Lessons from the Welsh Ambulance Service
Change doesn’t happen in isolation – it requires vision, community, and commitment from every layer of an organisation. In a candid and insightful session, Angela Lewis, Director of Culture Change at the Welsh Ambulance Service, shares a powerful story of embedding Change Management into the core of one of the UK’s most demanding public service environments – building a change movement. Her experience is rich with practical takeaways for Change Managers navigating transformation in complex, people-centric settings.
A New Vision for Change
Angela Lewis challenges the traditional project-based view of change management. For her, change is not an event – it’s a leadership capability. At the Welsh Ambulance Service, change is embedded into the organisation’s fabric. The “WAST Way” development programme integrates the principles of care, connect, and value into leadership and cultural transformation.
The message is clear: change management must be part of how organisations lead, not just how they manage projects. And this shift begins with a clear, shared vision.
“If we can get that right, the job of change professionals becomes much easier because it won’t be a case of just asking for help during a difficult project – it will be about partnering to lead effectively.”
Scaling Capability Over Centralisation
Rather than building a small, centralised change team, Angela’s strategy was to rapidly increase change capability across the entire organisation. In just 18 months:
- 75 Change Practitioners have been trained
- Staff across all departments – clinical, corporate, digital, call centres – have participated
- The goal is 200 trained change agents within two years
The approach: inclusive, wide-reaching, and deliberate. Training is both foundational and practitioner-level, ensuring depth and consistency.
This model of decentralised capability building enabled faster cultural embedding, wider impact, and a stronger sense of ownership among staff.
Power of Community and Branding
At the heart of the initiative is a thriving change community. Its identity? An octopus. Yes, really.
Inspired by the octopus’s flexibility, intelligence, and connectivity, it’s become a powerful internal symbol. Just as “Charlie the Chameleon” once served as a metaphor for adaptability in Companies House, the octopus now anchors WAST’s change brand. It’s smart, memorable, and embraced by the community.
“They’ve got nine brains, three hearts, and multitasking tentacles. It’s landed beautifully.”
The takeaway? Don’t underestimate the power of strong branding and a visual identity to unite people and spark engagement.
Lessons in Leadership and Sponsorship
Senior sponsorship has been pivotal. Angela credits the board’s support and early engagement in training as a key success factor. Change Management was introduced as a strategic enabler – not an afterthought – and woven into cultural and operational transformation from the start.
“Buy-in from the board is absolutely paramount. I can’t say enough about how important it is.”
Leaders were trained, supported, and encouraged to champion change. But Angela also reflects honestly on the importance of planning for resistance – and not assuming support across all departments.
Challenges: Honest Reflections
No journey is without bumps. Angela is transparent about the hard lessons:
- Appointing a Head of Change (Sarah) too late meant early work relied heavily on goodwill
- Junior change leads needed more wraparound support and recognition
- Some of the strongest resistance came from unexpected places – HR, comms, and project management
The importance of continuously reflecting and adapting was a recurring theme. “You can’t lift and shift,” Angela warns. Each organisation needs a tailored approach that aligns with its culture and maturity.
Actionable Takeaways for Change Managers
There’s plenty for practitioners to take away:
- Build Change into Leadership: Make it part of every leader’s toolkit, not just a project layer
- Broaden Capability: Train across functions, levels, and departments
- Brand It: Use creative, resonant branding to make change engaging and human
- Segment Toolkits: Design resources for different audiences – managers, practitioners, those experiencing change
- Use Bite-Sized Learning: Videos and quick guides work well in high-pressure environments
- Keep It Fresh: Regular community meetings help test, evolve, and maintain relevance
- Secure Sponsorship: Get senior leaders on board early and visibly
- Expect Resistance: Plan for it, and engage constructively with sceptical stakeholders
- Celebrate Progress: Recognise stories of success, especially from the frontline
Measuring Progress: It’s Not Just Data
How do you know if it’s working? Success is as much about feeling as it is metrics:
- Are staff using the language of change?
- Do people feel involved, not dictated to?
- Are trade unions and managers embracing early engagement?
- Is change embedded into leadership development?
Formal metrics include staff survey results, programme engagement, and post-implementation feedback. But qualitative indicators – stories from the field – matter just as much.
Final Reflections: A Movement in Motion
Angela’s proudest moments come not from boardroom accolades, but from hearing a paramedic say they used Change Management techniques during a difficult shift – and it made a difference.
“We’ve created a movement. People want to develop. They want to lead differently. They want to be part of this.”
It’s not about grand gestures. It’s about persistent, purposeful actions that shift the culture – bit by bit.
🎬 Members can watch the webinar on the MEMBER HUB
🤔 Not a member yet? Now is a great time to JOIN HERE NOW
