Wednesday 11 March 2026 | 13:00 - 14:00
Stream: Science
Chair: Patricia Ripoli Ros Fundacion VISIBLE; Spain

From fragmentation to collaboration: using relationship-based approaches to build high-trust teams across organisational boundaries

Fragmented systems and siloed teams undermine the delivery of safe, person-centred care—especially across complex service networks.

This session introduces two powerful but underused theories: Relational Coordination (which focuses on strengthening communication and shared goals between roles) and Relational Identity Theory (which supports building a collective “we” across organisational and cultural divides).
Through the example of a regional perinatal mental health network in England, we show how clinical leaders and experts by experience applied these principles to transform distrust into shared purpose and improve collaboration.

Attendees will learn how this approach led to measurable improvements in trust and teamwork—and how the same methods can be adapted to any setting where care spans boundaries.

Designed for system leaders, improvers, and clinicians, this practical and interactive session will equip participants to use data, relationships, and identity to enable high-performing teams that deliver safer, more equitable care.

After this session, participants will be able to: 

• Explain the core principles of Relational Coordination and Relational Identity Theory in plain terms, and understand how they can be used to build trust, shared purpose, and stronger communication across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Identify common relational and cultural barriers to effective collaboration in multi-agency settings, and apply a structured, relationship-based approach to addressing them.
• Use relational data (e.g. RC survey results) to inform practical interventions, guide team development, and improve joint working in complex care systems—drawing from the perinatal care example but adaptable to other contexts.
  

Richard Wylde Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; UK