New Possible’s British HR Awards set out to discover and celebrate the organisations that are truly passionate about delivering a world-class people experience.
In our Sharing Success series, we interview British HR Awards 2025 Winners to spotlight the inspiring projects that are improving workplaces across the UK and beyond. In this article we speak with Lisa Whitehouse of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT), winners of the ‘Culture Initiative of the Year’ category.
Introducing Lisa Whitehouse
Lisa Whitehouse is Associate Director of Culture and Staff Experience at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT). With a professional background as a consultant clinical psychologist, Lisa now works within an organisational development function alongside 11 other talented individuals. Together, they deliver a wide range of programmes aimed at improving staff experience and cultivating a positive organisational culture.
About Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT)
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) provides physical and mental health, learning disability, and adult social care services across the UK. They offer various community services for adults, children, young people, and their families, delivered in settings including health centres, GP practices, community hospitals, and people’s homes.
MPFT also provides regional and national specialist services, including perinatal, eating disorder, and forensic care. The Trust serves a population of 1.5 million people over a core area of 2,400 square miles.
A Culture Shift Rooted in Wellbeing, Leadership Development, and Employee Voice
MPFT’s culture programme revolves around three priorities: employee wellbeing, leadership development and a louder employee voice.
1. SOOTHE: An Evidence-Based Approach to Wellbeing
Driven by an ambition to build a thriving culture that keeps people at its heart, MPFT developed ‘SOOTHE’, a distinctive, nationally recognised, and evidence-based wellbeing framework.
Explaining SOOTHE, Lisa said: “Facing an international pandemic, when personal circumstances and professional practice were being challenged, a more robust and accessible wellbeing offer was required to support our staff as they, in turn, supported patients, carers, and families through this unprecedented event. SOOTHE was created to provide a framework and strategic approach to wellbeing and wellbeing interventions. It is an acronym built around key aspects of wellbeing: Self‑care; Open Up; Others; Team; Help; and Enjoy. These six areas were informed by research, British Psychological Society (2020) guidance, psychological approaches, and national NHS guidance. Additionally, we worked with our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Lead to ensure our offer is accessible to all and culturally sensitive.”
When asked about the importance of wellbeing in shaping a healthy culture, Lisa commented: “The health and wellbeing of our staff is fundamental to ensuring they are able to provide care for others, and MPFT is committed to having the right mechanisms in place to create the culture in which they are helped to stay healthy and well, and to support them when they are unwell. Research evidence suggests that healthy and happy healthcare staff lead to happy patients experiencing better care, greater satisfaction, and healthier outcomes.”
“This framework contributes to developing a culture in MPFT that promotes and prioritises wellbeing. As a board priority, SOOTHE aims to empower individual staff members and teams to consider these different areas of wellbeing and improve whatever is relevant for them. Furthermore, the framework can be applied to different aspects of wellbeing, such as financial wellbeing, sustainability, and physical wellbeing.”
2. Leadership Super Series
Leadership development has also played a critical role in evolving MPFT’s culture. The Trust’s ‘Leadership Super Series’ places wellbeing and culture at the heart of leadership development, reaching over 2,000 leaders to date. Additionally, a tailored programme for middle managers, ‘Be the Difference’, helps embed values-based leadership at every level, ensuring staff wellbeing and patient care remain top priorities.
3. The Ideas Hub
A key to staff engagement and continuous improvement is the MPFT Ideas Hub, a simple, accessible digital platform where involvement, engagement and shared success is open to everyone, 24/7, 365 days a year.
Lisa explained: “The Ideas Hub is a digital platform for staff to connect, influence, and collaborate on the things that matter most to them. Since its inception, over 3,900 staff have joined the hub. They have shared more than 600 ideas, made 3,257 comments, cast 947 votes, and viewed the content over 100,000 times. As a UK‑wide organisation, we have been able to shrink our geography through this technology and embrace new ways of collaborating.”
When asked about ideas that have already made an impact, Lisa mentioned: “There have been many ideas which have inspired me - from a single post suggesting a menopause information and support group, which has grown to over 700 members connecting, supporting each other, and creating a regular programme of events designed and delivered by our staff; to staff collaborating and sharing ideas to improve patient care, such as designing a bereavement card for families experiencing the loss of a loved one.”
“We also made it possible for all staff to receive a St George’s Cross pin badge following an idea posted on the Ideas Hub. This was to mark the award given to the NHS by the late Queen in recognition of its ‘courage, compassion, and dedication’ during the COVID‑19 pandemic and its 74 years of service to the public.”
Key Achievements:
- 20,000+ visits to SOOTHE wellbeing resources
- 200 trained SOOTHE ‘buddies’ providing peer support
- 2,000 leaders engaged in MPFT’s leadership learning and conferences
- 1,000+ staff accessing support groups such as Menopause Matters, Shed Talks, and EDI networks
- 6,000 LOVE Unites awards recognising staff embodying Trust values
- 19,000+ recognitions, including Long Service Awards and St George’s Cross badges
These efforts delivered strong results in the NHS Staff Survey, the largest workforce survey of its kind. MPFT achieved:
- The highest scores for staff feeling safe and healthy (6.72) and opportunities for learning or development and experience of appraisals (6.37) among peer trusts
- Second highest staff engagement score (7.39) among peer trusts
- Significant improvement in 8 out of 9 survey areas over the past 3 years
- 75% of staff recommending MPFT as a place to work – 10% above the national average and a 14% increase since MPFT’s formation in 2018
- Consistent year-on-year improvements in reducing work-related stress and burnout
- A record number of staff saying they feel secure in raising concerns
- Ranking among the top 9 of all trusts and 5th overall in staff recommendation for peer trusts
The patient impact is also clear: 89% of staff believe their work makes a difference, and 77% are satisfied with the standard of care they provide - 12 points above the national average. With 1,333 patient compliments logged last year, MPFT shows that when staff thrive, patients benefit.
When asked how MPFT plans to build on this success, Lisa said: “Whilst we have seen some fantastic improvements in our metrics, namely the annual NHS staff survey, we are not slowing down with our ambitions to make MPFT a fantastic place to work and receive treatment and care for all.”
Overall, judges praised ‘fantastic initiatives’ with ‘lasting impact’.
Lisa’s advice to other organisations
“Our success here at MPFT has taken time, collective effort, and strategic thinking. It would not have been possible without the considerable support we have had from our board of directors, who ensured that we had the necessary resources and created the organisational space for us to work.”
“To truly embed wellbeing in an organisation has required a multi‑professional approach, involving people professionals of all types, clinical psychologists, and wider corporate and clinical colleagues. It has required tenacity in the face of challenging contexts, supported by a clear vision, purpose, and sense of direction. In my experience, staff wellbeing means much more than a collection of resources or offers of support; it is a way of thinking and being, with compassion for people at its core. Holding that philosophy in mind and connecting it to an organisation’s values and cultural journey can really lead to something special for employees.”
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