Applied Development in Action

If one in four leaders say training doesn’t deliver business-critical outcomes[1], then nobody told Barry Underwood.

Barry is an Allied Health Professional (AHP) leader in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. He took part in our Leading Beyond Boundaries System Leadership Programme back in 2019, where he first encountered Friendly Consulting – a deceptively simple 20-minute group problem solving process. One person brings a live challenge, while peers ask questions, share perspectives, and offer ideas. In just 20 minutes, the “client” leaves with fresh insight, renewed confidence and a way forward.

Many participants say they’ll try it back at work. Barry actually did.

From programme to practice

Barry saw the potential to use Friendly Consulting as a regular, system-wide space for therapists to support each other. With light-touch sponsorship from senior leaders, he set up Therapy Clusters: monthly, virtual forums open to occupational therapists and physiotherapists from across acute, community, mental health, local authority and voluntary services across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough health and care system.

The format is deliberately simple and non-hierarchical. One therapist presents an issue, others lean in with curiosity and ideas, and together they generate practical next steps. No extra resources, no complicated structures, just people’s time, attention and generosity.

Four years on

Therapy Clusters have become a thriving, grassroots movement.

• Sustained participation across the whole system, even during periods of intense pressure.
• Practical innovations such as a system-wide therapy networking app, a traffic-light tool for urgent discharge needs, shared preceptorship frameworks, and redesigned patient pathways.
• Improved patient care, with smoother handovers, quicker access to equipment, fewer delays and more joined-up journeys between hospital and community.
• A boost to staff wellbeing and confidence, with therapists describing the sessions as energising, supportive and a rare opportunity to connect across organisational boundaries.

Why it works

The power of Therapy Clusters lies in their simplicity. The 20-minute structure is easy to follow, requires no additional resources, and values every voice. You don’t need to be an expert in someone’s world to help them think differently. In fact, the naïve questions often spark the biggest breakthroughs.

By making the space virtual, accessible and non-hierarchical, Barry created a safe environment for colleagues at every banding and role to contribute. With senior leaders offering just enough permission for it to flourish, the model has taken root and grown far beyond its original ambition.

The bigger lesson

Barry didn’t wait for permission or a big programme of change. He saw a tool that worked and put it into practice. Four years later, it is still delivering value for staff, patients and the wider system.

This matters because transforming a healthcare system requires different leadership behaviours. Good intentions alone are not enough. You have to act your way into new ways of thinking, not the other way around. And because that is hard to do in isolation, finding people who will both support and challenge you on the journey is essential.

That is Applied Development at its best: a simple process seeded in a leadership programme, nurtured by practitioners, and sustained because it adds genuine value. It is CoCreate’s approach to making learning live, practical and system-shaping.

[1] https://www2.qa.hbr.org/2016/10/why-leadership-training-fails-and-what-to-do-about-it