Due to its improved results for individual and community well-being and more efficient use of public resources, strengths-based (or asset-based) approaches to social care are widely acknowledged to have benefits. The constraints of current systems and processes, the lack of practitioners' and teams' abilities to develop more person-centred, innovative, and adaptable practices, and the absence of genuine co-production in service design make it difficult to integrate these. Addressing these difficulties requires strong leadership.
To make it possible for practice leaders in social work and social care to recognise their leadership capabilities and pinpoint areas where they may practice better leadership—fostering an environment conducive to learning where individuals and groups can flourish. To aid participants in completing a practical improvement project related to strengths-based practice.
A stakeholder group of practitioners and people with lived experience helped to construct the programme. It offers participants a six-month interactive and engaging CPD learning experience to help them improve their leadership of practice, including their capacity to effect positive change, collaborate with communities, and form partnerships with other organisations.
Through group and individual activities, cohorts of up to 32 individuals from various social care organisations and professions develop together. Access to a variety of online resources, such as talking heads and animations that illustrate research findings, real-world experience, and pertinent leadership theories, are a few of these. Others include conducting a 360-degree qualitative review of their leadership, creating virtual communities of practice, implementing real-world improvement projects, and regularly meeting as individual and group reflections.
An organisational sponsor and a peer learning group support participants in their learning. A skilled team of academic and improvement-based educators leads the learning days. Additionally, each participant is given support from a sponsor inside their company.
