Strategy Refresh FAQs
We are refreshing our Trust Strategy and here you can find the answers to your questions. If your question isn't answered here, or if you want to contact us about the Strategy Refresh, please email strategy@slam.nhs.uk
Why should I take part?
The strategy will set the direction of the Trust for the next five years. Whether you are a service user, carer, governor, member of staff, partner or member of the public, we want to hear from you about what you think is important. Having conversations about the strategy with a wide range of people who are part of the Trust community will give us rich and detailed feedback to help make the 2026-2031 strategy the best it can be.
What does the strategy do?
Our strategy sets priorities for the Trust for the next five years, and helps us decide how to spend money and allocate resources. Considering our strategy helps us understand the underlying challenges we face and develop direction and focus for addressing them.
Why is the Trust refreshing its strategy?
Our current strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives, is due to end in 2026, so earlier this year the Board decided to start the refresh process. We started work on the Strategy Refresh in 2025 to make sure we reserved enough time to engage with service users and carers, staff, governors, our partners and our communities about what is important to them.
Do I have to take part? Does taking part or not taking part impact my care?
No, you don’t have to take part and whether you take part or not will not impact your care.
We are encouraging everyone connected to the Trust to get involved including service users a nd carers, staff, our partners and the wider community. You have unique perspectives, and we want to hear from you so your ideas and contributions can shape the new strategy. If you would like to take part anonymously, please consider completing the online survey which doesn’t ask for your name or your contact details.
What is the timeline for the strategy refresh?
We are now in the engagement period for the strategy refresh, which runs from 26 November 2025 to 31 March 2026. In the spring we will analyse the feedback we’ve received and begin to draft the new strategy. It will be reviewed in line with our organisational governance procedures and the refreshed strategy will be launched at a hybrid public event in summer 2026.
Why are we changing vision and mission?
The current vision and mission have been established for a long time, so it’s a good idea to consider them from time to time to make sure they're still fit for purpose. Considering the vision and mission is also a chance for us to all reconnect to our purpose.
How will the impact of the strategy be measured?
As we develop the strategy, we will also consider the impact we want to have, and what we need to measure to make sure that we know when we have successfully delivered it. This is a key part of the development process and all priorities in the strategy will have measurable factors.
