Breaking down barriers to working together in the children's workforce
A CULTURE of heavy workloads and poor prioritising is preventing middle managers developing their skills in the children's workforce, an independent survey has found.
The finding was highlighted as part of the Training and Development of Middle Managers in the Children's Workforce report, commissioned by the Children's Workforce Development Council to promote Integrated Working and develop leadership in the sector.
The report is based on the opinions of 531 middle managers working across the children's workforce today.
Research touched on support, training and continuing professional development and the opportunities available for middle managers to work jointly with colleagues in other organisations to deliver services.
Four main barriers to leadership development in middle management were found by the survey.
These were strategic planning for leadership development, access to joint training, funding and making time for professional development.
Recommendations on how to improve the sector were also suggested as part of the findings which include creating clear opportunities for promotion and providing a clear structure for training and development for leadership and management.
Deirdre Quill, Director of Workforce Reform and the Regions at CWDC, said:
The 2020 vision for the children's workforce puts children, young people and their families at the centre of excellent, integrated services. The vision puts the child's needs first, regardless of traditional institutional and professional structures.
Having strong, skilled leaders and managers who can work within and across professional boundaries and organisational is a significant factor in delivering successful integrated working. This report identifies important challenges for us and over the coming months CWDC will be rolling out a programme of work to tackle the issues identified in this report."
The full report and an abridged version are available to download at from our Leadership and Management pages.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Among the findings, carried out by Haygroup, 30,000 middle managers were sent the survey, and of those, 531 replied with their opinions.
The children's workforce includes early years, including childminders, day care workers and nursery teachers, educational welfare, learning mentors and Connexions advisers, foster care, social care and social work.
This report did not take into consideration middle managers working within an education setting
For further information please contact CWDC Press Officer Leigh Dowd on 01133907658, or at leigh.dowd@cwdcouncil.org.uk