New report: What does good leadership in homecare look like?
My Home Life England’s new report, Leadership in Homecare Services – What Works Well?, brings together insights from 90 homecare professionals working across England to explore the key elements of effective leadership in homecare services.
Drawing on insights from our professional support and development programmes with homecare leaders, interviews with those working in a range of roles for a large homecare provider, and a scoping review of the literature, our report identifies the challenges faced by homecare leaders and the effective strategies they use to support their teams and deliver high-quality care.
See the key findings
The Six Elements of Good Leadership
Our report outlines six interwoven elements that underpin successful leadership in homecare:
Building trust through consistency, shared decision-making, positive recognition, and sufficient access to training.
“We can openly voice concerns, there is good comradery, [the branch manager] asks for views, we all talk about it, there is no browbeating, we have ‘always here to help’ each other in our minds.”
(Homecare worker)
Fostering connection through regular communication, appreciation, and open conversations – despite time-pressured environments.
“As a manager, always providing the personal touch to carers e.g. I ring them if I hear some positive feedback so they receive lots of praise…”
(Homecare leader)
Modelling positive values and behaviours, and empowering carers to form meaningful relationships with the people they support and their teams.
“We’re not micro-managed and so we feel empowered, we are a kind team.”
(Homecare leader)
Ensuring roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and that it is clear who to ask for support and how decisions are made.
“[We have] very clear role descriptions agreed with the manager so it’s clear when decisions should be passed on.”
(Homecare leader)
Using feedback and complaints as learning opportunities, plus maintaining strong relationships and regular communication with clients and families.
“I have a very good relationship with customers and next of kin/ their partners and so they always tell me [if there is a problem]. I always end any update with ‘Anything I should know about or you want to let me know?’ I do a monthly email to next of kin/partners to keep them involved and say let us know if there is anything they need to discuss.”
(Homecare leader)
Spreading risk to sustainably grow client numbers, investing in workforce development, collaborating with the wider health and social care system, and with local communities.
“[I have] examples of good reviews from Occupational Therapy, Social Services, GP’s. Networking is a massive part of the Branch Manager role, making sure they know what we do and getting a named contact to communicate with.”
(Homecare leader)
Supporting Homecare Leaders
- ‘Homecare leaders’ = registered and branch managers, deputy managers, care co-ordinators and care training practitioners.
- ‘Homecare workers’ = the direct care and support staff that go out to visit and support people living in their homes.
The homecare leaders we spoke to were very aware of the fact that their relationship with each carer has a direct impact on the relationship between that carer and the people they support.
We found that, for homecare leaders to enable their teams to feel safe, supported and valued, these same leaders need to feel that as well.
The report highlights the impact of My Home Life England’s professional support and development programmes, which help leaders to feel safe, reflect on their practice, and make meaningful changes in how they lead their teams.
Participants reported improved communication, clearer boundaries, and stronger team relationships.
“You can be vulnerable in our group and that’s not something you can do at work… I know I’m not on my own.” – Programme participant
Conclusion
The six interwoven elements of good leadership identified key aspects of positive leadership and management within homecare, and some practical examples of how homecare leaders seek to achieve this.
Homecare leaders play a vital role in shaping the experiences of homecare workers and the quality of care delivered, yet often have little support. This report underscores the importance of supporting homecare leaders – for example through professional development opportunities – so they, in turn, can support their teams and apply learnings to practice for the benefit of their teams and organisations.
Download the full reportDownload a short summary