Skills Academy publishes key findings and future strategy consultation

Strong Leadership and management are essential to providing good adult social care and a new report from the National Skills Academy for Social Care and the Work Foundation published today identifies the key aspects of outstanding leadership. The report comes as the Academy formally launches a sector-wide consultation on the development of a future leadership strategy.

One of the Academy’s main roles is to improve care provision by focusing on leadership and management. It was tasked by the government to produce a leadership strategy – to be launched in the summer - as part of their Vision for Social Care that was published by the Department of Health in November last year. Identifying excellence and being able to share this knowledge to organisations working in the sector through forums such as its membership offering is one of the Academy’s key aims. Brian Cox, Head of Leadership and Management at the National Skills Academy for Social Care said: “Improving leadership and management at all levels is vital if we want to provide care that treats people with respect, protects their rights and dignity, while supporting them to live the lives they want. I hope that everyone that shares this view will work with us on developing a credible, deliverable and cost effective leadership strategy.” With the help of the Academy the Work Foundation identified and interviewed some of the most respected and successful care leaders in order to understand their practical and philosophical approach to leadership. The interviews highlighted a great deal of commonality in several areas including: • Creating an open and supportive environment. • Empowering people to achieve more than they thought possible. • High expectations of delivery and behaviour. • Recognising the importance of communication. The findings from today’s report, along with the consultation submissions and one-to-one interviews with key stakeholders, will help inform the Academy’s leadership strategy. The consultation period begins today - 24 February - and runs until 28 April. Submissions can be made via the Academy’s website – www.nsasocialcare.co.uk -Ends- Editors’ Notes 1. Leadership Strategy consultation document: http://www.nsasocialcare.co.uk/about-us/leadership-strategy/ 2. Work Foundation Report: Work Foundation - Outstanding Leadership 3. A Vision for Social Care: DH Social Care 4. The employer-driven National Skills Academy for Social Care focuses on leadership, management and commissioning and modelling excellence in learning, in adult social care. 5. It is the first welfare-related Academy in the network of National Skills Academies which are employer-led centres of training excellence established by industry to create a world-class workforce by delivering the skills that employers need in each sector of the economy. 6. The Skills Academy’s remit is to promote and support excellent learning and training for the 1.6 million workers and 40,600 employers in social care with a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized employers. Demographic changes mean the social care workforce is expected to rise to 2.5 million by 2025. 7. The Skills Academy is led by a Board of employer representatives from across the statutory, private and not-for-profit sectors within adult social care. 8. For more information visit www.nsasocialcare.co.uk