Effective challenge for boards

Making challenge work for your board

The role of a unitary board is to shape strategy, oversee delivery, and foster a healthy organisational culture — all while operating within a complex, integrated health and care system.

Effective, constructive challenge and scrutiny are essential to this role. Yet in pressured environments, the balance can shift too far toward support, weakening oversight and exposing the organisation to risk.

This practical one-day course helps boards strengthen their challenge culture. Through real examples and interactive exercises, you’ll explore how confident, evidence-based challenge supports better decision-making, accountability, and board performance.

Key takeaways

1. Clarify the roles and responsibilities across the board and senior leadership.
2. Understand what enables effective challenge, including triangulation and assurance.
3. Explore how challenge and support work together in decision-making.
4. Practise questioning techniques in a safe, peer-led setting.
5. Share learning and practical solutions with other board members.

The absence of effective challenge has been a factor in high-profile NHS governance failures. Boards working under pressure may lean too heavily on support, risking blind spots in oversight. System-level working also introduces new accountabilities and exposure.

In this environment, boards need the skills, confidence and culture to challenge constructively, within their own teams and across partnerships. This session supports you to create space for courageous conversations and strengthen your board’s ability to lead in complexity.

• The respective roles and responsibilities of the unitary board, governors, non-executive directors, executive directors, and senior managers along with exploring the common problem areas relating to accountability.
• The key elements and enablers of effective challenge including evidence-based assurance, triangulation and creating a safe space to have constructive conversations.
• The relationship between challenge and support in effective decision making and organisational culture.
• Practical exercises to explore and compare different approaches to questioning and challenge.
• Opportunity for you to meet and network with peers to discuss common issues and potential solutions.

The course runs from 9:30am to 4pm (subject to change).

This course is open to NHS Providers members, associate members and non-members.

Member: £310 (ex VAT) | £372 (incl. VAT)
Associate Member: £390 (ex VAT) | £468 (incl. VAT)
Non Member: £465 (ex VAT) | £558 (incl. VAT)

You will need to provide a purchase order number at booking to confirm your place on this course. Card payments are also accepted. 

• Board members (both executive and non-executive).
• Senior executives.