Leadership and Safeguarding: How good leadership supports better safeguarding Care Learning Annual Conference 20th June 2013 Debbie Sorkin Chief Executive, The National Skills Academy for Social Care

The Starting Point: A Provider’s Experience “We had a very interesting set of circumstances in the homes lately which involved a new link District Nurse picking up number of spurious concerns in the home and which resulted in a number of safeguarding alerts. When I looked into the concerns only one needed attention – so the safeguarding meeting completely exonerated [the Registered Manager] and the team, and comments were made at the waste of public time. The impact on the manager was dreadful – this is someone who is known to be sound and solid. The underlying problem was/is that suddenly nurses are asked to be the eyes and ears of the public sector and are looking for problems. The don’t understand that living in care homes is just that and some reasonable risks should be taken in order for people to live, not to be nursed. There is a big difference .” Skills Academy Member, South-West

Presentation: How better leadership can support better safeguarding Introduction: the role of the Skills Academy in relation to leadership What we think leadership means in adult social care How leadership at different levels can support safeguarding How you can strengthen leadership in relation to safeguarding in and beyond your own organisation: practical (and non-costly) things you can do Use The Leadership Qualities Framework Ensure safety of service users Act with integrity Manage performance Develop networks – e.g. the Registered Managers’ Support Programme Encourage contribution Embody the vision Celebrate and influence: stand up for social care

The role of the Skills Academy: leading on leadership in social care Backed by DH and BIS Covering adult social care but also working with health and children’s services Specific remit to improve leadership and commissioning, and to support Registered Managers Employer-led: reaching providers, trainers, local authorities and other commissioners Membership body leadership programmes for all levels endorsement for high quality trainers Leadership Starts with Me Leadership Qualities Framework Leadership Development Forum

Some of our Members Cheshire Homecare Services Ltd

What we think leadership means in adult social care Not just about authority at the top of organisations It’s a practical understanding – and awareness – about how you do what you do, and the impact on others So it’s about behaviours, and taking responsibility for them And it’s everyone’s business – people working at all levels in social care So safeguarding really is everyone’s business “People do not experience our values, they experience our behaviours.” Bill Mumford, CEO, MacIntyre

How leadership at different levels can support safeguarding Practice and professional leadership To ensure systems in place to prevent, detect and deal with abuse, challenge poor practice – leadership issue for all staff Collaborative leadership Many safeguarding issues involve many local services – need for collaborative approaches to make it (cost-)effective Vital for really listening to people who use services, their carers and families Community leadership Vital for mobilising people in local neighbourhoods to look out for people, engage with them and involve them in community life

How you can strengthen leadership in relation to safeguarding: The Leadership Qualities Framework Guide to what good leadership looks like Describes what good leadership looks like in different settings and situations Defines good leadership for people at different levels: Front-line Staff Front-line Leaders Operational Leaders Strategic Leaders Basis in values and behaviours that follow on from them Grounded in everyday practice and written in plain English, so accessible to everyone Applicable in integrated services

The Leadership Qualities Framework: how it works Based on structure of NHS Leadership Framework Groups behaviours into seven areas, called Dimensions Five Dimensions relate to areas in which all social care professionals need to demonstrate leadership Two apply specifically to senior staff Each Dimension has four elements The LQF takes each element and gives a short description of what quality leadership looks like at different levels

The Leadership Qualities Framework: how it can help you in supporting safeguarding Use the descriptions that relate to safeguarding for people at different levels of your organisation Use these in recruitment, induction, supervision, performance management and appraisal Use online self-assessments for benchmarking: 360° feedback tool: 1:1 organisational assessment – to measure, track and strengthen communication skills The LQF is mapped to CQC Essential Standards: so use it as part of the inspection process

The Leadership Qualities Framework: Improving services : Ensuring safety of service users Good leaders identify and quantify risks, use evidence to identify options and monitor the effects and outcomes of change Front-line Worker Challenges appropriately and is prepared to raise concerns about quality, safety and performance Front-line Leader Shows that they are prepared to raise concerns about quality, safety and performance and instils a ‘safe to challenge’ culture within the team Operational Leader Demonstrates that they are prepared to raise concerns about quality safety and performance and instils a ‘safe to challenge’ culture within the organisation Strategic Leader Creates a culture where people are prepared to challenge about quality, safety and performance

