Anchor Institutions

Background

By purposefully aligning how the NHS employs staff, purchases goods, manages estates, uses physical resources and engages with local communities, as an anchor institution, the NHS can tackle the underlying drivers of poor health and health inequalities.

Acting as effective anchors can be difficult, particularly for statutory organisations. To support London NHS organisations in their journey to becoming Anchor institutions, a number of initiatives are being developed that will support a structured approach to sharing learning, drawing on the best evidence, expertise and examples. 

How Strong is Your Anchor? A Measurement Toolkit for Health Anchors

Anchor approaches have grown rapidly in popularity, providing a new way for healthcare organisations to improve community health, wealth and wellbeing. Measuring the impact of anchor action is vital, but it can be challenging to know how to do this.

The UCLPartners Anchor Measurement Toolkit provides guidance and support to local health anchors and their partners, helping them to capture their activity and impact.

What is included in the Toolkit?

The Toolkit includes:

• A logic model to provide a ‘golden thread’ from anchor activities to impacts.
• A ‘menu’ of 56 indicators, categorised by:
  • 11 areas of anchor activity
  • How difficult they are to measure
  • Suitability for regular measurement and
  • Links to existing measurement frameworks and datasets.
• 16 examples of anchor measurement in action and 4 longer case studies of anchor measurement approaches
• Eight underpinning principles for good anchor measurement including embedding equity, connecting with the community and creating systems for future measurement.

Anchor action (and measurement) vary significantly by population needs and assets, institutional priorities and existing anchor activity, so the UCLPartners Anchor Measurement Toolkit is therefore adaptable to local context.

How was the Toolkit developed?

The Toolkit is built on significant stakeholder engagement – over 40 organisations were involved in the project, from across health and partner organisations in the UK, and over 190 respondents to a public survey also contributed.

The toolkit has been produced by UCLPartners, with thanks to The Health Foundation for supporting the work.

More information

Download the UCLPartners Anchor Measurement Toolkit

There are also four additional appendices:

• A full anchor logic model
• An indicator workbook
• An analysis of survey results
• A list of survey questions

Anchor Strategy and Change Network

The Anchor Strategy and Change Network is an informal network for NHS strategy and policy leads in London, co-chaired by NHS London and UCLPartners. The network aims to support NHS organisations in London to maximise their economic and social impact in local communities.

Leading change in public services can be complex, time-consuming and demanding – particularly when balancing the immediate operational demands of the day job. The Network recognises the challenges local managers and leaders face in developing, leading and delivering institutional, borough and system-wide anchor programmes and seeks to support them in creating the necessary culture in which change is possible.

Who can join the Network?

The Network would suit those who work for the NHS/ICSs in London and whose roles cover strategy or policy. You will be actively involved in shaping and delivering local change programmes and/or corporate anchor strategies and keen to meet, share and problem solve with peers.

What does the Network discuss?

The network meets every 3-4 months, at a local London anchor institution.

The main topic of conversation is how to embed change and ensure impact. Speakers are invited to every session from local public and private organisations working on anchor priorities.

These speakers highlight real examples of leading social movements, applying technical expertise, creating culture change, measuring impact, and building the evidence – enabling discussions about applicability of approaches and implementation across the NHS in London.

These interactive sessions are followed by a local walking tour through the neighbourhoods and communities at the heart of the anchor work, with plenty of networking time.

Where has hosted Network visits?

The Network has visited the following anchor projects and areas within London:

• Pembroke House Settlement (February 2022)
• Barts Health NHS Trust (May 2022)
• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Westminster City Council (August 2022)
• Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and Lewisham Council (January 2023)
• South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trusts (May 2023)

Find out more

For more information on either of these projects or to join the network, please contact dominique.allwood@uclpartners.com, Chief Medical Officer.