Be Inspired! Shirley Ayres Consulting

What I believe to be one of the most exciting developments for social care has just been announced. The creation of a National Skills Academy for Social Care is a massive step forward in developing the skills of nearly 1.4 million social care workers. Finally there will be a “one stop shop” to enable employers, staff and service users to access information about learning and development opportunities.

There is, however, one confusing element that will need to be clarified – how will the social care academy link with the plethora of initiatives underway in children’s services? These include the Remodelling Social Work Practice pilots, the Newly Qualified Social Worker schemes and the development of Leadership and Management programmes for the children’s workforce. One answer may be found in the new Social Work Development Partnership Board a collaborative approach between the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and Skills for Care (SfC) which aims to improve social work practice.

The numerous questions I am asked about training in the care sector highlight the current confusion about accessing relevant and timely information. For the first time there will be a national scheme to identify and quality assure trainers to support the drive to improve the delivery of teaching and learning, inside and outside the workplace. You will no longer have to wonder which, out of a confusing number of organisations, you should approach to help meet your training needs.

The Academy will provide exemplar programmes for the skills required across the whole workforce in the private, voluntary and public sectors. It will champion innovative solutions to the ways in which training and learning can be delivered and assessed. It will be the information and reference source for individuals and care providers to disseminate good practice in learning, training and education wherever it is fo

Developments will include:

Two new commissioning programmes at national level, available regionally, to ensure that employers are able to contribute to and respond to community and individual needs effectively and efficiently:

A new national scheme to encourage quality in training provision through an accreditation scheme for associations and providers of training.

A new programme of encouragement and support for employers who wish to have their in-house training accredited to national standards.

Signposting the funding available for training and for staff and leadership development.

The Skills Academy will be established as an independent, not for profit organisation on March 30 2009.

Some facts about the social care workforce

Adult social care supports those with a physical or learning disability, people with mental health problems, and older people.

70% of social care staff work in the independent sector (private or voluntary).

Care is provided by more than 35,000 different employers

Most establishments employ less than 10 people

1.5 million people currently work in adult social care including home care workers, care home staff, social workers.

Demographic changes including an ageing population will require a significant increase in the social care workforce. It is projected to group to 2.5 million by 2020.

83% of the social care workforce is female (rising to 90% in direct care)

The majority have limited qualifications

What will the Skills Academy offer?

The Skills Academy is exploring a membership model which will confer a range of benefits, including:

access to a repository of information on funding opportunities and routes for training and development

access to information about accredited training providers and accredited trainers

access to e-learning networks

access to regional learning networks

discounts for kite-marking and quality assurance services

a membership kite-mark for corporate branding

the opportunity to take part in piloting and other developments of programmes and services

the opportunity to influence the direction of the Skills Academy through the membership group.

The Skills Academy for Social Care – Why Now?

To hear the views of the steering group you can watch the introductory video

For more information about the Social Work Development Partnership

Tags: accreditation, commissioning programmes, exemplar programmes, kite marking, national skills academy for social care, one stop shop, quality assuring training providers, scie, skills for care, training in the care sector

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What does it mean to be an advanced practitioner in social work and does this role include a professional responsibility for leadership? With the increasing focus on interprofessional and multi-disciplinary work in both adults and children’s services, comparisons will be drawn with allied professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers and psychologists. The new roles of Approved Mental Health Professional, Best Interest Assessor, Independent Mental Capacity Advocates and Responsible Clinician detailed in the Mental Capacity Act. 2005.offer challenges and opportunities for social workers to  contribute their specialist skills and knowledge in a wider range of settings.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council strategy outlined in the Building Better Future – Next steps for the Workforce identifies the need to develop and pilot a framework for professional development for social workers, including those in specialist roles. This will set out the standards and competences expected at different career stages, provide a coherent career pathways, improved development planning and incentives for advanced social workers to remain on the front line.

The role of the advanced practitioner will be explored further in the 2nd UK Mental Health Social Work Continuing Professional Development Conference on Friday 11th July.2008. Social workers in mental health services require strong professional leaders to promote the values, skills and experience of the profession within multi-disciplinary environments. However, the concept of professional leadership in mental health social work is in its infancy and has not yet been universally adopted by employers. This conference will provide the opportunity for discussion and debate about this important subject. You can still book a place by downloading the forms here 

With 5 keynote speakers, 30 papers in 10 symposia and 2 lunchtime film shows the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, Making Research Count and the University of Bedfordshire are to be congratulated on providing such an extensive conference programme which will enable practitioners to reflect and share best practice in the mental health field.

The Professional Leadership symposium is one of ten symposia offered at the conference. The full programme can be viewed here This symposium will draw upon the experience of the MSc in Mental Health Social Work with Children & Adults programme at the Institute of Psychiatry in developing professional leaders amongst mental health social workers. The key elements of professional leadership will be explored along with a vision for its future in mental health social work. Because professional leadership also includes the development of new knowledge through original research, research conducted by an advanced practitioner is included to exemplify professional leadership in action.