The Leadership Qualities Framework Demonstrating personal qualities: Acting with integrity Good leaders uphold personal and professional ethics and values and take appropriate action if these are compromised Front-line Worker Demonstrates a high standard of personal and professional behaviour and consistently puts core ethics and values into practice...treats everyone with dignity, sensitivity and respect Front-line Leader Demonstrates and sets high standards of personal and professional behaviour...consistently puts core ethics and values into practice and promotes them in others Operational Leader Demonstrates and sets high standards of personal and professional behaviour and leads a culture of professionalism...supports this culture within the organisation Strategic Leader Embodies a very high standard of personal and professional behaviour and creates a culture that reinforces personal and professional standards

The Leadership Qualities Framework: Managing services : Managing performance Good leaders take action to improve performance and take responsibility for tackling difficult issues Front-line Worker Takes personal charge of key issues to ensure that quality care and support is provided Front-line Leader Takes personal charge of key issues to ensure that quality care and support is provided through responsibility and commitment. Works with the team to monitor what is working well and what can be improved Operational Leader Fosters a culture in which people are confident in taking responsibility. Works across the organisation to recognise good performance and to take action where performance can be improved Strategic Leader Maintains a personal integrity which promotes excellence...Works across the service to recognise good performance and to take action where performance can be improved, ensuring that lessons are learned

The Leadership Qualities Framework: Working with others : Developing Networks Good leaders promote the sharing of information and resources and actively seek the views of others Front-line Worker Actively makes and maintains effective connections externally...actively seeks out links with community groups and signposts/connects people Front-line Leader Identifies and engages with other organisations and networks ...shares expertise and has ongoing dialogue with community groups to ensure they are inclusive Operational Leader Identifies and engages with other organisations and networks to share views and approaches...shares expertise and has ongoing dialogue with community groups to ensure they meet requirements of people who use services Strategic Leader Promotes relationships at the highest level with other organisations and networks within and beyond the sector. Shares views and approaches with integrity

Developing networks: The Registered Managers’ Support Programme Based on 2012 national survey Facilitated by CQC, sent to all Registered Managers in England c. 1200 responses Context: Registered Managers as lead professionals in care homes and home care Context: leadership role of Registered Managers, and importance of leadership generally, acknowledged in White Paper Caring for our future Context: growing recognition of, and concerns around, increasing complexity and frequent isolation

Developing networks: Context for the Registered Managers’ Support Programme

Outcome: Developing networks New national Support Programme for Registered Managers New programme now available from the Skills Academy, including: national network community of practice funding for local networks free training events advice, guidance and support HR, legal and experienced Registered Manager support Online resources

The Leadership Qualities Framework: Working with others : Encouraging contribution Good leaders provide encouragement and opportunity for people to engage in decision-making and to challenge constructively Front-line Worker Encourages and supports people who use services to express their views and needs for care and support, enabling them to participate in joint decision-making Front-line Leader Creates a positive environment which enables people to maximise their potential...creates a team ethos which takes into account a person’s whole life Operational Leader Encourages and enables both staff and people who use services to be involved in co-production...creates a service ethos which takes into account a person’s whole life Strategic Leader Actively creates a culture of co-production, joint responsibility and joint decision-making...models behaviour that identifies strengths, challenges and issues for other people and engages positively with them

The Leadership Qualities Framework: Creating the vision: Embodying the vision Good leaders: Act as a role model, behaving in a manner which reflects the values and principles inherent in the vision Demonstrate confidence, self-belief, tenacity and integrity in pursuing the vision Challenge behaviours which are not consistent with the vision Identify symbols, rituals and routines within the organisation which are not consistent with the vision, and replace them with ones that are

How you can strengthen leadership in relation to safeguarding: Celebrate and influence: stand up for social care Social care as key driver of local economies Social care as growth sector Social care as local employer Social care as community hub/link Social care as source of innovation Social care as source of good news stories for local media/MPs/ Councils/Health and Wellbeing Boards Social care staff as people to be celebrated

Summary: How better leadership can support better safeguarding Leadership is about behaviours: taking responsibility for your own practice and addressing poor practice elsewhere It follows that leadership can support safeguarding, embedding it as everyone’s business You can use the Leadership Qualities Framework and Leadership Starts with Me to instil and embed leadership behaviours which actively promote safeguarding There are online tools to help you There are resources on safeguarding for Registered Managers as part of the new support programme You can embody what good leadership behaviours look like in relation to safeguarding You can instil a high quality culture through celebrating great social care

The National Skills Academy for Social Care www. nsasocialcare. co The National Skills Academy for Social Care www.nsasocialcare.co.ukww.nsasocialcare.co.uk debbie.sorkin@nsasocialcare.co.uk