborate in practice

• Contribute to the same service or care pathway

• Share ownership of the improvement challenge 

• Can jointly test and implement changes

 

Team Requirements

Team Composition

Each team must:

• Consist of three members

• Include at least two Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCPs)

• Ideally include professionals from different disciplines

• Include a third member from HSCP, nursing, medicine, management, administration or another relevant role with a direct connection to the improvement area

Working Relationship 

All team members must:

• Already work together within the same service, pathway, programme, network or integrated care model

• Share responsibility for the same or a closely related patient or service-user group

• Be able to work together throughout the programme

• Be actively involved in the service area they wish to improve

Organisational Support 

Teams must have: 

• Support from a senior sponsor with authority to support improvement work

• Approval for all team members to participate

• Support to test and implement changes in their workplace 

The sponsor's details will be required as part of the application process.

 

Problem Readiness 

Teams should come to the programme with a clearly identified service problem that matters to patients, service users, families, carers and staff and that they are collectively well placed to influence. 

Teams should bring:

• A workplace-based quality problem.

• A challenge affecting a service, pathway or patient population they collectively support.

• Evidence that the problem exists through local data, feedback, observations or experience.

• Alignment with local and/or national priorities.

• Openness to understanding the problem before deciding on solutions. 

Teams should not bring:

• A predetermined solution

• A project that has already been designed and agreed

• A requirement to implement a specific intervention

• A proposal seeking approval for a decision already made

 

Choosing a Problem Area 

Improvement work should address issues that align with local service priorities and national strategic objectives, including those identified within:

• Sláintecare priorities

• The HSCP Deliver Strategic Guidance Framework

• Local service plans and improvement priorities

What Makes a Strong Application? 

The strongest applications clearly describe:

• The problem

• Who is affected

• Why it matters

• The evidence that the problem exists

• Why action is needed now

• Why the team is well placed to improve the issue

Applications are assessed on the team's understanding of the problem, not on having a solution.

 

Examples of Suitable Improvement Themes 

Theme 1: Improving Safe and Timely Access to Care

Examples may include:

• Delays in referral processing

• Inefficient transitions between services

• Duplication across waiting lists

• Missed opportunities for early intervention

• Patients not accessing the most appropriate service

 

Theme 2: Improving Coordination of Care

Examples may include:

• Fragmented care pathways

• Unclear service boundaries

• Multiple points of contact creating confusion for patients and staff

• Poor communication between services

• Challenges at interfaces between organisations or teams

Theme 3: Improving Delivery of Care

Examples may include:

• Long waiting times

• Inefficient use of resources

• Variation in clinical or service processes

• Capacity constraints

• Care being delivered in settings that do not best meet patient needs

 

What to Expect

This collaborative learning programme includes: 

• Five core learning sessions (three in-person and two virtual)

• Two virtual coaching sessions

• Workplace-based project work

• Team assignments and reflection activities

• Individual leadership development activities

Most learning occurs through practical improvement work undertaken by teams within their own service.

All team members are expected to attend all programme sessions and participate fully in project activities between sessions.

 

Programme Structure

Pre-Course Learning

Approximately 2 hours of self-directed foundational content.

 

Monthly Learning Sessions

Interactive sessions combining quality improvement methods, leadership development and applied learning.

 

Team Improvement Project

The central component of the programme. Teams will develop, test, measure and refine improvements within their workplace throughout the programme.

 

Individual Leadership Activities

Focused assignments supporting leadership reflection and development.

 

Coaching Support

Targeted coaching sessions providing feedback, challenge and practical support.

 

Programme Outputs 

Each team will complete a workplace-based quality improvement project and produce outputs that typically include:

• A project abstract

• A digital and printed poster

• A short video presentation

Between sessions, teams will complete structured project activities such as:

• Problem definition

• Stakeholder engagement

• Process mapping

• SMART aims

• Driver diagrams

• Measurement planning

• PDSA cycles and testing

• Impact evaluation

About the Application Process

Applications are invited from existing teams of three professionals working within HSE or HSE-funded services.

Applications will be assessed against three areas:

Team Suitability

• Evidence of an existing working relationship

• Shared responsibility for a common service, pathway or patient cohort

• Multidisciplinary representation

• Capacity to work together throughout the programme

Problem Suitability

Preference will be given to applications that demonstrate:

• A meaningful service problem.

• Evidence the problem exists.

• Alignment with service and strategic priorities.

• A problem within the team's sphere of influence.

• Openness to exploring causes before solutions.

Organisational Readiness

• Senior sponsorship

• Capacity to undertake improvement work

• Ability to test and implement changes

Before You Apply

Before applying, ensure that:

• All team members have reviewed the programme information

• All team members can attend programme dates

• Your team already works together within the same service, pathway or integrated care model you wish to improve

• Your team shares responsibility for the patient or service-user group affected by the problem

• Your team has identified a meaningful problem.

• Your sponsor supports participation.

• Your team is committed to learning, testing and improving together.

Key Dates

• Applications close at midnight on Friday 20th November.

• Applications will then be reviewed by a selection panel 

• All applicants will be notified of the outcome by email on Thursday 26th November.

This programme is fully funded by the HSE National Health and Social Care Professions Office for successful applicants.

 

ALICE is designed for existing multidisciplinary teams who already work together within the same service, pathway or model of care and share responsibility for a common patient or service-user population. Teams should bring a meaningful workplace problem that matters to patients, service users and staff, supported by evidence and aligned with service priorities. Teams are not expected to arrive with a solution. Successful participants are those who are willing to understand the problem, test improvements, and learn together to achieve measurable change.