NW Masterclass: Empowering Managers to Support Their Teams

Through Burnout

Overview:

Burnout in health and social care isn’t just rising, it’s becoming one of the most critical risks to workforce sustainability, staff retention, and quality of care. Yet the people who often feel most under-equipped to respond are those at the frontline of leadership: managers.

Management is the backbone of staff wellbeing, yet many feel unsure how to respond when a team member is struggling. This session demystifies burnout, builds capability, and leaves leaders with a clear pathway to strengthen their teams.

Designed specifically for senior and system level leaders who want to build confident, capable managers who can recognise, understand, and support staff experiencing burnout. Through a blend of practical tools, case studies, and proven wellbeing approaches, colleagues will discover how to create a culture where managers feel empowered to act early, have meaningful conversations, and create supportive environments where staff can recover and thrive.

Objectives:

• Practical strategies to help managers spot early signs of burnout
• Conversation tools that managers can use immediately
• Psychological safety techniques to create open, supportive team cultures
• Leadership approaches that reduce pressure and improve staff experience
• Leaders leave ready to empower their managers with confidence, clarity, and practical tools, ensuring staff feel valued, supported, and able to thrive

Speakers:

Professor Michael West

Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund & Professor of Organisational Psychology, Lancaster University, widely recognised for contributions to NHS leadership development, having helped shape national policy and workforce culture approaches.

Sarah-Jane Dale COO of Affina OD

Sarah-Jane is a values-driven leader with national-level experience in workforce transformation, leadership development and cultural change across health and social care. As Chief Operating Officer at Affina, Sarah-Jane leads strategic programmes grounded in global research, helping teams – particularly in health and social care – to thrive. Drawing on Professor Michael West’s seminal research, Affina has supported team-based working in hundreds of settings, including the NHS, for over 20 years.