Leadership is embedded in all of the High Impact Changes, but because it is so important, it has a change of its own as well. Research tells us that leadership is important to implementing strengths-based approaches , particularly when trying to make safeguarding personal. Leadership must have a strengths-mindset. This is not a project or a model but a way of working. It can be achieved through lots of small changes.
How can systems do this?
Using the I,” “we” and “together” statements:
I statement: I feel respected and heard when leaders value strengths, inclusion, and reflection.
We statement: We reflect together, celebrate successes, and model strengths-based approaches in all interactions.
Together statement: Together we create an environment where staff and people receiving support learn from each other and grow.
- Focus on capability as well as capacity – we all know that adult social care is busy. There are lots of people that need support and there is pressure on money. Leadership should support individuals in the workforce to use their strengths and resilience.
- Use language and narrative of strengths, modelled from the top.
- Lots of slight changes can help make changes sustainable in the long term.
- Educate everyone. Set out and model expected behaviours, culture is important and system pressure can impact on how people work.
- Focus on supporting strengths-based approaches when thinking about risks, capacity, and safeguarding . This includes supporting staff to have strengths-based and solution focused conversations with other partners in care who may want to prioritise keeping someone safe over independence and autonomy.
- Making sure systems and processes better can make things better for the workforce – but remember, it does not always mean people get better outcomes.
- Leaders should explicitly embed equity, inclusion, and cultural awareness.
Highlighted pages
A High Impact Change Model to support a strengths-based approach in adult social care
Making it work – putting the model into practice: seven "making it work" action cards
References and resources
This page contains a list of references and resources that informed this model; as well as a list of organisations and individuals who contributed to the discussions, drafting and re-drafting and shared best practice examples to support this tool.