S8 Paper 1: Professional leadership in mental health social work: what does it mean and how do we achieve it? 

Martin Webber – Programme Leader, MSc in Mental Health Social Work with Children & Adults, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

Abstract

Mental health social work in England and Wales is characterised by uncertainty and low morale. The new Mental Health Act 2007 has opened up the Approved Social Work role to other mental health professionals leaving many to question what the unique contribution of social work to contemporary mental health services actually is. In the absence of a Royal College (provided for other mental health professions) or another authoritative body which defines and promotes social work practice in mental health services, it is largely up to individual practitioners to make and defend their contribution to multi-disciplinary teams.

In this paper I argue that professional leaders are in a strong position to promote good practice, develop the evidence-base for social work and help to define future roles for social workers within mental health services. Professional leadership is currently provided by advanced social work practitioners who can demonstrate an ability to offer advanced and reflective supervision, conduct original research and confidently assert the positive and unique contribution that social workers make to mental health services.

S8 Paper 2: Advanced practitioners: professional leaders in practice

Jack Nathan - Lead Consultant Adult Psychotherapist, South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Course Tutor, MSc in Mental Health Social Work with Children & Adults, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

Abstract

This paper will explore what it means to be an advanced social work practitioner in mental health services today. It starts by discussing previously published work by the presenter which looks at the way in which social workers can develop competency beyond Schon’s ‘knowing-in-action’ and / or ‘reflection-in-action’. For example, the essential elements of an advanced practitioner include:

• knowledge of theories informing social work practice;

• knowledge of the current evidence-base; and

• the development of new knowledge through original research, undertaken within the workplace.

These ideas will then be applied to contemporary mental health social work to identify the opportunities and challenges for professional leaders today and in the future.

Jack Nathans previous paper The advanced practitioner: Beyond reflective practice can be downloaded here. Advanced Practitioner (Jack Nathan)

S8 Paper 3: Professional leadership in action. Identifying the support needs of children whose parents have mental illness: a survey of mental health professionals’ attitudes in Kingston-upon-Thames

Karin Slack – Senior Practitioner in Social Work & Approved Social Worker, Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames

Abstract

This paper reports on a study published earlier this year1 that was conducted by  practitioner as part of the MSc in Mental Health Social Work with Children and Adults programme at the Institute of Psychiatry. The study aimed to explore attitudes of mental health professionals in one outer London borough regarding support needs of mental health service users’ children, to test for associations between demographic and professional factors, and practitioners’ views and practices, and to highlight barriers to identifying/meeting the support needs of service users’ children.

All statutory mental health teams in the borough participated in a cross sectional survey. The response rate was 94 out of 150 (62.7%). The sample consisted of a diverse range of professionals, in both inpatient and community settings.

The study found that practitioners were in favour of supporting children. However, attitudes and practices were significantly associated with profession, setting, and whether the respondent was a care co-ordinator. Social workers were the least likely to indicate that it was not their role to do so. Few associations were found with demographic characteristics or experience. The perceived barriers to supporting children were highlighted in this study. Responding professionals considered supporting children important but did not necessarily consider it their role to do so. Training is needed to raise awareness about this issue.

We will be reporting on the key issues raised at the conference in the next week

Tags: institute of psychiatry, making research count, national conference, professional leadership in social work

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What is the greatest challenge confronting managers and leaders in the care sector? Possibly it is finding the time to attend management and leadership training at one of the numerous actual and “virtual” leadership academies established in recent years. 

Are the huge resources now being devoted to leadership and management training really making a difference to the quality of services being delivered? So many organisations are now involved in management and leadership training it would be difficult to calculate the total expenditure to date. But a crucial question remains – what quality indicators are in place to ensure that the rate of return justifies the current investment? How do we distinguish excellence from mediocrity, is there a relationship between star ratings and leadership, are leadership and management really the same?    

Paradoxically it is the law of unintended consequences which becomes apparent when there is a lack of focus and joined up thinking across the care sector especially within the critical area of leadership.   

Leaders and managers have a vital role in improving services especially in the critical area of developing and supporting staff to deliver a world class care service. But do we really need quite so many leadership academies, leadership programmes, new projects and initiatives?  Apart from the obvious cost and resource implications I believe that we now need to invest in qualitative research which demonstrates whether this investment is really making an impact on the front line. What makes an effective manager? Do effective managers attract and retain more highly qualified staff? Is the quality of management reflected in the experiences of people who use services?

There are a large number of different types of management and leadership programmes both accredited and non accredited, provided in-house or externally. Many programmes have identified outcomes which lead to nationally recognized awards such as DMS, MBA, MPA, RMA, and PQAASW. Some programmes seem more concerned with inputs (number of lectures delivered) and outputs (how many people attended). How is the aim of becoming a more effective manager translated into practice? With the growth in e-Learning and blended learning the plethora of toolkits and audits freely available is it too controversial to suggest that existing managers should already be able to evidence their competence in the key areas of management and leadership?

