Ben Higgins, chief executive at Bild and the Restraint Reduction Network, shares his thoughts on the Department of Health and Social Care’s Social Care Workforce Pathway

A key part of the Social Care Workforce Pathway is providing non-management career progression opportunities.

With the aim of helping to prevent people leaving social care, the non-management branch of the career pathway enables people to specialise, for example, in mental health and learning disability, autism or dementia, and then go on to become practice leaders. Many of the best social care providers already adopt this approach with significant evidence noted in improving practice.

Guides, coaches, role models, champions

Practice leaders are simply a guide. A coach. A champion. An agent of change who leads by example, and whose presence can mean the difference between spreading poor practice or enabling best practice. As a skilled member of staff, practice leaders not only model what works for the supported individuals, as well as their families and carers, but also coach fellow staff members to help develop competence, motivation and to progress careers.

A positive, person-centred apprenticeship

Throughout history, people have learnt by practising a skill, under the guidance of more experienced individuals – a hands-on apprenticeship model that has proven effective for centuries.

Today, practice leadership is gaining recognition as the key to effective workforce development and quality implementation, playing a crucial role in embedding good practice within teams and working closely with individuals who require support.

Practice leaders are best placed to coach their colleagues, because they frequently observe how they support people and can improve practice by providing feedback, modelling, and clarifying what good looks like.

They know the motivations and skills the team possesses, and they know how to get the best out of people to help them excel in their roles, working together cohesively. In essence, practice leaders can ensure staff members feel seen, supported, motivated and engaged – a cost-effective strategy for retention.

Find your practice leaders and cultivate change

Strong voices will inevitably emerge in any organisation or service, making it vital to cultivate leaders who can prioritise ethical and beneficial practices, who can identify and rectify any gaps in staff knowledge and skills, and who can act as change agents.

However, services cannot solve their problems simply by training staff without considering implementation. They must also address the changes required in organisational systems to support and motivate the workforce.

As Bev Murphy, head of practice at United Response and chair of the UK PBS Alliance,

says: “Attention needs to be given to how practice leaders’ time is protected from the many other competing responsibilities in this important work. Organisations need to recognise that practice leadership must be provided despite, not neglected because of, resource limitations.”

Embrace opportunities for inclusion

By now it’s hopefully clear to see why the Department for Health and Social Care highlighted the importance of practice leaders. Having someone who can lead by example across a range of good practice issues, including inclusion, restraint reduction, supported independence, and much more, is vital.

We believe the time has come for organisations to harness the benefits of practice leadership, unlocking its transformative potential to improve the experience and outcomes of those they support.