I’m always excited about change, design, revolution and evolution. However, my heart broke when, at a recent meeting, as we discussed the announcements regarding the abolition of NHS England and expected reductions by ICBs, one of our health partners burst into tears. It appears that the manner and impact of how health colleagues were told has left many feeling deeply emotional. We often associate ‘care’ with ‘health’ to form ‘healthcare’ - the caring profession experienced the disconnection of care in the way that a significant change within the health sector was delivered to them.

I recently celebrated Passover, also known as Pesach, which is one of my favourite Jewish festivals. It is deeply connected to themes of change and transformation, making it relevant to my profession in several ways:

1. The Journey: The story of Passover is about the transition from a challenging to a liberating circumstance. This journey symbolises the profound changes that can occur when people are determined to overcome challenges and secure a better future. In change management, this mirrors the process of moving from a challenging situation to a more positive and productive destination.
2. Leadership and Vision: The story centres leaders who guide through a difficult journey. The leadership and vision were crucial in navigating the complexities of change. Effective change management also requires strong leadership to inspire and guide teams, people and politicians through transitions.
3. Community and Support: The story emphasises the importance of community and collective effort, particularly in supporting each other through individual hardships. Similarly, successful change management involves fostering a supportive environment where individuals work together towards common goals.
4. Resilience and Adaptability: The story highlights how people had to adapt to new circumstances and show resilience in the face of challenges. Change management often requires adaptability and resilience to handle unexpected obstacles and ensure smooth transitions.
5. Reflection and Renewal: Moreover, it is a time for reflection and renewal, encouraging individuals to think about their past experiences and how they can improve moving forward. In change management, regular reflection helps assess progress and make necessary, iterative adjustments.

By embracing these principles, change management can become more compassionate and effective, ensuring that sustainable transitions are handled with care and empathy.

Our health and police colleagues, who are critical to the journey from what is to what is to become, are navigating substantial organisational and sector changes. Many councils are also traversing the novel change of local government reorganisation and devolution. As radical leaders, we will need to dig deep and deliberately design our DNA of relational practice into the collective impact and accountability journey we are about to redesign together.

To enable a successful arrival at the destination, all inspectorates and central government departments must also commit to these change management and working together principles for both business as usual and transformation activities that they lead. After all, as my Adur and Worthing colleague, Noel Hatch, says, “transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when people work together — with care, courage and connection. Change lands better when we land it together.”