Getting it right for every child: managing the change

1
Getting it right for every child managing the
change ideas from theory and experience

• Jane Aldgate
• Professor of Social Care
• The Open University

2
Why change?

• Children have a right to reach their potential
• Children do best when they meet their well-being
  indicators throughout childhood
• Children are our future

3
Change takes time

• Transformational change does not come easily
  but requires a raising of awareness, a redesign
  of how practitioners go about their business,
  multi-agency training that is based on common
  language and processes, and the fostering of
  trust and understanding across services and with
  children and families
• Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early
  Years

4
What will help agencies work together?

• A common purpose to promote childrens
  well-being and achieve the best outcomes for a
  child
• Shared principles and values of Getting it right
  for every child
• A common language and theory the components of
  the Getting it right for every child practice
  model
• Mutual benefits
• Changes in culture, systems and practice

5
How will changes be achieved?

• Lifting constraints on workers professional
  creativity and innovation
• Accountability linked to managers trust in
  professionals autonomy and judgement
• Career structures that support professional
  leadership/mentorship skills
• Managers who respect and work alongside
  practitioners. promoting life long learning
• Changing governance from a culture of blame to
  one of learning and improving performance
• Valuing input from academics and service users as
  part of the learning agenda
• Adapted from Changing Lives, the 21st century
  review of social work, Scottish Executive 2006

6
Two key agents of change

• Transformational leadership
• Changing through learning
• Main sources
• A Guide to Getting it right for every child,
  Edinburgh, Scottish Government (2008)
• Aldgate, J., Healy, L., Malcolm, B., Pine, B.,
  Rose, W. and Seden, J (eds) Enhancing Social Work
  Management Theory and Best Practice from the UK
  and the USA, London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers,
  (2007).
• Changing Lives, the 21st century review of social
  work in Scotland, Edinburgh, Scottish Executive
  ,(2006).

7
Transformational Leaders in Childrens Services

• Recognize that they are operating in permanent
  whitewater. Change is constant
• Know that most childrens services jobs are high
  stress with high potential for burnout
• Understand that a positive workplace starts with
  a management philosophy that values individuals
  and views staff as competent and responsible

8
Transformational Leaders

• Develop participatory structures
• Believe that participation is an ethical
  imperative
• Recognize that their most valuable resource is
  the individuals who work in the organization
• Know that feelings of achievement and
  satisfaction are essential to high morale
• Strive to attain a learning organisation
• Act out the values and principles of Getting it
  right for every child

9
Qualities of effective leadership

• Dedication
• Values
• Integrity
• Charisma
• Bravery
• Motivation
• Credibility

10
Leaders and managers - effective style

• Leaders arent all at the top. People at all
  levels should be given opportunities to lead.
  Leadership is about doing the right thing. A good
  leaders sticks to their values and isnt knocked
  off course.
• Leaders need not necessarily be managers but
  all managers should be good leaders
• From Changing Lives, the 21st century review of
  social work in Scotland,Scottish Executive, 2006

11
Learning to change

• Service improvements will not take place
  unless those who work together in the human
  services are willing to learn together
• From Aldgate, Healy, Malcolm, Pine, Rose and
  Seden (eds).2007
• Enhancing Social Work Management Theory and Best
  Practice from the UK and the USA, London, JKP

12
Appreciative Enquiry

• A strengths based approach out of action research
• Both a theory of change and a methodology for
  fostering innovation
• Begins with assumption some things are working
  well
• Invites stakeholders to share what is going well
• Asks questions that strengthen a systems
  capacity to discover and develop its potential
• Invites participants to think differently about
  the organisation
• Creates enthusiasm and commitment
• Change is inevitable

13
Translating the theory into practice

• Using Appreciative Enquiry in the Highland
  Pathfinder
• What is going well in implementation of change?
• What would you like to see more of?
• What needs to change further?

14
Changes in leadership and systems

• Chief officers owning and supporting change
• New focused job descriptions to help people feel
  safe championed by chief officers
• Interagency project team recognised as leaders on
  behalf of their agencies
• Reference groups single and multi agency
• All agencies, including vol sector included

15
Changes in practice and culture

• A common practice model and practice tools
• Moving from child protection to protecting
  children
• Children and families are included and valued as
  stakeholders
• Single childs plan meeting focuses everyone
• Permission to share information early on
• More positive individual responsibility
• Valuing professional skills and judgements
• Improved communications within and outwith
  Highland as common language spreads

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Including children and families

• We feel more equal
• Young people chairing their own meetings
• Single meeting at times to suit families means
  more involvement

18
Valuing people rather than procedures - 5
questions for all practitioners

• What is getting in the way of his child or young
  persons well-being?
• Do I have all the information I need to help this
  child or young person?
• What can I do now to help this child or young
  person?
• What can my agency do to help this child or young
  person?
• What additional help, if any , may be needed from
  others?

19
Working together and learning together

• Multi-agency training essential to recognise
  skills of different agencies
• Single agency training to discuss the detail
• Understand everyone has a positive contribution
  that is valuable
• Learn how to collaborate and share knowledge

20
A Positive Culture and New Directions

• If I could ask one thing in any situation it
  would not be Whats wrong and what will fix it?
  but Whats possible here and who cares?
• Weisbord 1987, quoted in Aldgate et al.
  Enhancing Social Work Management Theory and
  Best Practice from the UK and the USA London,
  JKP, (2007)