However, with everyone from SCIE, ID&EA, the Kings Fund, Open University, ADCS, CWDC, and Skills for Care offering or developing management programmes and Action Learning Sets there is the potential for considerable confusion for employers or students. How can employers identify the most appropriate and cost effective training available? Government targets and public expectations require managers to have a sophisticated set of skills and knowledge which will deliver quality services across an increasingly complex landscape which includes personalisation and direct payments.

In September we will be publishing an independent (and brief) guide to help you make sense of what is available in the area of leadership and management development. Keep in touch by signing up for our free monthly eLetter. In the meantime if you have any questions, comments or contributions please contact us.

You may also wish to refer to our jargon busters section for further explanations of acronyms etc and navigating the social care landscape to understand the different roles and purpose of the organizations listed above.

Tags: care sector, development, dms, education, effective critical area, leadership, leadership academies, management, mba, mpa, pqaasw, research, toolkits, training

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The Philosophy of Shirley Ayres Consulting 

The Japanese have a word “Kaizen” which translated means “the gathering of the wisdom of the people” The Be Inspired website was launched to provide an independent and innovative web based resource for social work and social care. We are committed to supporting individuals and organisations to make connections and partnerships across sectors and disciplines.

We are very aware that in the 21st century organisations need to find different ways to engage, excite and energise their stakeholders. This doesn’t just mean communicating well – it means having a good story to tell. Our approach, which is underpinned by a commitment to empowerment through knowledge, links the latest marketing and new technology to promote excellence in the social work field.

Social work has many good stories to tell. It is the ultimate paradox that the communication skills so vital to effective social work are not reflected in the marketing and promotion of the care sector as a whole. We need to motivate and engage with politicians, service users, funders, investors, providers, media and other relevant groups to ensure that society values and adequately funds the social work and care services which support the most vulnerable people in the community. For more information about our consultancy services contact info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

How we work

Engaging, listening, discussing, carrying out interviews, providing workshops, undertaking desk and field research

Identifying significant patterns and themes and developing a strategy based upon the key issues with agreed outcomes

Implementing identifying relevant outputs and outcomes the development of a communications strategy

Handing over ownership to the organisation through training, mentoring, presentations and reports.

Evaluation, assessing how the ideas are working in action, making suggestions for improvements.

We work most effectively with organisations who are actively seeking to challenge and change the way they deliver their services. These organisations recognise that the way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something original and unique. Inspiration is shared through a vision and values. info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

The Team 

Shirley Ayres began her social work career with a national children’s charity establishing innovative community based projects for troubled and troublesome young people. She was awarded an international scholarship in the 1980’s and completed post-graduate studies at the Law School Sydney University, Australia.

In the 1990’s Shirley held the position of Chief Officer at GLPQ, a charity and company limited by guarantee responsible for the post qualifying education and training of social workers in London. GLPQ became a nationally recognised and independent voice for the challenges confronting social work practitioners in an increasingly diverse landscape.

In 2005 Shirley established a new knowledge and communications consultancy. Her work draws upon her qualifications and experience in social work, marketing, ethics, criminology, leadership and management. She works with a growing number of associates who provide complementary skills, knowledge and expertise. This enables the consultancy to provide unique perspectives into the development of innovative responses to the challenges facing an increasingly complex and disconnected society. 

Shirley is a respected commentator on issues of communication and diversity in the care sector. She is particularly interested in the challenges of securing the meaningful co-operation of diverse stakeholders including people who use service users and carers. She is currently involved in a number of ventures exploring the potential of the internet and Web 2 technology to enable communities of interest to connect and network more effectively. shirley@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

Peter Loizou has lead responsibility for the development and design of a number of Web 2.0 developments including the Be Inspired website. He has specialist knowledge of data collection and analysis in the care sector. He has undertaken research to support the development of strategic partnerships and the implementation of a major workforce mapping exercise in social work and social care. peter@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

James Souttar is a communications consultant with extensive experience of public, private and not-for-profit sectors. These include charities and social enterprises, Sector Skills Councils, Professional Skills for Government, and a number of universities. In 2005, the University of Middlesex awarded James an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his work in leading their rebranding. james@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

Marcia White is an experienced journalist who has worked on every major magazine and newspaper covering the sector, including: Guardian Society, Community Care, CareandHealth Magazine, Skills for Care London PQ Bulletin and SCLondon. Formerly managing editor of CareandHealth magazine she has an in-depth knowledge of the care sector and the policy drivers underpinning the development of the mixed economy of care and the relationships between the statutory, private and voluntary sector.  marcia@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

Cheryl Lewis has substantial experience in the voluntary and public care sector. Her background is in advocacy, focusing on the delivery of high quality person centered services and solutions. Her strengths are in her insights and capacity to connect with individuals and groups using her highly developed interpersonal skills. Cheryl has a particular focus on strategic perspectives, which will translate into improved performance management. She has a personal and professional commitment to lifelong learning and education.  cheryl@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

Tags: About Us, be inspired, connecting, engaging, Leadership and Management, our philosophy, partnerships, shirley ayres consulting, Social Work, values and vision, wisdom and knowledge

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