Building Stronger Neighbourhoods: Two inspiring days with Nottingham City Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs)
The Integrated Neighbourhood Team (INT) programme in Nottingham City continues to gather momentum, and we were thrilled to spend two energising days with colleagues from across the system. These sessions brought together partners working on the Nottingham City East and Bestwood & Sherwood INT pathfinder sites, marking another important step in shaping how we deliver joined-up care and support for our communities.
Led by Erica Sparkes, Head of Organisational Development for CityCare, and supported by Louise Redhead and Rani Parvez, Transformation Managers for the City Place Team, the sessions were designed to strengthen collaboration, build confidence, and ensure readiness for the next phase of the INT journey.
Day 1: Building Stronger INT Foundations
What a fantastic start! We set the scene with Helen Woodiwiss Director of Operations at CityCare and Dr Manik Arora local GP and National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme Local Coach on neighbourhood health and why we are developing INTs. Erica led the sessions which explored roles within an INT through an interactive group session, strengthened connections with team-building activities, tackled real-world challenges in an INT case study, and wrapped up with readiness questions plus the ‘Who’s Who’ guide.
The energy in the room was tangible, with participants bringing enthusiasm and openness to every activity.
Day 2: Turning Vision into Practice
The second day shifted gears to focus on the practicalities of implementation. Together, we worked through the nuts and bolts of making INTs operational, covering areas such as data extraction from e-Healthscope to support population health management, patient consent processes to ensure safe and ethical practice, the development of templates and SNOMED codes to standardise approaches across teams, and practical discussions on logistics and workflows to embed INTs into everyday practice. This hands-on approach gave participants the confidence to tackle challenges head-on and provided clarity on the tools and processes needed to make INTs successful.
A Shared Commitment to Change
Across both days, what stood out most was the collective commitment to making INTs work for Nottingham City. The turnout was fantastic, and the positivity in the room reflected a shared belief in the power of integrated working.
By bringing together health, care, and community partners, INTs are helping us move towards a model that is more connected, person-centred, and responsive to local needs. These sessions were not just about learning—they were about building relationships, strengthening trust, and laying the foundations for lasting change.
Looking Ahead
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and contributed so actively. Your energy, ideas, and dedication are driving the transformation of neighbourhood care across Nottingham City.
The journey is only just beginning, but with such strong collaboration and commitment, we are confident that INTs will make a real difference to the lives of the people we serve.
Together, we are shaping a future where care is integrated, communities are empowered, and every neighbourhood thrives.