Boost for leadership in social care in Wales

The social care sector in Wales has had a welcome boost to its leadership skills with the roll-out of a groundbreaking national programme developed by IPC.

The Team Manager Development Programme (TMDP) was commissioned on behalf of the Welsh Government by the Social Services Improvement Agency for Wales with the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru and the Care Council for Wales.  The programme is being delivered throughout Wales by the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University, working in partnership with ‘research in practice’ and the University of Glamorgan.

To date, regional courses have run involving more than 135 participants. It is hoped that all front line managers in Wales will complete the programme over time.

TMDP has been designed in collaboration with local authorities in Wales and is taught by experienced managers of both adults and children’s services to address the challenges of providing high quality services at a time of great change and financial pressures.

The programme modules ensure that participants have a clear understanding of the key national drivers shaping their service area, how they can evidence the quality and outcome of their work and the importance of effective leadership and management.

TMDP develops leadership and management skills with a real understanding of managing practice. SSIA has made a short film featuring students discussing their experience of the course which can be found here.

Alison Kitson, the IPC lead tutor on the programme, said "We believe this is a groundbreaking programme which brings together the best of management and professional practice. Participants on the first cohort felt more confident about their leadership skills and clearer about their role."

The feedback received about the impact of the programme has been very positive and it has been described by participants as filling a real gap in provision.

More details about the programme can be found here, or you can contact Fiona Richardson at the Institute of Public Care on 01225 484088 or email ipc@brookes.ac.uk

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